RANDOLPH – The township health department on Tuesday slapped the Skylands Event and Conference Center with an "unsatisfactory" rating, closing the popular banquet hall on the cusp of prom and wedding seasons to rectify a clogged kitchen grease trap that was improperly bypassed, causing a sewage spill on the grounds.
It’s illegal," said township Health Officer Mark Caputo.
The diversionary pipe, Caputo said, linked the trap to a sump pump that is intended for rain water, not for sewage.
We closed them down for that reason, based on the food code.
The food code states that restaurant must have plumbing that works."
"(DEP) has a hotline number and they received four complaints this week of odor and possible water pollution at Skylands," said county Health Management Officer Carlos Perez Jr. "Our office dispatched an investigator to look into the complaints and met with representatives of Skylands."
The investigator discovered the malfunctioning grease trap inside, but the sump pump was not in operation at the time, so there was no current discharge of grease sewage to observe.
"What we did observe was evidence of a previous discharge of grease onto the ground, adjacent to the storm drain," Perez said.
"The sewer-line company that was hired was doing the clean-out, unplugging the line making it free of grease so that sewage can flow again."
"I have every reason to believe the management of the Skylands is working diligently to get this matter rectified before this weekend," Caputo said.