Embankment in Oakland nearing collapse, officials say

An 80-foot embankment along the Ramapo River in Oakland is collapsing as Bergen County continues to feel the sting of April?s nor?easter. The embankment is in resident Virginia Hala?s backyard off Roosevelt

News 12 Staff

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Jun 26, 2007, 10:52 PM

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Updated 6,539 days ago

An 80-foot embankment along the Ramapo River in Oakland is collapsing as Bergen County continues to feel the sting of April?s nor?easter.

The embankment is in resident Virginia Hala?s backyard off Roosevelt Boulevard. Hala said she hears the trees and rocks shifting on ?a daily basis.?

Town officials claim they are trying to help, but borough Flood Control Commission Chairman Lew Levy said the Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Environmental Protection won?t help.

Levy said the town is not equipped to deal with the situation.

?This is maybe a million dollars of work right here between the engineering, going for permits, doing whatever construction is necessary,? Levy said.

Levy said the collapse of the embankment could cause trouble extending further than just Oakland. He explained the possible effects of a worst-case scenario.

?It blocks the river,? he said. ?It causes flooding upstream. It causes wildlife and environmental issues downstream by causing the river to dry out."