Fact Checking the Townships Unattributed 10/06/2025 Press Release on Passaic River Flooding
Another unsigned, unattributed press release from Berkeley Heights Township reports that Mayor Angie Devanney met with other local officials and state agencies to talk about what can be done about the Passaic River. “Doing nothing is not the solution for Berkeley Heights,” Devanney said in the Township’s statement. “The state can no longer ignore this massive problem that is causing...
Fourth DEP Notice Cites Berkeley Heights for Sewage Discharges into State Waters
This is the fourth in a series of articles covering NJ DEP Violations involving Berkeley Heights’ sewer operations and includes both the treatment plant and the sanitary collection system. As reported, these files were provided to NJ21st by a resident who downloaded them during the Township’s attempt to secure a bid for the facility. On 03/07/2024 the DEP cited the...
DEP’s Third Letter Flags Overflow Risks From Broken Sensors and Uncleaned Basins at Berkeley Heights Sewage Plant
In our review of a bid packet a Berkeley Heights resident obtained from the township and provided to NJ21st we discovered further DEP citations in addition to the two we’ve already reported on. In its April 4, 2024 letter, the DEP cited the Township for serious deficiencies at its lined equalization basin. The basin is an important part of the...
Berkeley Heights Sewage Plant Cited for Reporting and Environmental Violations
A resident emailed NJ21st a set of documents tied to the failed sewer sale bid package. The resident inquired as to why these documents were no longer available after the bid fell through at a Town Council Meeting this year and was told they were pulled. In his email the resident stated: “All this information came from the bid package...
Community Voices: Keeping the ‘Garden’ in Garden State
There has been a lot of talk and focus regarding the results of the extraordinary rainstorm on July 14th. At one point during a recent Berkeley Heights Town Council meeting, the substitute attorney suggested this type of heavy storm is “the new normal”. That’s a claim that is becoming more and more frequent as some scientists, politicians, and news outlets...
Digging Deeper into the Berkeley Heights Unsigned Press Release: What NJDEP Actually Allows—and What Other Towns Are Doing
Continuing to Fact Check Berkeley Heights 08/26/2025 Unsigned, Unattributed Press Release In our first article of the Townships unsigned press release we highlighted that the Townships 3.5M “Emergency” bond was now most likely going to be funded by Berkeley Heights residents, not FEMA grants – a fact buried in many paragraphs that weaved in an odd collection of storm water...
Plainfield’s Flood Plan Advances—Will Funding Catch Up Before 2026?
Third in a series evaluating municipal compliance with the Union County Hazard Mitigation Plan NJ21st obtained Plainfield’s stormwater files through an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request. The responses included a stormwater ordinance, an engineering estimate for Milton Campbell Field, 2016–2025 capital budget records and an incomplete email exchange that appears to be about a recreation grant The ordinance Plainfield...
Debris Chokes Passaic River: Post-Storm Visit Raises Questions for Berkeley Heights Mayor and Council
Debris Chokes Passaic River: Post-Storm Visit Raises Questions for Berkeley Heights Mayor and Council -Michael Leblond Last week’s town council meeting brought renewed attention to debris in the Passaic River, with one resident saying an eight-foot section of fencing was swept away in the July 14 flood. The following day, I visited Passaic River Park at the end of Lawrence...
Three Floods, Zero Answers
Joseph and Jacqueline Cinque Are Residents of Berkeley Heights, NJ Recently, my husband and I attended the August 7th township meeting regarding the bond that the town seeks to remedy storm damage. I was particularly disappointed to not see anything mentioned on measures that can be taken to mitigate future flooding, particularly in the neighborhoods of Briarwood Dr E, Lawrence,...
Fanwood’s Drainage Study Aligns With Union County Hazard Mitigation Plan
The second in NJ21st’s series examining whether towns hit by repeated floods have followed through on the commitments they made in the Union County Hazard Mitigation Plan. Much like Scotch Plains, Fanwood has dealt with flooding issues, especially in low-lying areas like Westfield Road and North Ave. Fanwood provided a Drainage Systems Study, prepared in October 2023, in response to...
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