NJ TRANSIT OUTLINES NEW STEPS IN FUEL SPILL CLEANUP PROGRESS |
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NJ Transit
Source: PressReleasePoint.com
19 January 2012
NJT-12-003
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP — Stating that “our work has only begun,” NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein outlined a new, proactive series of initiatives around last week’s fuel spill at the Washington Township Bus Garage in Turnersville.
“NJ TRANSIT will be a continued and consistent presence within the community as we work to alleviate the impact of last week’s fuel spill,“ said Executive Director Weinstein. “We are grateful to the people of Gloucester and Camden counties for their support and look forward to further strengthening this spirit of collaboration in the days and weeks to come. Let me be clear — our work has only begun.”
While the initial phase of the clean-up is slated to conclude this week, NJ TRANSIT is committed to ensuring that the clean-up effort continues in an orderly, responsive and responsible manner. To that end, NJ TRANSIT will be temporarily assigning a representative to the Washington Township Bus Garage, located at 6000 Route 42 to attend to the community’s questions and concerns. The representative will be on hand each weekday from Monday, January 23 through Friday, February 3 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. To further accommodate residents, a representative will also be available on Saturday, January 28 from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m.
In addition, a new, dedicated toll-free hotline (1-800-626-7433) was also launched today and will replace NJ TRANSIT’s existing customer service hotline for questions, issues and concerns related to the fuel spill and clean-up efforts. This hotline will be staffed during the hours of 8:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., with messages received outside of this time addressed immediately the following day.
Further, NJ TRANSIT community affairs representatives will continue to stay in touch with local officials and will be available to appear before governing bodies throughout the area to listen to and address any continued concerns. The first of these meetings is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tonight with the Washington Township Environmental Commission.
To date, NJ TRANSIT has recovered 9,000 gallons of diesel fuel from affected waterways. An undeterminable amount of fuel has also evaporated. More than 185 tons of soil have been removed from the bus garage site.
Work crews continue to work tirelessly to expedite the cleanup of product from local waterways and shorelines. Monitoring of air and drinking water continues by health officials, with the impact to local wildlife remaining minimal.
“NJ TRANSIT is committed to being a good neighbor and doing everything possible to expedite and complete the clean up process,” Mr. Weinstein said.
About NJ TRANSIT
NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 895,000 weekday trips on 240 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 164 rail stations, 60 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.