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EnCap Golf Course
EnCap Golf Holdings, LLC, Raleigh, NC
EnCap Golf Holdings, LLC, Tampa, Florida
?[EnCap web-site]
Area
Development
EnCap Golf Holding officials stated that they will start laying the groundwork to entomb
more than 700 acres of garbage and begin phase one of building two golf courses, 2,000
housing units, a mini-village of shops and restaurants, a 750 room hotel and 750,000
square feet of office space. EnCap still does not have signed agreements with developers
to build the housing, the village, hotel and office space.
Officials said it will take 4 1/2 years to cap the four landfills in Lyndhurst, Rutherford
and North Arlington -- dumps that were never properly closed and continue to pollute the
waterways surrounding them. It will take another three to six years to complete the
golf courses and buildings.
EnCap and housing developer Pulte need approval of the state Department of Environmental
protection to build on part of the capped, low-lying garbage dump. Some DEP officials and
environmentalist have concerns about building homes on the landfill -- a situation
where there will be problems 10 years from now.
EnCap does not have approval for the $1 billion second phase of the project which would
create two more golf courses and 1,500 housing units on landfills in North Arlington and
Kearny.
Source: The Record,
May19, 2004
#####
Half a dozen anticipated ground breakings from 2001 to last fall has come and gone. EnCap
faces a May 12th deadline set by New Jersey Meadowlands Commission. But because
EnCap does not have development partners to build the homes, office buildings, hotel and
mini-village that will financially drive the project -- some local officials are raising
concerns about EnCap's ability to take ownership of about 650 acres in Lyndhurst,
Rutherford and North Arlington and begin entombing the garbage.
Michigan-based Pulte Homes has concerns about the
environmental risks of building so many units on top of garbage and wants the land cleaned
up first -- while EnCap has planned to cap the landfill. As for the rest of the
planned development, EnCap continues to negotiate with possible developers. A major
developer Charles Kushner backed out amid controversy surrounding his close ties to
Governor McGreevey and his position on the Port Authority.
EnCap has obtained state and federal environmental permits needed to begin capping the
landfills. The plan also enabled state and county officials to fund retiring
more than $96 million in debt owed on the former county transfer station in North
Arlington -- a site ultimately transferred to EnCap during the second phase. The
company has approval for $145 million in tax-exempt financing from the state Economic
Development Authority and has preliminary approval for $63 million more to cover capping
costs, insurance premiums and land acquisition costs.
EnCap must reimburse the Meadowlands commission about $6 million in land acquisition costs
and it will own another $2 million in May. The company must provide a $99 million
security bond to cover the costs to close the landfills. The firm must provide
pollution insurance, construction insurance and other policies.
Source: The Record, February 29, 2004
######
Despite missing a February 1, 2004 deadline, EnCap signed agreements with investment
partners. EnCap stated that it is close to a deal with Michigan based Pulte Homes to
build the proposed 2,000 housing units and close to an agreement with at least one other
developer to build the offices, and a mini-village of restaurants and shops in Lyndhurst
and Rutherford that would serve as the anchor for two golf courses in the projects first
phase. The second phase includes two more golf courses and more housing.
EnCap expects groundbreaking early April 2004.
EnCap's agreement with the Meadowlands Commission requires capping the landfills in the
first phase by the end of 2008, before construction can begin. The state Economic
Development Authority sold $145 million in tax-exempt bonds three years ago to finance the
acquisition of the land and to cap the landfills. state Senator Paul Sarlo
(D-Wood-Ridge), proposed legislation to allow EnCap to obtain other government financing
to build and widen roadways and complete other infrastructure projects related to the
resort.
The proposal started four years ago with EnCap negotiating an agreement with the
Meadowlands commission and permits with the state DEP. Meadowlands official expected
work to start capping the landfills last fall, but was delayed while EnCap sought partners
to help build and fund this project.
Source: The Record, February 4, 2004
#####
Public Information Sessions were held January 28, 2004 at Lyndhurst Town Hall, and
February 4 at Rutherford Town Hall. Residents expressed concerned over increase in
housing units proposed (1,980), and decrease in office space( from 1.3 million sq. ft. to
750,00).
#######
In July 2003: According to EnCap's plan of 1,550 housing units, North Arlington will
realize annual property tax payments growing to $25 million by 2034. In it's
preliminary proposal, housing prices could start at $350,000 for age-restricted units and
$425,00 for open market units. 1,200 age restricted (over 55) units breaks into 865
apartments, 202 attached and 133 detached homes near the Kearny border. The
active-adult village would include a clubhouse. EnCap's plan includes an indoor/outdoor
recreation complex next to an existing soccer field.
North Arlington Redevelopment Authority has concerns about the proposed development of
about 100 acres in town -- some of the land is zoned for industrial use and contains
warehouses and critics worry the the community and schools are not equipped to handle the
influx of people. EnCap documents indicate tax revenue of about $8 million annually
starting 2010 and suggest and up front payment to build schools, hire police, etc.
EnCap said it would spend $1 million for off-site traffic improvements
involving North Arlington.
Source: The Record, July 24, 2003
#####
About the cap
Enough material to fill Giant Stadium will be spread over hundreds of acres of rotting
landfills of household garbage, discarded refrigerators and industrial waste-- sealing the
source of decades of wetlands contamination. This will create a barrier that will allow a
four year landfill capping project planned by EnCap Golf Holdings to transform the
dumps into a golfing village: four 18 hole golf courses, and 3,500 housing units,
hotels, offices and restaurants.
Environmental watchdogs are raising concerns that the state DEP is allowing EnCap too many
shortcuts. They have concerns about the materials used to cap the landfill -- such as
dredged soils and dried sewage sludge's -- that may have their own contaminates. They
question the bathtub effect sealing the landfills perimeter will be watertight.
Since the 1950's before the state started regulating garbage dumps, millions of tons of
waste have been dumped on more than 1,000 acre in the Meadowlands. The Kingsland
dump is 100 feet high. The full extend of what is buried is unknown. Now when
it rains, water seeps through the trash picking up contaminates becoming a dark smelly and
hazardous liquid know as leachate -- then discharges into the wetlands and potential
the ground water. In recent years, ground-water and stream-water testing has shown
signs of carcinogenic PCB's, metals, pesticides and other toxins.
Another concern is that the combustible and toxic by product of rotting garbage is methane
gas. Last summer, EnCap completed a 36 hole golf course in Houston and maintains a network
of gas-collection pipes buried in the garbage that filters the gas and discharges it into
the atmosphere.
This is how the
"Cap" is supposed to be created.
Photo source - www.meadowlands.state.nj.us/lup/rd-golf.html
| Golf
Course Surface |
Growing
Medium
6 inches soil mixed with processed sewage sludge to act a fertilizer |
Common
Fill Layer 18 inches.
Could be construction site soil or crushed rocks from roadway projects. |
Cap
Layer 2 feet minimum.
Dredged soils mixed with fly ash and cement for low permeability. This layer is
supposed to keep water from seeping through into the garbage dump, picking up toxins along
the way and polluting groundwater and streams. |
Shaping
Layer 1 to 14 feet.
This layer sits atop the garbage and used to shape the golf course. This will
include soils dredged from the harbor, processed sewage sludge and a mix of recycled
material (crushed demolition, construction debris, chipped tires, recycled asphalt). |
According
to the DEP, the entire cap will be made up of 3.2 million cubic yards of dredged soils and
nearly 1 million cubic yards of other recycled material. Included will be about
14,000 truckloads (250,000 tons) of sewage sludge from the Passaic Valley Sewerage
Commission.
Once the dumps are capped, a skirt of impermeable plastic or steel barrier wall will
contain drains to collect toxic leachate that does seep through the cap, and pump to the
sewer authority for treatment.
These walls will be driven 15 feet into a natural layer of clay know as meadow mat. The
barrier layer is then tied to the wall.
Environmentist question just how impermeable these barriers will be. It has been
suggested that the DEP had set more liberal permeability standards than on other state
landfill closures. Traditionally NJ landfills have been capped with either an
impervious synthetic liner or a layer of clay that is nearly water tight. Both can
cost millions. No caps are perfect -- synthetic liners can rip and clay can crack.
The general guideline allows water to pass through at a rate of no more than an inch per
year. EnCap will line one land fill with an impervious liner, but DEP will allow the
others a permeability rate 200 time higher than the accepted standard rate of inch per
year. EnCap states that the dredged soils/cement mixture will for the most part have
a permeability rate closer to the standard inch per year, but because some of the soils
dredged from the harbor will have a higher concentration of sand, it can't be guaranteed.
Using dredge materials will not only save EnCap from spending money on a synthetic
liner or clay cap, but generate revenue at $5.23 per cubic yard -- more than $16 million
dollars.
Using sewage sludge contaminates also worries environmentalists. Concerns are that
if the cap isn't tight enough, the sludge containing heavy metals, PCB's, lead, arsenic,
cadmium, chromium, etc.. will leach contaminates into the ground water.
EnCap agreed to dispose of the sludge in exchange for reduced leachate treatment costs
with the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission. DEP states it will monitor contaminate
levels of the sludge.
The DEP tests material before being unloaded. Dredged soils and silts will be tested
by the Army Corps of Engineers and checked by the state. Any construction site dirt must
receive prior approval. Any material found to contain hazardous levels of toxins or
metals or foul smells will be rejected.
Source: The Record, August 10, 2003
####
Meadowlands Brownfield Redevelopment Project
In October 1999, Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission selected EnCap
Golf as golf course developer of their 1000 acre land-fill site, south of Giant Stadium.
The project plans to develop a world class sports and recreation complex including hotel,
54 holes of golf, equestrian center, tennis and marina facilities. Local comminutes
have raised concerns that the project includes housing, etc. as well as lack on concerns
of traffic, mass transit, etc. [EnCap
Golf Project]
#####
General Background
[Click] Department
of Community Affairs - PR 2/26/2003
[Click] FindLaw
Corporate Counsel Center - PR 5/18/2004
[Click] Governor
McGreevey - PR 5/18/2004
[Click] Garden State EnviroNews
- AP 5/18/2004
[Click] Hackensack
Meadowlands Development Corporation - PR 4/21/2002
[Click] New Jersey
Meadowlands Commision - Golf Project Background
[Click] SierraActivist
- Record 5/4/2004 & NJMC PR 5/3/2004
Hackensack Meadowlands [History] Walden Swamp
More Links
www.brownfieldgolf.com
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