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Matrix outlines soil-removal plan for Schedler property; council readies contract and public forum
Summary
Matrix presented updated soil sampling and proposed excavation limits at the Zabriskie Schedler property, saying the berm will be removed and other areas require 2–4 feet of soil excavation. The village has appropriated $1.5 million and will seek DEP approval, insurance reimbursement and possible DEP grants before excavation proceeds.
Matrix environmental consultants gave the Village of Ridgewood an update on the Schedler property remedial investigation and next steps, telling the council they have defined soil-removal limits and will return a corrective action plan to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for review.
Melissa Fury, Matrix project manager, said the team completed four sampling rounds (May 2024; June 26–27, 2024; Nov. 20–26, 2024; and May 22–23, 2025) and used grid and remedial-investigation samples to map impacts. "It showed us the soil removal limits that you'll see on the screen here," Fury said, identifying a continuous berm area slated for full removal, a larger tan area where excavation depths will generally range between about 2 and 4 feet, and four smaller hot spots that will need spot removal or monitoring.
Chris Pedere, the project's licensed site remediation professional with Matrix, described the next procedural steps: Matrix will draft a corrective action plan (CAP) for submittal to DEP within roughly 60–90 days, DEP typically takes about 30 days to review, and—if the plan is approved—excavation could begin late in the year. Pedere said Matrix will supervise physical removal while a separate contractor performs the digging; after work is complete he will issue a Response Action Outcome (RAO) letter certifying completion and allowing the site-investigation sign to be removed.
Residents at public comment asked about tree loss, soil replacement and how much material will be hauled away. Matrix and staff said the amount of soil to be removed depends on the final perimeter determined by the pending hand-excavation samples in the pink area on the map; current internal estimates shown in the report were approximately 10,000 cubic yards for the berm and 7,000 cubic yards in other areas, with backfill and compaction to follow. The council cautioned that these figures are estimates until Matrix completes testing and the DEP confirms the final excavation area.
Village manager Siobhan said the council previously appropriated $1,500,000 in the capital budget toward remediation; she said the village will pursue insurance coverage and explore DEP grant opportunities to offset costs. Manager Siobhan also said the village is coordinating with an archaeological consultant (Richard A. Grubb Associates) to ensure excavation and debris removal do not disturb sensitive historic resources.
The manager and Matrix agreed to hold a public Q&A in the fall once the DEP's Bureau of Solid Waste has approved the CAP and the village can provide definitive remediation/perimeter information. Until then, staff asked that residents with detailed questions consult the published report and the site map the village has posted online.
What's next: Matrix will finalize the CAP and submit it to DEP; staff expect DEP review in roughly 30 days after submission, followed by contractor bidding for soil removal and a supervised excavation period that Matrix estimates would take about three weeks once work begins.
