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Resident raises alarm about suspected buried fuel tanks; DEP opens contamination case
Summary
A Beach Haven resident reported contractors uncovered what may be underground fuel tanks at a Bay Avenue lot; municipal staff confirmed the New Jersey DEP has opened a contamination case and said permitted work may continue while engineers investigate an anomaly.
A resident of 326 Third Street told the Beach Haven Borough Council at its final 2024 meeting that heavy equipment working at the Gamaleve lot by Bay Avenue had exposed soil and led them to suspect buried fuel tanks are present. “They were digging up the sidewalk,” the resident said, and later reported that a contact had told them two tanks were found and that there could be additional tanks.
Municipal staff responded that the site is an open case with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and that the DEP “will have to remediate.” The clerk said engineers’ sonar scans found an anomaly and the borough’s engineers plan to check it during the installation of new water and sewer laterals. “They talked about installing new water laterals and sewer laterals there,” the clerk said, adding the contractor may continue work they are permitted to do while oversight and remediation proceed.
Residents and council members pressed for clarity on timelines and public safety, asking whether sidewalks or intersections could be closed next summer while work and remediation proceed. A council member said previous contaminated sites—cited in the discussion as the Penns property and Beach Haven Auto—had taken long to resolve and that the DEP’s pace can frustrate local residents.
Council members discussed possible short-term and policy responses, including whether the land use board could require pre-construction ground surveys or “ultrasound” scans for properties with a known risk of buried tanks. One councilor said she would check with the land-use board lawyer about adding such a requirement to future subdivision or development resolutions.
The council did not take a formal vote or direct staff to halt permitted construction at the meeting. Borough officials said they would follow DEP guidance for remediation and that any work not allowed under DEP or local permits would be halted.
The topic emerged during public comment and will remain under follow-up with borough engineers and the DEP; no enforcement action beyond the DEP case was recorded in the meeting minutes.
