New Jersey Globe, 9/20/21
Lawmakers want probe of floodgate failure in Bound Brook
Three Republican legislators from the 23rd district want an independent investigation into flooding in Bound Brook during Tropical Storm Ida after a stuck New Jersey Transit train blocked floodgates from closing.
“It’s extremely concerning that the $300 million floodgate system that was put in place to protect Bound Brook from flooding was defeated by a disabled NJ Transit train that shouldn’t have been running,” said State Sen. Michael Doherty (R-Oxford). “We need a transparent, independent review of this incident to understand what processes failed during Ida to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
The lawmakers – Doherty and Assemblymen Erik Peterson (R-Franklin) and John DiMaio (R-Hackettstown) – said they want to know why a train attempted to pass through a flood-prone area despite National Weather Service warnings earlier in the day that flash floods were expected along the Raritan Valley Line.
