Residents want action on pollution of waterways
Group says runoff from racetrack must be stemmed
BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer

LONG BRANCH - A group of city homeowners is calling on municipal, county and state officials to find a solution to the polluted waterways surrounding Monmouth Park racetrack.

The group, which has taken the name, the Rivergate Keepers, is planning to meet this month with Long Branch and Oceanport officials, as well as representatives of the county Health Department and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

The focus of the meeting will be to find a remedy for the contaminated run-off, which the group claims is generated from the Oceanport racetrack and that enters the Shrewsbury River, according to Robin Kampf, a co-founder of the group.

"We want to know what is being done to rectify the problem," said Kampf, of Rivergate Way, last week.

"Everyone acknowledges that there is a problem," she said. "But what is anybody doing to stop it?

"It is apparent to us that what is going on is a bunch of finger-pointing on a municipal, county and state level. We want an answer and a solution to this problem."

A call to Monmouth Park was referred to the N.J. Sports & Exposition Authority, which had not returned the call by deadline.

The Rivergate Keepers comprises about 15 homeowners who live on or near the Shrewsbury River. The group formed in August after several residents of Kampf's neighborhood started seeing contamination signs along local waterways.

"We live right off Branchport Creek," Kampf said. "We use that creek for recreational use. There is a reason we choose to live here.

"We love the river and we love the ocean," she said. "There are signs posted saying 'dangerous pollution.'

"We see people crabbing and fishing or on Jet Skis. These signs are clearly stating for people not to come in contact with this water."

Kampf said the group believes the cause of the pollution is repeated dumping and run-off of horse manure into the rivers and creeks surrounding the racetrack on Oceanport Avenue.

The DEP fined the track earlier this year after high levels of fecal counts generated from the track were found in the waterways, according to Oceanport Mayor Lucille Chaump.

But Kampf said not enough is being done to put an end to the problem.

"The state fined the track, so they know there is a problem," Kampf said. "But nobody is fixing it. As we are talking, the problem still exists."

Kampf said that testing conducted along the local waterways has proven that "extreme" levels of contamination are consistent with the time period when horses are at the track.

"We realize that there are a number of sources contributing to the pollution in our waterways. The primary source, though, is the track," according to Kampf.

The Rivergate Keepers met with Long Branch officials, including city Business Administrator Howard H. Woolley and Councilman Anthony Giordano, in August to voice concerns about pollution of the waterways.

"They were very responsive," Kampf said. "We asked them what is being done to rectify this problem and they said they are curious too.

"They also want answers from the state," she said, adding, "They encouraged us to wave the flag to heighten public awareness about the situation."

Kampf said she plans to schedule a date for the Rivergate Keepers meeting with local, county and state officials within the next two weeks and she will reach out to all parties involved to invite them to attend.

In addition, local demonstrations are being planned to raise awareness of the contamination and the group is also looking to align with other neighborhood groups.

"This is an area problem," she said. "It is not just an Oceanport problem because the track is located there. Everybody needs to get involved and we need to find a solution."

Another issue that Kampf said concerns her is the upcoming Breeders' Cup to be hosted by Monmouth Park racetrack.

"The track is sinking millions of dollars to beautify the track because of the Breeders' Cup," Kampf said. "What about using some of that money to fix this problem?"

In an interview last month regarding contamination from the racetrack, Chaump agreed that there is a problem.

She explained that the racetrack installed its original discharge system in 1996. Last year, the track updated its system and replaced eight valves that were clogged with sediment.

"But the numbers [of contaminants in the waterways] are still high," Chaump said at the time.

Kampf added that a fine does not fix the problem.

"An imposed fine means nothing to a racetrack that makes millions of dollars," she said. "Our group's mission is to raise public awareness on the dangerous pollution levels in the area and to demand an action plan be put in place by officials to end the source of the contamination."