Grassy Sound House Removed from Bay

GRASSY SOUND – Through quick action taken by Middle Township administration, the Grassy Sound house that was swept into the bay during Oct. 3’s nor-easter-like storm has been successfully removed.
Upon learning of the house’s fate, township officials acted swiftly, contacting Bob VanFossen, Director of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Emergency Management. VanFossen then coordinated efforts between Middle Township, and state and federal agencies including the NJDEP Office of Dredging and Sediment Technology, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
From the beginning, NJDEP Commissioner Bob Martin ensured that all relevant entities were engaged and the proper steps were taken for the expedited execution of the debris removal contract, which was awarded to Crowder Gulf. The NJDEP will seek reimbursement for the estimated $150,000 to $200,000 cleanup cost from the homeowner, Stuart Tait.
“The first inclination in a situation like this is usually finger-pointing. Who gets blamed?” Deputy Mayor Dan Lockwood stated in a release. “We didn’t go there. We went to work. We got all the agencies involved down here on a windy and raining Sunday morning less than 36 hours after this happened and forced a rapid consensus on a plan to get this done quickly and safely.”