Ulster County, which tried to shut down Camp Rav Tov on Cherrytown Road in Kerhonkson over several violations of the county sanitary code, has reached a consent agreement to prevent continuation of an offense sewage odor that has permeated the neighborhood.
The county had suspended the permit for the camp to operate, requiring it to cease operation and evacuate by 5 p.m. on Monday, August 13.
That effort was thwarted when the camp sought and won a temporary restraining order from Kings County Supreme Court blocking the closure.
The Ulster County Attorney’s Office issued a statement on Tuesday saying, “In an effort to protect the community, the environment and the children at the camp, Ulster County pressed for and secured a consent agreement” that includes a number of terms.
• Camp Rav Tov Kerhonkson has agreed to pump and haul all sewage from the camp on a daily basis until August 22, which is the last day of camp;
• The camp must provide a daily certification from an independent engineer that the pumping and hauling has been completed;
• The camp has agreed to place $40,000 in an escrow account to be used for clean up in the event of any non-compliance by the camp; and
• The camp has agreed to install a new septic system, approved by the Ulster County Commissioner of Health before seeking any future operating permits from the County in 2019.
The Ulster County Health Department will continue to monitor Camp Rav Tov Kerhonkson’s compliance with the consent agreement and stands ready to pursue further action to ensure the public health if necessary.
(Source: MidHudsonNews.com)
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14 Responses
Who is the Kings County judge who issued the temporary restraining order? Something stinks in Kings County, as well as Ulster County.
The consent agreement apparently permits the camp to remain open for another 6 days. I hope the parents of the girls at the camp have the wherewithal and good judgment to pull them out of camp immediately. For one thing, the girls and the camp staff cannot daven at the camp, because of the presence of filth. I would like to know what the Satmar rebbes are saying about davening in the presence of sewerage. When camp is over, many campers and staff are going to return to New York City. Will they bring public health problems with them?
Let’s just hope the Dept. of Health doesn’t take out a fierce נקמה next summer having been dealt this defeat now! They are ruthless.
“UTZU EITZO V’SUFOR”
An acceptable compromise. Let’s hope that the camp carries it out without any shtick.
“The camp has agreed to install a new septic system, approved by the Ulster County Commissioner of Health before seeking any future operating permits from the County in 2019.”
So what it takes is to close a camp, to have something like that essential get done.
How about veNishamrtam? or how about being able to say any davar shel KeDusha?
Seems like a sensible accommodation, and avoids the disruption to the kids’ summer vacation. Hopefully, they will comply with the terms of the consent order to protect their own campers’ health as well as the odors for the neighbors. Its difficult to understand why this was not not voluntarily before the issue had to go to Court. It doesn’t seem like the Camp challenged the substance of the complaints but was hoping to simply get through the summer without having to deal with the issue.
Interesting, go to your buddies in Kings county to let you off the hook.
What jurisdiction does a Kings County court have over an Ulster County camp????
To gadolhadorah: What is sensible about living in a camp with sewerage on the ground? Have you ever vacationed in a sewerage treatment plant?
i dealt with the health dept. many times and always managed to work out a plan that worked for both sides.
If you ignore them they will SHUT you down and will be all over you till job is completed
To Huju:
Actually, I spent much of a semester at a sewage treatment plant taking daily water samples. I wouldn’t call it a “vacation” but it was preferable to some of the other fieldwork options. As far as the camp is concerned and given the realities of trying to evacuate hundreds of girls from a summer camp in the Catskills whose parents may be travelling or not expecting them home for another 10 days, its a sensible option with the assurance of daily removal of sewage and close monitoring by the local health department. It also means these girls may have been spared from the abusive “anti-Medinah” parade the Satmar in Lakewood put on today with other kids who weren’t fortunate enough to be at this camp.
its amazing how the kneejerk reaction is to blame the moisad. inspectors can be very obstinate in their approach especially if they have an ax to grind.nowhere in the article does it mention raw sewage on the ground just an odor.these past fewv weeks have seen so much rain that alot of the leach fields are so saturated that they are unable to absorb the regular sewage generated by the camp.thge compromise seems to be fair to remove the sewage by truck thus helping the system function.and lets prepare for a ksiva vchasima tova for all by trying to co operate with all
i hope the campers continue having a farshtunkene zimmer.
Dr. Yidd…..what a gross comment (literally and figuratively). These girls are at the camp for a few weeks as an escape from the city crowding, congestion, noise and smells, as well as an opportunity to enjoy a wonderful opportunity to grow in their ruchniyus and ahavas yisroel. And you wish them ill because some adult Satmar camp administrator tried to save the costs of updating their sceptic system???
To gadolhadorah: So, it sounds like you really know your s … tuff.