[NYTr] Cops arrest reporter at pesticide-contaminated NJ school
 
Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 15:55:42 -0400


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Bergen Record - June 2, 2007
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk0NSZmZ2JlbDdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5NzE0NjI0OSZ5cmlyeTdmNzE3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTM=

Reporter arrested at Paramus school

By CAROLYN SALAZAR
STAFF WRITER

PARAMUS  Police arrested a Record reporter Saturday as he accompanied
a lab technician taking soil samples at West Brook Middle School,
which was closed last week after pesticide contamination was found
on its grounds.

The reporter, Michael Gartland, 33, of Jersey City, along with
Thomas Adamkiewicz, 63, of Hewitt, a field manager for an environmental
testing firm, face trespassing charges after they went to the school
to collect soil for an independent analysis.

Gartland broke the story about the tainted soil  which was found
five months ago  and school officials failure to notify parents
until May 23. The revelations caused outrage in the borough.

Officials closed the school Tuesday after authorities found aldrin,
dieldrin and chlordane in mounds of soil on its grounds.

The state Department of Environmental Protection launched a probe
last week into how the matter was handled. The agency also is testing
the soil around the school and the air inside the building to
determine whether it poses serious health threats to anyone exposed
to it.

The Record hired Aqua Pro-Tech Laboratories, a Fairfield-based
environmental testing firm, to perform an independent study of the
soil at several district schools.

Police first questioned Gartland and Adamkiewicz about 10:10 a.m.,
after they were seen carrying sealed bags of soil from the Roosevelt
Avenue school, Deputy Chief Richard Cary said. He said the two had
trespassed and were obstructing an ongoing state investigation.

My position is certainly Michael Gartland knew that this investigation
was ongoing, Cary said. Im not sure why they felt that they needed
to do an independent investigation. We put up police tape and
barricades, so they clearly knew that they were not permitted to
enter the site. They had to get through barricades to get to where
they went.

Frank Burgos, managing editor of The Record, said determining whether
soil on public land is toxic and a danger is of great public concern.

Given the questions regarding the safety of soil in Paramus and at
West Brook Middle School, we at The Record feel it is our journalistic
duty to pursue this matter and to provide the answers people have
a right to expect, Burgos said.

Jennifer Borg, vice president and general counsel of North Jersey
Media Group, which owns The Record, said the paper will not allow
the arrests to deter its investigative efforts.

Just as we vigorously continue to seek the truth about soil
contamination at West Brook, we will vigorously defend the charge
against Mike, she said.

Officials from the Paramus hazardous materials team, rescue squad
and ambulance corps and the Bergen County Police hazardous materials
team responded to the scene.

Gartland and Adamkiewicz had to undergo decontamination in front
of the school  their shoes and socks were removed and, with their
pants rolled up, their feet were hosed off. Police seized the soil
samples, as well as their shoes and socks.

They were placed in handcuffs and taken to police headquarters about
1:30 p.m.

Borg said the paper will seek the return of the samples so the paper
can publish its results.

The Record will continue to vigorously pursue the facts surrounding
the contamination controversy, Burgos said. He also questioned the
need for bringing in the hazmat team.

One obvious question troubling me is this: If all the contaminated
soil has been removed from the school, why were our reporter and
environmental expert required to relinquish their shoes? he said.


       
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