Ridgewood residents press council over Schedler soil and PFAS concerns; council says remediation funding included in bond plan

Residents pressed the Village of Ridgewood council on March 12 over contamination at the Schedler property and the village’s handling of PFAS and soil testing, saying they have lost trust in the transparency of the process.

The issue surfaced during the public-comment period when Cynthia O'Keefe, a Ridgewood resident, said neighbors are living “in fear” over contaminated soil at Schedler and urged the council to weigh residents’ health in decisions about redeveloping the property. O'Keefe said the village had once presented a smaller plan that was later enlarged, and added, “We have lost trust.”

Why it matters: The council and its consultants are treating the Schedler site as an active remediation project; residents told the council that their private wells and daily exposure are at stake, and they demanded clearer answers about the extent of contamination and the timeline for cleanup.

What residents said

Anne Loving, a Ridgewood resident, noted public-health risks when she reminded the council that biological agents can be present in everyday items. Amy McCambridge, a Ridgewood resident, told the council she believed village officials had minimized contamination in the past and asked directly whether contamination is present deeper than the surface berm: “If it’s just the berm or is 10 feet down contaminated?”

What the council and consultants said

Deputy Mayor Perrin responded that the village and the consultant Matrix have answered many questions in writing and that the village has posted a question-and-answer release dated March 5; Perrin said question 45 in that release addresses the LOI application raised by residents. Perrin also summarized Matrix’s field recommendations: “Their recommendation is gonna be for the entire berm to be removed. Chris, the LSRP on the project, specifically said that there was not contamination 10 feet down.”

Village Manager Keith (last name not specified in the record) said the project is funded and moving forward. Later in the meeting a council member noted the remediation financing: the council identified $1,500,000 for soil work at Schedler; that amount will be handled through the capital/bond process described elsewhere on the agenda.

Technical details reported at the meeting

- Matrix recommended removal of the berm across the site; several grid samples on the flat portions do not exceed standards and will not require excavation, while some grids do show exceedances and will be excavated. - The LSRP (identified in the meeting as Chris) reported there was no evidence of contamination 10 feet below surface in those tests reported to the council. - Eight sample grids remain outstanding and require additional delineation testing to determine whether they exceed remediation standards. - The village said it has received and answered more than 50 written questions submitted by eight individuals (not all Ridgewood residents) about the LOI and site testing.

What the village will do next

Council members and staff said the village will proceed with the delineation testing in the outstanding grids, follow Matrix’s recommendations on berm removal where exceedances are confirmed, and fund remediation through capital/bond spending that the council is advancing on the agenda. The village manager said the village is also exploring any possible third-party funding or insurance recovery but said that inquiry is ongoing and no additional sources have yet been secured.

Context and background

The Schedler property has been the subject of recent public discussion and testing. At this meeting, comments from residents were followed by staff updates and consultant summaries; the council moved forward with bonding and capital measures on other agenda items that council members said include the Schedler remediation among town capital priorities.

What remains unresolved

Residents asked for more precise testing results, whether contamination extends below the berm, and proof of long-term plans for protecting private wells. Village staff said additional test results and delineation will be reported in coming weeks, and some remediation funding was reflected in capital planning on the agenda for March 12.