Tearful Resident Asks Governor for Fenimore Landfill Help

Mirna Hernandez went to Long Hill Township Wednesday morning with one thing in mind: to ask the state's leader for help on making her hometown less toxic.

Hernandez, a resident of Roxbury Township, tearfully told the governor at his 111th town hall meeting that after living in the area for two years, she's now afraid to start a family because of the hazard brought by the Fenimore Landfill.

The landfill, which was dormant for years, was reopened in 2012 and available to continued dumping. Hernandez told Christie she believed the contaminants needed to be removed by truck as soon as possible. The governor charged back, saying that response would only create a bigger problem, and that the landfill needs to – and will be – capped, eliminating the issue.

In an attempt to reassure Hernandez, Christie said the situation has become markedly better since late in the summer of 2013. With monitors in place and a frigid winter creating an ice cap on the landfill, emission problems have been lacking in recent months.