TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Around 5:50 p.m. shots rang out in the area of Federal, Centre and Turpin Streets leaving two people shot with non-life-threating injuries police told MidJersey.news.
Trenton Police, Trenton EMS, Capital Health Paramedics and Trenton Fire Department responded to the scene. One victim was transported from the area of Federal and Turpin Streets and another person reported shot on Centre Street, both were transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center.
Trenton Police had the area blocked by crime scene tape and numerus shell casings could be seen on the ground.
This is still a developing story as we receive information the story will be updated.
Photos and video by: Brian McCarthy, OnScene News
Shooting Reported in Area of Federal, Centre and Turpin Streets in Trenton. Photos by: Brian McCarthy OnScene News
CAMDEN, NJ –A New Jersey doctor was charged in connection with his role in a longstanding billing fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Morris Antebi, 68, of Long Branch, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with three counts of health care fraud, wire fraud, and mail fraud for his role in the scheme. Antebi is scheduled to appear today by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel Schneider.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Antebi, a physician specializing in pain management and anesthesia, owned and operated a pain management clinic chain with locations throughout South Jersey. Antebi was a participating provider in Medicare, Medicaid, and several private insurance plans. Between approximately 2014 through 2020, Antebi billed over $24.6 million for services he purportedly provided, including billing more than $15.3 million to Medicaid and more than $8 million to Medicare.
The investigation showed that Antebi engaged in various forms of billing fraud. For example, Antebi frequently billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies on dates when travel records show he was overseas, including on trips to China, Israel, Turkey, the Dominican Republic, and across Europe, or when he was otherwise outside the State of New Jersey. Antebi billed approximately $230,700 to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance plans between November 2015 and January 2020 for services he purportedly rendered while he was traveling and not in the office.
The investigation also showed that Antebi billed for excessive billings for one-day periods of time. For example, Antebi billed insurance plans for more than 24 hours’ worth of services in a one-day period of time on more than 900 occasions between 2014 and 2020. Antebi also billed insurance companies for between 12 and 23.99 hours of purported services in a one-day period of time on more than 300 occasions. On certain occasions, law enforcement surveilled Antebi on days when he left the clinics early, but nevertheless billed as though he saw many patients on those days.
Despite these high billings, individuals interviewed during the investigation stated that Antebi commonly saw them for only very brief periods of time, and he often did not perform any medical exams or evaluations during their visits. Individuals also indicated that that there sometimes was no medical equipment or examination tables in the rooms at the clinics in which patients met with providers, and that patients sometimes met with providers on folding chairs in the hallway of the clinics.
The health care fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The wire fraud and mail fraud counts each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency Health Care Fraud Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert, the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael C. Mikulka, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark, and IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez in Newark with the investigation leading to the criminal complaint and officers of the Northfield Police Department. U.S. Attorney Carpenito also credited agents of FBI’s Headquarters Health Care Fraud Unit Data Analysis Response Team under the direction of Special Agent Greg Heeb in Washington, D.C.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christina O. Hud and Daniel A. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Putting the maintenance Airmen’s safety first, Wright escorted congressional delegates, business owners and CEOs of various companies onto McGuire to show how the base’s small hangars were not sufficient in sustaining the base’s robust mission set.
Wright brought all of the visitors on a bus, took them out to the McGuire flight line on a cold Jan. day.
“I wanted to show them the hangars we had,” he said. “They were built for smaller aircraft and how a C-118 Liftmaster and C-141 were only able to fit up to the wing and was too dangerous to do maintenance on.”
The general had it in his mind to keep his Airmen on McGuire safe, so that’s what he did. Shortly after Wright’s departure, the base built hangars large enough for the bigger mobility machines. He’s also proud that three of his squadron commanders from McGuire were promoted to General as well.
Wright also started an aviation museum while there, collecting seven aircraft – the first of which was one of his favorites, the P-38 Lightning.
While at McGuire, he earned a Bronze Oak leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Legion of Merit for his accomplishments there.
November 11, 2021
By: Nicholas Pilch, 60th Air Mobily Wing Public Affairs
Travis Air Force Base, Calif. – U.S. Air Force retired Brig. Gen. Larry Wright was inducted into the Georgia Veterans Hall of Fame, Nov. 6, 2021.
Gen. Wright commissioned into the Air Force in 1960 through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Maryland. Some of his highest decorations include the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
The general was a command pilot with 7,400 flying hours, including 1,874 combat flying hours and 533 maintenance test flight hours.
Though heavily decorated, he is a family man at heart. His wife, Gretchen, and he recently celebrated 55 years of marriage. They have four successful children, Teresa Marie, Pamela, Heather and John – and to this day, he continues his passion of aviation.
“The best things about the Air Force are the airplanes,” said Wright. “They are the mortar that holds all of the Airmen together.”
Wright began his career as a young lieutenant at Travis Air Force Base, California, after he finished flying training at Craig AFB, Alabama. His first assignment at Travis AFB was as a C-133 Cargomaster pilot, as well as an instructor and maintenance test pilot.
Then in 1965, his life changed forever that December when he met his wife at Travis AFB, he recalls in his memoir:
“It was the 19th of Dec. 1965, the time was 5:15 p.m. I remember it exactly.She was in my apartment and I walked into my living room. I saw her. She was standing on a chair, decorating a Christmas tree that wasn’t there (before). As a matter of fact, she hadn’t been there either.She had short, neat auburn-colored hair. Her eyes were large and dark.
She saw me and turned. She had a tree decoration in one hand and a bottle of Chivas Regal in the other. She (had) a brilliant smile that caused the whole room to light up. ‘Hi, I’m Gretchen. Merry Christmas.’”
After Gretchen and him were married and they started a family and moved on base, Gretchen started a tradition.
“One of the neatest things Gretchen would do at each assignment was plant a tree when we moved in,” he said.
At Travis, he completed combat flight school, where he received honor graduate – which isn’t a first for his educational journey. Throughout his journey into education, whether if it was for higher education or military training, he always graduated with honors, the top of his class or cum laude.
An educated officer in the Air Force, his command started putting him on combat missions into Vietnam with the C-133 from Travis AFB from 1965 to 1968 until he was deployed there in 1969.
In 1969, he earned his Silver Star, but it wasn’t a single thing that happened that got him to the mission in which he earned it. Wright said that being an honor graduate from combat flight school was the ripple effect that brought everything into place. He received honor graduate, then he was named chief of aircrew standardization in Vietnam, then he was sent on one mission that he completed, under heavy fire, when he was awarded the Silver Star.
The mission wasn’t simple.
Fly a C-7A Caribou into a heavily fortified enemy territory, no landing lights, very little cover – and during a heavy rain storm. He and his copilot flew the C-7 above the landing area, waited for the ground grew to ignite a few small lights for landing, quickly landed under fire, unloaded the equipment and resupply for the ground troops then took off under heavy fire.
“The C-7 was the only military aircraft that was never rated for commercial flight,” he said. “This is still one of the only aircraft you rip into reverse to sit it down, or land.”
This cold and rainy Oct. 30 mission was also the inspiration for why Mrs. Wright felt compelled to nominate Gen. Wright for the Georgia Hall of Fame.
“His mission that he got the Silver Star for made a difference in a lot lives,” she said. “If he didn’t land with the ammunition and things the army needed there, a lot of those men wouldn’t have made it out.”
The citation describes the thunderstorms and darkness, which caused two other aircraft with supplies to turn around, but Wright went forward.
He also received the Distinguished Flying Cross for another mission while in Vietnam where he had to avoid friendly and hostile fire to deliver essential supplies.
After arriving home in 1970, Wright was then stationed at the Air Force Academy where he served at the 4th Squadron commander. While in Colorado, he completed his first Master of Arts degree and, along with his wife, adopted their son.
His Next assignment was to Charleston AFB, South Carolina the quality control officer and the Avionics Maintenance Squadron commander and eventually assistant chief of maintenance. He flew C-141 Starlifter at Charleston.
On flying the C-141, Wright recalls in his memoir:
“Off to fly C-141’s at Charleston AFB. The C-141 is a big, powerful, four-engine jet. It’s a tough, reliable aircraft that got the job done. It had a decent performance cruising at .74 mach. When the Air Force first got the C-141 in 1965 they had the original aluminum finish with the tops painted white. Now, eight years later, we were in the process of painting them all the NATO olive drab, camouflage colors. It was a good move. Charleston kept two aircraft with the aluminum and white paint for sensitive missions, where we didn’t want to look ‘warlike.’”
At Charleston, too, Wright exceeded, graduating top of his class in the pilot course that would qualify him to fly his new office there: the C-141.
Wright has story after story he remembers from each base because each assignment was special to him.
“Charleston was good to us. The wing there does well – they always have because of the people,” he said. “I was promoted to lieutenant colonel while there and received my appointment to the National War College in Washington, D.C.”
The general is always quick to give credit to the men and women that worked for him, but a follow-on assignment to the National War College was another educational opportunity he was both excited and nervous for because only 160 people, including civilians, received such a prestigious appointment. The school is focused on government education and broader priorities with military planning and logistics from a federal and nation-wide perspective.
Directly following his appointment, Wright moved over to the Pentagon to work directly for the Joint Chiefs of Staff as an action officer in the Logistics, Planning and Review Branch for Strategic Mobility.
Andrews AFB, Maryland, was next for him and his family. He took command of the 89th Military Airlift Wing in June of 1979, where he flew Vice President Walter Mondale and the First Lady, Rosalynn Carter.
He said this assignment was memorable because of the presidential flights, but the particular elation for the assignment was because of the election year he was there and being able to fly President Ronald Reagan for his first inauguration.
He received the Legion of Merit for his successful missions supporting the President, Vice President, members of Congress and other prominent national and international leaders.
After Andrews, the general went further northeast to McGuire AFB, New Jersey, where he feels he did a lot as a wing commander.
“Gen. Wright was the kind of leader who knew how to lead and change the scenery,” said retired Col. Harvey Haas, an officer that worked for Wright during his time at McGuire and is a friend to him to this day. “It takes a fearless warrior with courage and the ability to make the correct choices under stress.
“He was a person that looked after his people,” Haas said, laughing. “He set up a volleyball game for the colonels to play against the junior officers – where the junior officers just crawled all over each other, trying to be the superstar, but under Wright’s leadership, us older guys tore up the young ones because we came together as a team.”
Haas was quick to credit Wright for his leadership and attitude about his people.
Putting the maintenance Airmen’s safety first, Wright escorted congressional delegates, business owners and CEOs of various companies onto McGuire to show how the base’s small hangars were not sufficient in sustaining the base’s robust mission set.
Wright brought all of the visitors on a bus, took them out to the McGuire flight line on a cold Jan. day.
“I wanted to show them the hangars we had,” he said. “They were built for smaller aircraft and how a C-118 Liftmaster and C-141 were only able to fit up to the wing and was too dangerous to do maintenance on.”
The general had it in his mind to keep his Airmen on McGuire safe, so that’s what he did. Shortly after Wright’s departure, the base built hangars large enough for the bigger mobility machines. He’s also proud that three of his squadron commanders from McGuire were promoted to General as well.
Wright also started an aviation museum while there, collecting seven aircraft – the first of which was one of his favorites, the P-38 Lightning.
While at McGuire, he earned a Bronze Oak leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Legion of Merit for his accomplishments there.
In 1983, General Wright went on to Scott AFB, Illinois, where he became the deputy chief of staff for logistics at Military Airlift Command headquarters, but was there for a short amount of time because he was promoted to Brigadier General, which out-ranked him for the position he was in. He promoted June 1, 1984, with date of rank Oct. 1, 1983.
He and his family headed back to Travis AFB, but this time, he would be the vice commander of the 22nd Air Force, Military Airlift Command. It was one of three combat-ready strategic and tactical airlift arms of the Military Airlift Command.
“Returning to Travis was nostalgic for my family and I,” he said.
Their first time at Travis, Mrs. Wright planted a small palm tree in their front yard. When they returned, the family went to their old address to find it tall and growing healthy.
First arriving to Travis as a lieutenant and then coming back as a general humbled him and reminded him how small one’s career can be, or how much of an impact one can make in their career.
His assignment at Travis earned him the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal. In the absence of the commander, Gen. Wright directed strategic and tactical airlift capabilities for half the globe, said the award citation. His leadership was essential for readiness exercises in 1985 and 1986 which meant a stronger United States strategic military partnership in the Korean theater.
Wright capped off his career with a year-long assignment to U.S. Forces Portugal and returned to Charleston afterwards.
His retirement wasn’t in the slightest a forgettable one – in Charleston, South Carolina. While there, him and his family evacuated for Hurricane Hugo that hurricane made the Isle of Palms almost disappear.
Afterwards, in 1989 he went on to complete his second Master’s degree in history at The Citadel in Charleston and went on to teach U.S. history and national security policy at The University of North Florida and Jacksonville University until 1999.
Wright’s journey, 22 years later, brought him to the Saint Luke Ministry Center in Columbus, Georgia for his induction to the Georgia Veterans Hall of Fame, Nov. 6.
“What strikes me from the ceremony was the dinner,” he said. “Sitting there, listening to stories from other inductees – there were men there with the Medal of Honor, four Silver Stars – there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
“To sit with those heroes – to be there with them – that was the real honor.”
The General has over 22 decorations which include: the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Presidential Unit Citation Emblem, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon with three oak leaf clusters, Combat Readiness Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with 11 service stars, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Editor’s note: Portions of this article have been researched and gathered from various websites, awards citations, other online articles, yearbooks and revised sections of Brig. Gen. Wright’s memoir. Information has been presented to Brig. Gen. Wright and credited to him to be factual.
U.S. Army General William J. Livsey, center left, 8th U.S. Army commanding general, greets Brig. Gen. Larry D. Wright, center right, U.S. Forces Azores and 1605th Military Airlift Support Wing commander, during Exercise Team Spirit, in Pohang, Republic of Korea, March 1, 1986. This was Wright’s final tour before retiring later that year. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Danny Perez, provided via DIMOC)
U.S. Air Force retired Brig. Gen. Larry Wright, wearing Colonel at the time of this photo dated Feb. 2, 1981. (Photo courtesy via DIMOC)
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority will suspend cash collections at all toll locations on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway as of 10:00 p.m. March 24th as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19. All tolls will be collected electronically.
If you have an E-ZPass tag in your vehicle, the process will not change. The equipment in the lane will read your E-ZPass tag, and the cost of the toll will be deducted from the balance in your account, as usual.
If you do not have an E-ZPass tag, the equipment in the lane will capture a photograph of the license plate on the vehicle you are driving, and an invoice for the cost of the toll will be mailed to the registered owner. You will be billed at the cash toll rate; no additional administrative fees will be charged.
Cash customers who do not want to be billed can open an E-ZPass account by calling the New Jersey E-ZPass Customer Service Center at 888-AUTO-TOLL (888-288-6865) or by visiting http://www.ezpassnj.com.
UPPER FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ (MONMOUTH)–The Hope Fire Company of Allentown, Millstone Township Fire Department and New Egypt Fire Department responded to Steeple Chase Court around noon for a car fire. Upon arrival a car was on fire in the driveway that was spreading towards the house. Firefighters arrived and were able to quickly knock down the fire and prevented further damage to the home. The fire is under investigation by the Monmouth County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Hope Fire Company of Allentown reported on their Facebook page that they handled 2 serious accidents, 1 car fire with exposure to a home and a fire alarm today all in the 90F+ hot and humid heat wave. Millstone and New Egypt Fire Departments helped at calls today in the township.
Photo from Millstone Township Fire Department Facebook Page.
July 22, 2020, Updated July 23, 2020 at 11:15 am.
UPPER FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ (MONMOUTH)–At 6:46 am the Hope Fire Company of Allentown and the Millstone Township Fire Department responded to I-195 west bound in the area of mile marker 13.4 for a severe accident.
According to NJ State Police spokesman Philip Curry, Mario Shehata, 30 of Jackson was killed in the crash while operating a Honda Civic eastbound on 195.
The Honda Civic crossed the center median and struck an Acura which was going westbound. The driver of the Acura was Richard Carter, 37 ,of Farmingdale according to an update on Thursday from NJ State Police.
The westbound lanes were completely closed just before 8 a.m., for the accident investigation, creating a multi-mile delay approaching the crash scene. The left lane was reopened about 11:45 a.m.
Curry said that cause of the crash remains under investigation.
July 22, 2020
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (MERCER)–Around 7:00 am the Hamilton Township Fire Department was dispatched to Victor Aveneu for a fire on a second floor of a home. Upon arrival fire was found in a bedroom on 2nd floor and firefighters quickly knocked down the fire using a “can” and an 1 3/4″ hose line. The fire was quickly under control and fire is under investigation.
October 27, 2020 Updated at 5:23 pm (Ewing removed not confirmed through additional sources)
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WANTED BY THE FBI Tyler James O’Toole For Bank Robberies
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Update: Ohio Man Charged With Robbing NJ Banks Including East Windsor, Lawrence Twp., and Mt. Holly
LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, (MERCER)–According a source close to the investigation a bank robbery occurred at the Mercer Mall, Chase Bank inside Shop Ride on Route 1. The source also stated that there were possibly related robberies in Mount Holly, Burlington County. It was said that the perpetrator was driving a blue car with Texas temporary plates. The source also stated it is believed that this is the 5th robbery by the same suspect recently.
The Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19. In countries where commercial departure options remain available, U.S. citizens who live in the United States should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period. U.S. citizens who live abroad should avoid all international travel. Many countries are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks and implementing travel restrictions and mandatory quarantines, closing borders, and prohibiting non-citizens from entry with little advance notice. Airlines have cancelled many international flights and several cruise operators have suspended operations or cancelled trips. If you choose to travel internationally, your travel plans may be severely disrupted, and you may be forced to remain outside of the United States for an indefinite timeframe.
On March 14, the Department of State authorized the departure of U.S. personnel and family members from any diplomatic or consular post in the world who have determined they are at higher risk of a poor outcome if exposed to COVID-19 or who have requested departure based on a commensurate justification. These departures may limit the ability of U.S. Embassies and consulates to provide services to U.S. citizens.
For the latest information regarding COVID-19, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website.
You are encouraged to visit travel.state.gov to view individual Travel Advisories for the most urgent threats to safety and security. Please also visit the website of the relevant U.S. embassy or consulate to see information on entry restrictions, foreign quarantine policies, and urgent health information provided by local governments.
Travelers are urged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. The Department uses these Alerts to convey information about terrorist threats, security incidents, planned demonstrations, natural disasters, etc. In an emergency, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate or call the following numbers: 1(888) 407-4747 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) or 1 (202) 501-4444 from other countries or jurisdictions.
If you decide to travel abroad or are already outside the United States:
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced today that the State has filed a lawsuit against the City of Trenton and Trenton Water Works seeking to compel them to take legally required actions to protect and strengthen the City’s water system, including actions necessary to reduce the risk of lead and pathogens in drinking water.
Trenton Water Works (TWW) supplies approximately 29 million gallons of drinking water daily to more than 200,000 people, including residents of Trenton and four neighboring municipalities – Ewing, Hamilton, Hopewell, and Lawrence Townships.
DEP and the City have, over the past decade, executed multiple Administrative Consent Orders (ACOs) in which Trenton agreed to cure its many failures to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. Among other things, TWW agreed to replace thousands of lead service lines and cover a finished water reservoir, actions that are necessary for TWW to comply with state and federal law and effectively minimize public health risks. However, due in part to the inaction of Trenton’s City Council, TWW has missed many critical deadlines, has not met its obligations to replace a significant portion of lead service lines, has failed to protect its open, 78-million-gallon reservoir of treated water from contamination and reduce the risk of pathogens in the water supply, and has failed to satisfy a series of other operations and maintenance obligations. Underlying this lawsuit is the Trenton City Council’s May 7, 2020 rejection of TWW’s request for millions of dollars to meet these clear legal obligations.
“After years of mismanagement, and after the Trenton City Council recently failed to take necessary steps to address the serious shortcomings in the City’s water system, the State was left with no choice but to file this suit,” said Attorney General Grewal. “Our lawsuit demands that TWW meet its obligations to reduce the risk of lead exposure by replacing lead service lines, and to comply with a range of other environmental laws that go directly to the health of the public and especially of Trenton’s children. New Jersey’s public water systems must be held to the highest standards and must live up to their environmental and public health obligations.”
“DEP’s singular goal is to ensure safe and reliable drinking water for the people served by Trenton Water Works,” said Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe. “DEP recognizes that Mayor Gusciora has made progress in improving TWW and protecting public health, and recently proposed plans that would enable the system to meet its Safe Drinking Water Act obligations. Unfortunately, in light of the Trenton City Council’s recent refusal to adequately fund drinking water system improvements, it has become all the more clear that TWW will not meet its obligations under the Safe Drinking Water Act and DEP’s orders. DEP has been left no choice but to take legal action, and we have confidence that Attorney General Grewal and his team will help us bring swift relief to the people of Trenton and the communities who rely on TWW for their drinking water.”
Lead Service Lines Issue
As the Complaint explains, lead can occur in drinking water when lead service lines within water distribution systems and household plumbing corrode.
Wherever the lead levels exceed 15 parts per billion for a sufficient number of samples from a single water system — as revealed through tap water sampling — that system has experienced an “Action Level Exceedance” and federal law requires water systems to implement techniques to minimize the risk and to replace a percentage of its lead service lines.
According to today’s lawsuit, the City experienced lead-related Action Level Exceedance events during three monitoring periods in 2017 and 2018. TWW was required to replace seven percent of its lead service lines within a year of its first Action Level Exceedance. TWW did not meet that first deadline, and subsequently entered into an ACO with the DEP in July 2018.
Under that ACO, the TWW committed to replace seven percent of its lead lines – over 2,500 lines in all – by December 31, 2019. The City missed that deadline, and will miss an upcoming deadline in July to replace an additional seven percent of its lead lines, totaling 14%. To date, it has replaced only 828 of its lines, or roughly two percent.
As a result of the City’s failure to meet its agreed-upon obligation to replace many aged and corroding lead service lines, today’s lawsuit argues, DEP has been forced to seek court intervention.
The lawsuit asserts that legal action seeking a court order is required because the defendants have not taken all necessary steps to “mitigate the risk of potential lead contamination in drinking water.” The lawsuit also seeks immediate relief from the Court.
Remaining Environmental Issues
In addition to demanding that TWW replace sufficient lead service lines, the lawsuit addresses TWW’s failures to reduce the risk of contamination in its reservoir, as well as TWW’s inability to comply with other maintenance and operational requirements.
TWW maintains a seven-acre reserve reservoir, which contains millions of gallons of usable, treated water, and provides drinking water to consumers when the system is unable to meet demands. Because that reservoir is uncovered, it is subject to contamination from the elements and from birds or other animals, which poses a continuing risk of introducing pathogens into the water supply.
According to the Complaint filed today, DEP ordered installation of a floating cover to protect the reservoir from contamination more than a decade ago, and it ordered TWW to complete the cover project by 2009. The lawsuit notes that the City did not comply with DEP’s order, and that it missed two extended deadlines in the process.
As a result, in 2018, the City and DEP agreed to an ACO extending the deadline for cover installation until 2023 – with an added requirement that Trenton fulfill a number of interim milestones in 2018 and 2019 to ensure installation of the cover by the agreed-upon deadline.
According to today’s complaint, the City has not completed those steps in a timely manner, and now indicates it wishes to abandon the cover project in lieu of an alternative approach – a series of above ground storage tanks to prevent the contamination of its reserve water supply. To date, Trenton has not formally requested DEP approval of the storage tank project, which is projected to cost tens of millions of dollars. Nor has it provided a schedule for completion, or an indication of how it intends to fund the project.
At the same time, the ACO to which the City and DEP entered also required TWW to meet a series of operations and maintenance requirements, which it has repeatedly failed to do.
Most concerning, just last month, the Trenton City Council rejected TWW’s request for more than $83 million in bonds, which included $50 million for the protection of the finished water in the system, and which was also necessary to ensure that other maintenance and operations obligations are satisfied. That decision has necessitated today’s action; it is part of a pattern of inaction and outright refusal to marshal the resources necessary to meet the City’s legal obligations to effectively run the water system and protect the public health.
ALLENTOWN, NJ (MONMOUTH)-A Juneteenth celebration was held today in Heritage Park in Allentown. It was a day of unity where everyone was invited to come together and celebrate the voices from diverse Africana (African American) culture.
Allentown Village Initiative walking tour with local historian John Fabiano, Executive Director, Monmouth County Historic Commission, “They Came For Freedom: Allentown & the Underground R.R.” was held in the morning. The tour visited several significant Underground Railroad locations in and around Allentown. To read more on the Underground Railroad read New Jersey’s Underground Railroad Heritage, “Steal Away, Steal Away” A guide to the Underground Railroad in New Jersey, download and read free from the NJ State Library.
Throughout the day there were several performances, music, and speakers on the stage. In the park there were several interactive displays on African American history and cultural heritage.
Shooting Reported in Area of Federal, Centre and Turpin Streets in Trenton. Photos by: Brian McCarthy OnScene News
U.S. Army General William J. Livsey, center left, 8th U.S. Army commanding general, greets Brig. Gen. Larry D. Wright, center right, U.S. Forces Azores and 1605th Military Airlift Support Wing commander, during Exercise Team Spirit, in Pohang, Republic of Korea, March 1, 1986. This was Wright’s final tour before retiring later that year. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Danny Perez, provided via DIMOC)
U.S. Air Force retired Brig. Gen. Larry Wright, wearing Colonel at the time of this photo dated Feb. 2, 1981. (Photo courtesy via DIMOC)
