BAYONNE, NJ October 27, 2006 – During October, the Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Squads of the Bayonne, Jersey City and Hoboken Fire Departments joined the Hudson Regional Health Commission and the Hudson County Office of Emergency Management in joint emergency HazMat response training at The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor.

Heading up this training is James Monkowski, HazMat Coordinator for the Hudson Regional Health Commission and environmental advisor for the Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority (BLRA). Mr. Monkowski has spent 19 years in the hazardous materials/environmental protection industry.

“This training allows the response units from around the area to get used to working with one another and get back to basics,” said Mr. Monkowski.

The Peninsula’s location, its large facilities, and the fact that it is a relatively low-traffic site made the decision to hold training there an easy one to make.

“We took advantage of The Peninsula to train because it has large warehouse buildings where we could deploy chemicals that mimic the much more dangerous materials and test the meters that we use for detection,” said Mr. Monkowski. “Plus we can train without fear of bothering the public or have the public interfere with us.”

This marks the second time The Peninsula has played host to the Hudson Regional Health Commission’s joint training program. The last training session, during the early summer, focused exclusively on WMD response training -which Mr. Monkowski described as “training for a HazMat incident on steroids.”



“In this post 9/11 world we must be prepared to deal with large emergencies at a moment’s notice -and that means better regional coordination,” said Bayonne Mayor Joseph V. Doria, Jr. “This is what Jim Monkowski, the Hudson Regional Health Commission and the major Hudson County Fire Departments are working on and I’m very pleased that The Peninsula has been useful as a venue for this much-needed training.”

About The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor

Since the U.S. Army transferred complete ownership of the former military base in 2002, the BLRA has raised more than $50 million in government grants and interim lease payments to make infrastructure improvements needed to attract development. These improvements include new bulkheads along the base’s south side and environmental remediation that was completed last year, ahead of schedule. Other projects include the installation of a new sewer system and planning for a new electrical grid and new roads.

Redevelopment of The Peninsula is organized around the creation of six different, yet integrated districts.

In 2004, Cape Liberty Cruise Port opened, marking the first tangible step in the transformation of the 430-acre site. It resulted in 51 cruise ship calls in its first season and created 300 jobs. Since then, the Cruise Port has grown to become the third-ranking passenger port on the East Coast (after New York and Miami).

Early this year, the BLRA approved plans for development of another district, Harbor Station North, by Fidelco which will consist of mid-rise housing, retail space, and park space adjacent to the 45th Street light rail station.

The approval of redeveloper agreements with Trammel Crow Residential and Bayonne Bay Developers for portions of Bayonne Bay begins the transformation of the third district into a vibrant mixed-use waterfront community.

Conditional agreements with Boraie Development for a portion of the Landing District and Taylor Real Estate for portions of the Landing and Loft Districts signify progress in other districts as well.

The Landing will have a water transit docking facility surrounded by a commercial and entertainment area as well as a residential section with mid-rise housing. The Loft District will be converted to hip loft-style housing units adjacent to the ferry landing with views of lower New York Harbor, the Verrazano Bridge and the golf course.

For more information about The Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority, visit www.bayonnenj.org/blra.



 

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