Quarry drops plans that opponents viewed as threat to Delaware
Riverline wanted to create a construction yard to allow it to import recycled asphalt pavement

CARPENTERSVILLE – The Pohatcong Guardians appear to have emerged the victor in a push to keep Riverline Quarry’s operations in check.

The quarry, located on a ridge only yards from the Delaware River, will continue to operate as it always has after the operators withdrew a site plan application for improvements and an expansion of its operation.

Kevin Melvin, the chairman of the Land Use Board, confirmed there were no longer any plans to expand the quarry, which is at 454 River Road on a rise above the Delaware.

Riverline’s operators initially wanted to create a construction yard to allow them to import recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and blend it into a dense graded aggregate (DGA).

DGA is a quarry process, which is defined as a mixture created through a combination of stone crushed to three-quarters of an inch or less and stone dust. It compacts well and is used under pavers and retaining walls.

Residents opposed the plans for expansion out of concern that the recycled asphalt pavement and other materials would contaminate drainage structures leading into the river as well as other issues and formed Pohatcong Guardians to keep an eye on the quarry.

Residents of this tiny riverfront village were worried when they watched a conveyor and hopper and loads of unfamiliar material moving from the Stryker Road asphalt plant owned by the quarry’s owners. The roads are narrow and not rated for such heavy trucks. Dust and material falling from the trucks could find its way into the river.

Carpentersville still has a few seasonal bungalows as well as a number of year-round homes along the shoreline

Residents weren’t optimistic because the state Department of Environmental Protection determined the quarry was exempt from Highlands regulations and informed the Highlands Council in a letter in February. They also learned from the planning board that the river’s Wild and Scenic designation wouldn’t help their cause.

One source of concern was that RAP, which results from the milling and removal of asphalt pavement surfaces during roadway maintenance and repair projects, is becoming a solid waste problem.

Riverline did not specify why it withdrew the site plan application, but it did not plan any changes to the driveway or roadway or to affect off-site drainage, according to the township engineer, Wayne Ingram.

He did ask the applicant for FEMA floodplain maps and an expert’s testimony that there are no wetlands endangered by the new processes. He also requested a summary letter and some more documents to enhance the environmental impact statement.

The quarry’s own consultant said there were potential pollutants. The Science Advisory Board report to the state Department of Environmental Protection in 2019 describes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and some metals as contaminants of concern. Pollution becomes a concern when the material is being handled, the consultant said.

The township also denied a request to operate as a Class B recycling center, meaning it would receive, store, process and transport concrete, brick, block and asphalt, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. The state defines this as material that would otherwise become solid waste.

It can be used as fill material, aggregate substitute, fuel substitute or landfill cover. The state issues a permit for such operations but the Land Use Board determined local quarry ordinances don’t permit recycling of asphalt paving material.

Residents consider the withdrawal of the site plan application a victory for the river but are still concerned about traffic in their small community.