Green Jersey

State officials: Xanadu not green enough

State officials say Xanadu hasn’t followed through on its promise to be environmentally friendly, the Bergen Record is reporting today.

According to the Record, the state DEP and Meadowlands Commission say they’ve yet to see documentation that environmental requirements for the complex have been met.

Gary Sondermeyer, director of operations for the state DEP, told the Record he was concerned about the energy conservation aspect. He and Bob Ceberio, executive director of the Meadowlands Commission, are wondering why they haven’t seen solar panels go up on exterior walls and roofs.

Four years ago, Xanadu consultants testified that they would use a host of green building techniques, says the Record, including water recycling, renewable energy, energy-efficient equipment and an on-site sewage treatment plant, and have hundreds of new trees planted.

The project’s developers disagree with the officials’ assessment and list a host of elements they say will lessen Xanadu’s impact.