After 60 years of towering over Fair Lawn, the former Nabisco plant is being worked over by demolition crews before an implosion crushes the rest of the famous cookie factory in one month. But residents in neighboring Glen Rock are concerned about the implosion.
John Mulholland lives on Iris Circle, the housing development closest to the plant. Like many people who live there, he’s concerned about what might get kicked up in the air during the implosion.
“We went to the Department of Labor. We went to the Department of Environmental Protection, on our own, because we weren’t getting the answers, and we did our own investigation. We found that there was asbestos, and we still aren’t sure about how it’s being monitored. Everybody says it’s OK, but maybe it is, maybe it isn’t,” Mulholland said.
Kurt Peluso, the mayor of Fair Lawn, said he understands why people in Glen Rock are upset, but said his administration has provided plenty of information. Peluso said Greek Development, which owns the property where the plant is, followed state law, hired a company to remediate asbestos, and gave a report stating, under penalty of law, that the building is free of asbestos.
Anshuman Jain, who also lives on Iris Circle, said he has already seen damage in his home because of the demolition. “We’re seeing cracks in the floor, in the walls, not just my house. There are many houses in this complex facing this issue,” Jain said.
The implosion is planned for April 15.
