WOODBRIDGE, NJ — On Wednesday of this week, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection sent Patch $69,000 in violations it levied against Competitive Power Ventures, the energy company currently trying to open a second natural gas power plant in Woodbridge.

The violations date back to 2015 at CPV's existing power plant in Keasbey. The Newark Star Ledger/NJ.com published the violations as well. Patch never requested to see the violations; a DEP media spokeswoman sent them to us unprompted.

The DEP notified CPV of the violations in a letter dated March 2, and levied a $69,000 total fine.

Then, less than 24 hours later, a DEP spokeswoman said Thursday the natural gas company has resolved all these violations, and is "working toward a resolution of the fines."

"Woodbridge Energy Center has rectified the violation(s) found during an inspection of its facility and is in compliance with DEP regulations," said DEP spokeswoman Caryn Shinske. "At this time, DEP and Woodbridge Energy Center are working toward resolution of the fines."

It remains unclear why CPV was only notified this week of violations the state found in 2015.

Shinske said the DEP is not issuing any further comment on this topic.

Matthew Litchfield is a spokesman for Competitive Power Ventures. Patch asked him if these violations will have any bearing on whether or not the NJ DEP approves their current air permit applications to open the second plant. He replied:

"We expect that the pending applications will continue to be considered based on their own merits."

Since 2016, CPV has operated the Woodbridge Energy Center, a 725-megawatt natural gas power plant in the Keasbey section of Woodbridge. It is located at 1070 Riverside Drive.

Their second proposed natural gas power plant — which is still awaiting key air quality permit approvals from the state of New Jersey — would be built adjacent to the existing.

Many residents are opposed to the second natural gas power plant opening in Woodbridge, specifically citing air pollution from the plant. Some Middlesex County residents say they and their children have asthma and are concerned about a second fossil fuel power plant opening in the area.

Gov. Murphy has not publicly spoken about the plant, although he did announce a goal to move New Jersey to entirely renewable energy by 2035. Both CPV plants — the existing and the proposed second one — do not use renewable energy; they use natural gas obtained by fracking methods elsewhere in the U.S.

However, CPV is also in the wind and solar energy business.

Murphy is pushing a plan to build up to 3,400 wind turbines off the Jersey Shore, and it remains unknown if the two CPV plans could process that wind energy once it comes ashore.

According to the DEP, compliance checks in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021 at the plant found multiple violations, some of them having to do with air quality emissions: Exceeding the sulfur content in a diesel pump; operating beyond acceptable pH ranges; running a diesel pump engine on "ozone action days" and failing to continuously monitor water in a cooling tower.

These violations violated New Jersey's Air Pollution Control Act, the state says.

Litchfield said the company actually self-reported some of the issues in 2019. He also said the issues with the cooling tower were in the plant's first few years of operation, and have since been fixed.

“CPV is in receipt of the communications from the NJDEP concerning the penalties assessed generally due to operating permit deviations related to the cooling tower during the first few years of operations at CPV Woodbridge," he told Patch Thursday. "CPV holds itself to a high standard, which led to the self-reporting of the issue to the NJDEP in 2019. Successful corrective actions were taken back then and there have been no further issues with the cooling tower since. We continue to work closely with the NJDEP and all regulatory agencies."

Prior: Stop Woodbridge's 2nd Natural Gas Power Plant, NJ Residents Beg Murphy (March 7)

Woodbridge Residents Speak For And Against 2nd Natural Gas Power Plant (Feb. 27, 2023)

Associated Press

WOODBRIDGE — Residents of low-income communities in New Jersey that would get a second gas-fired power plant nearby are urging the governor to halt the project, which they said flies in the face of an environmental justice law he signed with great fanfare over two years ago — but which has yet to take full effect.

Competitive Power Ventures wants to build the second plant beside one it already operates in the Keasbey section of Woodbridge. The company says the expansion is needed because of growing demand for energy, pitching it as a reliable backup source for solar and wind energy when those types of power are not available.

But residents of the mostly minority neighborhood of Keasbey, as well as surrounding low-income and minority towns, say the second plant will pump even more pollution into an area that already suffers disproportionately from it.

They say their communities are precisely the types of places that are supposed to be protected by the law Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed in 2020, calling it the toughest environmental justice law in the nation. The measure is designed to ensure low-income and minority communities that are already overburdened with pollution are not forced to accept additional sources of it.

"We have enough pollution here," said Jean Roy, an asthma sufferer from Woodbridge. He noted that the state's two largest highways — the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway — run through Woodbridge, which is already highly industrialized.

"Don't add more," he said. "It would be nice to see the plant built in some of the more affluent and pretty areas."

Central Jersey:Does Woodbridge need another power plant? It depends who you ask

The governor's office referred inquiries to the state Department of Environmental Protection, which considers Keasbey "an overburdened community" under the environmental justice law.

But because CPV's application for an air quality permit was deemed complete in 2017 — before the new law was signed — the pending measure does not apply to it, said Larry Hajna, a DEP spokesperson. An administrative order issued by the governor requires CPV to take certain steps, including holding the public comment session it hosted Tuesday night.

The company is obligated to respond to concerns raised at the hearing, and the DEP can impose special conditions on permit approvals for the project "as may be necessary to avoid or minimize environmental or public health stressors upon the overburdened community to the maximum extent allowable by law," Hajna said.

During Tuesday's hearing, residents lambasted the state, saying they're angry that the environmental justice law still has not taken full effect. They voiced suspicion that this and other proposed power plants will be approved before the new rules take hold in April.

Chris Nowell of the environmental group Food & Water Watch said Murphy should not "allow this plant to beat the buzzer by one month." If that happens, he asked, "Do you think we would have any faith in the DEP left at all?"

Earlier:South Brunswick rejects plan for gas-fired power plant in Woodbridge

The American Lung Association gives Middlesex County, which includes Woodbridge, a grade of "F" for ground-level ozone pollution.

Numerous speakers from Woodbridge and neighboring communities told of their children's struggles with asthma and other ailments, which they attribute to growing up in a polluted industrial area.

James Dabrowski, secretary of the NAACP chapter in the neighboring city of Perth Amboy, recalled a terrifying incident with his 1-year-old son.

"We had to rush him to the hospital in an ambulance because he couldn't breathe," he said. "CPV already has one massive fossil fuel plant in Keasbey spewing out toxins. The last thing we need is another power plant right next to it."

Daniel Heyden of nearby Metuchen said he lives just over two miles from the existing CPV plant, and his 2-year-old son also had to be hospitalized in intensive care with an extreme form of asthma. He now must take three different medicines a day.

CPV, which is based in Silver Spring, Maryland, says its proposed second plant "will be one of the most efficient and lowest emitting generation facilities of its kind" as it provides enough electricity to power 600,000 homes and businesses. The company says its new plant will allow the closure of older, less efficient and more polluting facilities.

CPV said Tuesday the greenhouse gas emissions from the new plant would be "at the lowest level achievable in the U.S. from a natural gas-fired electric generating station."

It still needs over a half-dozen environmental permits from state and federal authorities.

Only a tiny handful of speakers supported the project, including a retired union worker and a current union official praising the jobs it would create.

But most speakers said the health consequences of another power plant in the area would far outweigh any economic benefits.

"Your jobs mean nothing to me," said Brian Russo, an environmentalist from northern New Jersey who used to work in the Woodbridge area. "There will be no jobs on a dead planet."

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Woodbridge Township has plans underway to sell the Keasbey firehouse lot to a private developer. Developer Stalwart Equities, Inc. will tear down the firehouse as part of their plan to build two warehouse distribution centers.

Homeowners near the firehouse told Tap Into they were also approached by the developer to sell, and their homes will likely be razed, as well. The area where the Keasbey firehouse is located, at 420 Smith Street, has previously been designated by Woodbridge Twp. as an "area in need of redevelopment."

This will all happen a few years in the future; nothing is happening immediately or soon.

In total, 22 acres in Keasbey will be sold to Stalwart; the firehouse is part of those 22 acres.

Stalwart has promised to build a new firehouse and it will remain in the Keasbey section of Woodbridge, said Councilman Howie Bauer at the Aug. 23 meeting.

Woodbridge Twp. will not be funding construction of the new firehouse, cautioned town spokesman John Hagerty: It is entirely the private developer who has agreed to pay for it. The new firehouse will be "state of the art," he said.

Keaseby Fire Commissioner Robert Pawol said the last he heard, the developer was looking into buying property at 177 and 199 Smith Street near the Rt. 9 bridge, and would locate the firehouse there. The developer hired an engineering company to draw up a site plan for a future firehouse at that location, he said.

The Woodbridge Council, under Mayor John McCormac, support Stalwart's proposal to build the two warehouses, saying they will bring jobs to the area and it is a strategic location near the Parkway, Rt. 9 and Rt. 440.

For years, the town has been eager to have this part of Keasbey redeveloped. As far back as 2008, Woodbridge launched this Keasbey 5 Redevelopment Plan, which calls to "comprehensively re-plan Keasbey as a major regional industrial area."

Writes Woodbridge Township in the plan:

"This plan is a part of a strategy to revitalize the entire Keasbey area extending from Industrial Highway south to the Raritan River, north to the Edison border, and east to the city of Perth Amboy. It is comprised of industrial uses and vacant properties."

Map of the Keasbey properties that Woodbridge designated in 2008 for industrial redevelopment. The firehouse and nearby homes were not included in these plans.

The Keasbey Fire Department’s Station 4 firehouse at 420 Smith St.Photo Credit: Google Maps

Map of the Keasbey properties that Woodbridge designated in 2008 for industrial redevelopment. The firehouse and nearby homes were not included in these plans. Photo Credit: Woodbridge Township

The Keasbey Fire Department’s Station 4 firehouse at 420 Smith St.Photo Credit: Google Maps

By TONY GALLOTTO

PublishedSeptember 5, 2022 at 2:36 PM

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — It’s a few years away, but the Keasbey Fire Department’s firehouse and more than a dozen Smith Street homes will likely be razed to clear the way for two warehouse distribution centers designed to boost the local economy.

The Township Council recently approved a $500,000 sale to Stalwart Equities Inc. for the town-owned, arrow-shaped Smith Street property. Sale of that vacant parcel turned a spotlight on Stalwart’s plan to build two new, state-of-the-art warehouses in Keasbey.

That New York-based developer – operating as SEI Keasbey Urban Renewal LLC – paid $3.5 million in July for 12.5 acres behind the Keasbey firehouse and its adjacent homes, according to Middlesex County records.

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Stalwart is negotiating to buy Fire District 4’s firehouse at 420 Smith St. It is also making deals to buy nearby homes on Smith Street, near Crows Mill Road, to cobble together more land for its warehouse plan, a few homeowners told TAPinto Woodbridge/Carteret.

Redeveloping properties in this part of Keaseby for a “major regional industrial area” has been on Woodbridge’s drawing board since 2008, when it adopted the Keasbey-Area 5 Redevelopment Plan.

That 29-page plan targeted only 22 acres of vacant land and tired industrial sites off Smith Street and Crows Mill Road. It did not mention redeveloping the Keasbey firehouse or any nearby homes and stores.

The amount of money Stalwart is offering for the firehouse, built in the early 1980s, remains undisclosed.

Fire Commission President Dwayne Jensen confirmed that Stalwart Equities has offered to build a new Keasbey firehouse “at no cost to the District 4 Board of Commissioners or to taxpayers.”

The new firehouse would be built on other Smith Street properties Stalwart is buying, and the firm has asked commissioners to recommend amenities they require.

Mayor John E. McCormac said it would be inappropriate to comment about Stalwart’s unapproved plans. But, the mayor said: “Woodbridge is one of Central New Jersey’s more desirable locations for new, state-of-the-art warehouses with our access to major highways as a key factor.”

Besides providing temporary construction jobs, and full-and part-time permanent jobs, “warehouses add to our commercial tax base, alleviating some tax burden on homeowners, They also put minimal strain on municipal services,” said McCormac, citing the benefits.

Jensen said “nothing is a done-deal yet. Our Board of Fire Commissioners is cautiously negotiating with Stalwart and with the Township to protect our interests and the interest of the people in Keasbey we serve.”.

Commissioners want assurances Stalwart will fulfill its pledge to build the Keasbey Fire Department a well-equipped, three-bay firehouse “that is comparable or better” than their present firehouse, Jensen said.

“Our (current) firehouse is in great shape. It’s well-built. We keep it well-maintained. A new firehouse should be equal or better. We want to take a step forward, not back” said Jensen, who is also among the Smith Street homeowners whose properties Stalwart has offered to buy.

The mayor is optimistic. “Stalwart appears to have a track record for successful projects elsewhere, and it has a reputation as a good commercial neighbor in other communities,” he said.

Fire district commissioners insist their new firehouse has more office and storage space; a commercial kitchen comparable to their current one; and 35 to 40 parking spaces for firefighters and for people who attend firehouse meetings, social functions and elections.

Stalwart Equities already acquired land elsewhere along Smith Street for a new firehouse. It is now negotiating with owners of 177 and 199 Smith St. – a screen printing business and a three-unit apartment building, respectively – to buy those properties for parking. Those owners would get “two to three years to vacate,” according to documents available online.

OTHER WOODBRIDGE WAREHOUSES

Stalwart’s two Keasbey warehouses are its second project in Woodbridge.

In August, Stalwart also bought 38 acres off Cutters Dock and Pennval roads, after securing most approvals it needs for two other warehouse-distribution facilities, according to a press release from its Short Hills brokerage firm Blau & Berg Co.

Woodbridge has tried for nearly a decade to entice redevelopment in that industrial area between NJ Transit’s rail line and the Woodbridge River. The town updated redevelopment plans for that area in March 2021.

Stalwart – applying as “SEI Cutters Dock Urban Renewal LLC” and “SEI Pennval II Urban Renewal LLC” – has received approvals from the Woodbridge and Middlesex County planning boards for those warehouses. Those warehouses are not yet under way.

Stalwart Equities is a growing redevelopment giant, primarily focused on warehouse-distribution and logistics facilities with an impressive portfolio of completed and proposed projects in New Jersey, New York, and on Long Island.

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Firefighters from Hopelawn and Keasbey teamed up with municipal and school officials to make sure that youngsters from those neighborhoods go back to school with supplies they need to succeed.

The result: Kids from Keasbey took home 250 supply-stuffed backpacks from Saturday's block party that the Keasbey Fire Department hosted at Clinton Ave Park.

And Friday evening, Hopelawn youngsters received 150 new backpacks at the Hopelawn Engine Company 1 on Loretta Street. Firefighters and community volunteers also gave school supplies to children who brought their own backpacks to the lively event that featured music, a barbecue-picnic, and a pop-up library.

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These annual neighborhood giveaways are a collaborative effort between Woodbridge Town Hall, the Board of Education, local fire departments and a host of businesses, churches and organizations that contribute school supplies or funds, explained Councilwoman Lizbeth DeJesus, who spearheads the effort with Councilman Howie Bauer.

“When government and businesses work together to meet community needs, everyone wins,” said DeJesus. “Our annual backpack drive supports many children in our community and contributes to building a better future.”

Councilman Bauer, who represents the town’s 2nd Ward including Fords, Hopelawn and Keasbey, could not be reached for comment about the effort.

Youngsters from Hopelawn and Keasbey are customarily giveaway recipients as families in those neighborhoods often struggle to make ends meet.

The free school supplies include pencils and pens, sharpeners, pencil cases, rulers, crayons, erasers, folders and binders, glue stick, highlighters and notebooks, all of which can be pricey for families.

One of Woodbridge’s many partners, Evangel Church, donated 350 supply-stuffed backpacks and the Iselin-based Assemblies of God ministry sent volunteers to giveaway events to hand out supplies and do face painting for children, DeJesus noted.

Donors who made the giveaways possible were: Applebee’s; Ajay Sarin, owner of JMD All Star Import-Export; Colonia chiropractor Dr. Emma Yepez-Ziegenbalg; the Independent Club of Colonia; Middlesex Water Co.; Pi Chapter of Alpha Lambda Psi Military Spouses Sorority, Inc; PSE&G’s Sewaren 7 Power Plant; Woodmont Properties; Woodbridge Public Library; and the Woodbridge Domestic Violence Response Team.

Their generosity helped organizers exceeded their 500-backpack goal. Town Hall has more than 100 backpacks on hand to divvy up among needy youngsters who attend five local middle schools.