

THE EPA GAVE THE SITE A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH WHEN THEY DELISTED IT IN 1994. IN 1984… THE 500-ACRE RINGWOOD MINES SITE WAS ADDED TO THE SUPERFUND LIST.įORD WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING TO CLEAN UP THE SITE. THE DROPLETS THAT DIDN’T STICK WOULD COLLECT ON THE GROUND AND IN DRAINS BENEATH THE CARS ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE.ĪND THAT EXCESS PAINT WAS MUCH OF WHAT WAS COLLECTED AND DUMPED IN UPPER RINGWOOD. THESE WERE SOME OF THE COLORS OF PAINT THAT WERE SPRAYED ON FORD’S CARS. THAT IS… UNTIL FORD MOTOR COMPANY STARTED DUMPING THOUSANDS OF TONS OF PAINT SLUDGE AND OTHER WASTE FROM THE COMPANY’S ASSEMBLY PLANT IN NEARBY MAHWAH… INTO - AND AROUND - THE ABANDONED MINES OF UPPER RINGWOODįOR YEARS IN THE 1960s AND ’70s… FORD’S PLANT IN MAHWAH CHURNED OUT HUNDREDS OF CARS IN A DAYįORD WAS MAKING THE AMERICAN DREAM COME TRUE FOR SOME PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY… AND CREATING AN AMERICAN NIGHTMARE FOR THE RAMAPOUGH PEOPLE. HE REMEMBERS DRINKING THE WATER FLOWING NEAR HIS CHILDHOOD HOME.ĭennis DeFreese, Sr. LIKE VAL… DENNIS GREW UP IN UPPER RINGWOOD.

But we had to carry our water when we were kids growing up, but we did it. And you talk about delicious, absolutely great water. And we would get water we would carry water from the spring. Valerie Gunn – Ringwood resident & Ramapough Lenape Turtle Clan member MANY OF HER CHILDHOOD MEMORIES INCLUDE EXPLORING THE SURROUNDING WOODLANDS. LIFE FOR VAL’S GRANDCHILDREN IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHEN SHE WAS A CHILD.

WHEN WE MET… SHE WAS WEARING A HOT PINK T-SHIRT THAT READ: “GRANDMA.” WITH THE LIST OF HER GRANDCHILDREN’S NAMES. SHE’S ABOUT TO TURN 70… AND IS A PROUD GRANDMA.
