GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS 000314
Phil Reynolds
GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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<*> SAND MINING ARTICLE
<*> MOBILIZING THE REGION #260
<*> HISTORIC PLACES AND OPEN SPACES - MAY 20
<*> NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION PROTEST PHILLY - MAR 21
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SAND MINING ARTICLE
Date: 14 Mar 2000
From: Kerr...@aol.com
Staten Island Register
March 14, 2000
Sand Mining seems to big a big issue around the waterfront this week,
more people are talking about Amboy Aggregates application for a
Permit to sand mine one hundred square miles of ocean off northern New
Jersey than they are talking about this weekends opening of the winter
flounder season.
The ocean sand mining company has worked the waters of our area for
many years and has practically played out all of the clean sand in
Raritan Bay. Now we are learning that the company has bigger ambitions
then thought earlier, while our shorelines are under attack from the
dumping of toxic dredge material into the nearshore waters of our area
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a local company has made a move
on taking and selling off what clean sand might be left out there.
It is simply amazing to me what is going on with our marine
environment in the past few years, and the attacks on this sensitive
ecosystem that are being made, and allowed by the Corps of Engineers
and the EPA.
Aggregate is the sand and pebbles used to make cement, it can also be
separated to be sold as either clean sand or just pebbles for
landscaping purposes and a multitude of other uses. Normally it is
mined from pits on land.
From what I am being told, the Amboy Aggregates Company is requesting
that the permit process move on to the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) area of the permit process. This is the part of the
process where the projects impact on the environment is reviewed. If
the project has no adverse impact, the process moves on to scoping
hearings, public hearings, and then the final permit process.
How can any company go ahead with an EIS when it knows that there
will be a definite impact on the environment when they sand mine an
area from Belmar to Long Branch, and then 10 miles out to sea? How can
they possibly think that a permit will be issued? The reason being is
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District. The Corps has
only denied 2% of all Permits put through the New York Office in the
past 25 years.
The next reason being is that the general public has become
complacent in their ways, and will not put up a fight to save the NY
Bight, but will expect that person that always takes care of things of
this nature, Mr. Somebody Else to do it for them.
I spoke with Cindy Zipf from Clean Ocean Action, and she has a plan
of attack to finally do something positive to protect the NY Bight in
general. Her plan is almost the same as a plan I have tried to have
implemented for years now. Force the states of New York and New Jersey
to implement the Magnuson Act requirement of creating Essential Fish
Habitat (EFH) areas in our marine waters. Cindy's plan is not as
intolerable as mine, Her plan is just to make a large area of the NY
Bight a Preserve that would not allow destruction of the existing
ecosystem.
Amboy Aggregates plans to wipe out all of the bottom structure, fish
habitat, bumps and valleys that are a necessary part of the ecosystem
in a one hundred square mile area. They are probably asking for 100
square miles in the original request expecting an uproar from area
environmental groups, then will scale it down and get what they wanted
in the first place anyway. I say that if they feel they can approach
the situation with a take all attitude, we should approach it with a
take none at all attitude.
I got curious about the price of sand at retail coast, so I called a
local cement company. The best price I found was $22.00 a yard, with a
ten yard minimum. Amboy Aggregates right now pays five cents a cubic
yard for sand from existing contracts that allow them to sand mine
around the Ambrose Channel. The price of concrete was scary, the price
for a three yard delivery was $401.07. A cubic yard is three feet by
three feet by three feet, stretch your arms out, try to imagine the
size of a cubic yard. It's kinda a small amount. Can you imagine how
much money one hundred square miles of aggregate will make the company
that can get the permit to scoop it up!
With that kind of money trading hands can we trust a company to take
the sand from where they are supposed to? Who is going to monitor
them? They will have a free hand to do what they want, they always
have in this area. Are you willing to let them destroy a complete
ecosystem to make a buck? I'm talking complete destruction here,
everything gets wiped out. The bottom will be completely destroyed.
Since the project is taking place in New Jersey waters, there will
not be any Public Hearings held here in New York. But on February 28th
the Minerals Management Service held a meeting in Bradley Beach, NJ to
hear public opinion on the Permit request, once again the dredge rats
behind the scenes sent loads of their workers to this hearing, keeping
out fishermen, residents, and environmentalist from the shore area.
Most people left but some did get a chance to get in.
The reason that I bring this up is that we here on Staten Island have
got to remember that we share the Bight with New Jersey. We have to
watch what goes on over on that side of the Bay as well as on our
side. Whatever happens there, directly effects us. I am going to
attend a hearing on this issue this weekend in Long Branch NJ to learn
more about this project. I will keep you updated on its process. I
will also start working with Clean Ocean Action to figure out away to
protect this significant body of our marine environment, and will
probably be asking for your help on this matter in the weeks ahead.
I will also be attending the Coastal Conservation Association meeting
on Wednesday March 15th. The meeting will start at 8:00 PM and is held
at the Staten Island Yacht Club, 147 Mansion Avenue in Great Kills to
discuss this subject further, and to make final arraignments on the
CCA Banquet to take place on March 31st at the Richmond County Yacht
Club. For more Information on CCA call : (718) 727-0497. Midland beach
Sportsman's Club meets next Wednesday, March 22nd at the Princes Bay
Boatmen's Association Clubhouse at the foot of Seguine Avenue. Call:
(718) 761-4481 for membership information.
Also - Winter flounder season starts this Saturday, The f/v Atlantis
Princess is all set to start the season off, so if your interested in
getting out on opening day, I would call the boat at (718) 966-2845
and make sure there is room. I can be reached through the Register or
via the Internet at ke...@ccany.org for any reports that you may wish
to post here in the Island Waters column.
# # #
Kerry Sullivan
Natural Resources Protective Association
POB 50328
Staten Island NY 10305
Web: http://www.nrpa.com
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MOBILIZING THE REGION #260
Date: 13 Mar 2000
From: Kristen Fountain {ts...@tstc.org}
[Excerpt: Full text at http://www.gsenet.org/newsstnd/mobil.htm]
A Weekly Bulletin from the Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Electronic Edition Number 260 March 10, 2000
* * *
E-Z PASS CATCHING ON IN JERSEY
A new count released by the Garden State Parkway this week shows over
50,000 E-ZPass accounts opened in NJ and 100,000 tags issued since the
Parkway began rolling out the system in December. The Bergen Record
reports that 600 people per day sign up for accounts, spurred by the
continued installation of readers down the Parkway. E-Z Pass readers
can now be found at the Essex, Bergen, Hillsdale, and Union plazas and
ramps.
E-Z Pass users now make up on average 20-25% of toll payers at these
locations. Officials expect that at least half of all drivers will
take advantage of E-ZPass' time saving benefits (though agencies
operating in NYC have far surpassed that rate). This bodes well for
the eventual introduction of the non-stop toll facilities called for
in the "Parkway Barrier Toll Removal Act," a bill that the NJ Senate
needs to resuscitate. The bill would require replacement of
traditional toll plazas with roadside or gantry readers that collect
tolls electronically while cars zip past at highway speeds. The
provision would take effect at a given plaza once E-Z Pass share
reaches two-thirds. The companion bill passed the Assembly
Transportation Committee early this year.
Also this week, Parkway head Joseph Buckelew announced that the
Parkway will study the possibility of offering the 1.7-cent break
given to drivers who buy tokens to those using E-Z Pass. Though a
modest reduction, the discount provides yet another incentive and is a
welcome change after offering a disincentive to E-Z Pass users on the
Paramus and Clifton ramps for the last six weeks. The Parkway is
finally allowing the E-ZPass lanes to remain open during rush hour
after weeks of forcing new E-ZPass owners to wait in lines with
cash-payers. The report should also consider the impacts of
implementing the time- variable toll rate policy embraced by the NJ
Turnpike, which would add more congestion-busting potential to .
While Parkway E-ZPass installation continues apace, the Turnpike is
about 6 weeks behind on a schedule that aimed to throw the switch on
the system up and down the highway by May 22. In response to news that
the parent of MFS Network Technologies - NJ's E-Z Pass installation
contractor - is in financial straits, Gov. Whitman recently asked
Transportation Commissioner James Weinstein and NJ Turnpike head Ed
Gross to devise a plan that would ensure on-time completion even if
the sinking company can't finish the job.
* * *
MONTHLY PASS, NJ FARE CARD FOR NEW LIGHT RAIL
In preparation for opening the first phase of the new Hudson-Bergen
light rail system in mid-April, NJ Transit announced fares this week.
Frequent trains will run on a 7.5 mile track between 24th St. in
Bayonne and Exchange Place and West Side Avenue in Jersey City,
serving 12 stations between 5:30 a.m and 1 a.m. weekdays, and slightly
shorter weekend hours. The system is expected to serve 27,000 daily
riders by the end of 2000. It will eventually grow (in two subsequent
phases) to 20 miles, at an overall cost of about $1.1 billion.
The one-way fare of $1.50 is comparable to other transit systems in
the region, creating opportunities for multi- agency partnerships. The
Hudson-Bergen $53 unlimited monthly pass will double as a monthly pass
for NJ Transit buses. NJ Transit also aims to work with the Port
Authority to develop a fare card usable on both the light rail and
PATH lines, making transfers at Hoboken Terminal and Exchange Place
easy and a strong reason to use the new line. The second phase of the
project, a link from Newport station to Hoboken Terminal, is slated
for completion by 2002.
The Hudson-Bergen line has already brought a boom of industry and
jobs to the Hudson County waterfront. NJ officials estimate the system
helped spur over 2.8 million square feet of new office space
development and creation of at least 4,200 jobs.
* * *
SPOTLIGHT ON RTE. 92's UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Although the NJ Turnpike Authority quickly consented to the Army
Corps of Engineers' requirement of a full federal environmental impact
statement for the proposed Route 92 expressway in February, it is now
grumbling.
Turnpike Director Ed Gross told Trenton Times last week the study was
a waste of time as the Authority had already studied all possible
effects on the surrounding area, all possible alignments and all
possible alternatives.
But the Army Corps' five-page record-of-decision on the Rte. 92
application argues differently. Crediting most of the arguments made
by the Campaign and other Route 92 critics, the Corps made it clear
that the Turnpike Authority had not studied the impacts of Rt. 92 on
Somerset County and that the scope of interest in the project has
expanded beyond the communities within the right-of-way or the path of
potential alternative alignments to encompass outlying communities
such as Kingston, Princeton and Rocky Hill "which would likely
experience direct and secondary impacts from the new roadway."
Furthermore, the Corps concluded previous studies had not taken into
account new east-west linkages that have been built since Route 92
studies began in the 1980s.
The Corps said that communities such as Kingston, Bellemead and Rocky
Hill are concerned that "truck traffic would use Rt. 92 and local
roadways to access Roue 206 as a `shortcut' to Interstate 287, as
opposed to utilizing the direct connection [from the Turnpike to
I-287] at Exit 10 of the New Jersey Turnpike. This concern should be
considered and does not appear to have been sufficiently addressed to
date..Although the mileage of the Route 92 roadway itself has been
reduced, its construction would still result in direct and secondary
impacts to areas between Route 1 and Route 206." In short, traffic
would literally be funneled into Somerset County at the proposed
highway's illogical terminus at Rt. 1.
The Corps also noted that the Hightstown Bypass "already provides an
east-west transportation corridor south of proposed Route 92," and
that "a second east-west roadway corridor has recently been
completed...Middlesex County Route 522, which links Route 1 north of
the proposed route 92 with Route 130...these two roadways provide
current, toll-free means of east-west access between route 1 and the
vicinity of the New Jersey Turnpike at Exits 8 and 8A...it is
reasonable to believe that a portion of the originally-perceived need
for Route 92 is currently satisfied by these roadways." Given the
existence of these two links, the `modified no-build alternative'
suggested by USEPA should serve.
The Corps further cited the high level of controversy that continues
to be associated with the highway proposal. The decision noted that
the March 29, 1999 hearing was attended by several hundred
individuals, and saw over 100 oral presentations, the majority of
which opposed to the road (a similar outcry was heard at the June 1998
hearing). This total was among the highest ever recorded for an Army
Corps (NY District) hearing in NJ. Despite the time lapse since the
hearing, the Corps said that public interest in Rt. 92 remains at an
"exceedingly high level." The Corps finally gave great weight to
USEPA's and the US Fish and Wildlife Service's recommendation that the
permit be denied.
* * *
CALENDAR
March 15, 9:30 am
NJ Senate Public Hearings on 2001 State Budget;
Mercer County Community College, Gymnasium,
1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor, NJ 609-292-8030
March 22, 9:30 am
NJ Senate Public Hearings on 2001 State Budget;
Burlington County College, Gymnasium,
County Route 530, Pemberton, NJ ? 609-292-8030
March 22, 4pm
"Planning Problems in the 21st Century",
Mr Edmund Bacon, Exec. Dir. of Phil. City Planning Commission,
2000 Smart Growth Lectures, Special Events Forum,
Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy,
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, RSVP, 732-932-1700
April 6-9
"Preserving the Historic Road in America," 2nd national
conference on historic roads, National Trust for
Historic Preservation, NJ & NYS DOT's, others. Tours.
$ 800-627-8726.
# # #
MTR#260 Contributing: Jeff Anzevino, Jessica Astrof
Editors: Jon Orcutt, Kristen Fountain
Executive Director, Janine Bauer
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
240 West 35th Street #801, New York, NY 10001
tel. (212) 268-7474 fax (212) 268-7333
ts...@tstc.org www.tstc.org
Kristen Fountain
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
v: (212) 268 - 7474
f: (212) 268 - 7333
foun...@tstc.org
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HISTORIC PLACES AND OPEN SPACES - MAY 20
Date: 000314
From: pre...@erols.com
Preservation New Jersey
Winter, 1999-2000
Dear Friend:
Preservation New Jersey is pleased to invite partner organizations
and individuals to become sponsors of our upcoming conference entitled
_Making the Connection: Historic Places and Open Spaces_. New Jersey
has a longstanding commitment to open space conservation for watershed
and habitat protection, recreational opportunities, and farmland
preservation. Under the new Garden State Preservation Trust Act at
least $1 billion in additional funding is to be committed over the
next 10 years, including $60 million dedicated for historic
preservation.
This daylong conference focuses on the growing concern over the fate
of historic resources on existing and newly acquired and protected
public lands. It is recommended not only for those interested in
historic preservation, but also for local, county and state parks
commissions, environmental groups and commissions, planning boards,
agricultural boards, and others involved in open space, farmland and
historic preservation in their communities.
The goals of the conference are to:
* build public awareness of this issue
* provide information and tools to assist preservation efforts
* provide information and tools to stewards of sites already acquired
* identify issues and develop policy recommendations for future
planning strategies
The event will be held on Saturday, May 20, 2000, at Ft. Hancock on
Sandy Hook, and will feature a tour of this historic National Park
Service property.
Preservation New Jersey, a nonprofit organization, promotes historic
resources, communities and landscapes throughout New Jersey through
education and advocacy. Founded in 1978, Preservation New Jersey
addresses its mission through publication of a quarterly newsletter,
maintaining a resource library, producing an annual list of New
Jersey's ten most endangered historic sites, providing educational
tours, conferences and training workshops, and addressing legislation
and public policies that impact New Jersey's historic preservation
community.
Please join us as a sponsor of this important event. These programs
would not be possible without the participation of individuals and
groups like yours. We are grateful for your support.
Sincerely,
Pat Pizzini Huizing
Executive Director
# # #
Preservation New Jersey
18 W Lafayette St
Trenton NJ 08608
Tel: 609-392-6409
Fax: 609-392-6418
Email: pre...@erols.com
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION PROTEST PHILLY - MAR 21
Date: 14 Mar 2000
From: Norm and Karen Cohen {no...@bellatlantic.net}
Coalition for Peace and Justice
UNPLUG SALEM CAMPAIGN TO PROTEST NRC MEETING ON 3/21 IN PHILLY
Date: 3/14/00
The UNPLUG Salem Campaign will hold a protest rally and press
conference on Tuesday, March 21st, at 1:00 PM at the Independence Mall
Holiday Inn, 4th and Arch Sts, in Philadelphia, the site of a three
day Nuclear Regulatory Commission meeting. The NRC meeting is to
promote the NRC's new nuclear power plant oversight and inspection
program.
Among the speakers at the press conference will be: Norm Cohen,
Coordinator of the UNPLUG Salem Campaign; Bernard August, Nuclear
Committee Coordinator of Green Delaware; Joseph Mangano, Research
Associate for the Radiation and Public Health Project; Michael
Morrill, Director of the Pennsylvania Consumer Action Network; Jane
Nogaki, Toxics Coordinator for the New Jersey Environmental
Federation; Scott Portzline, Nuclear Safety Coordinator for Three Mile
Island Alert; Mike Ewall, Coordinator of the Pennsylvania
Environmental Network; Bob Nape, Director of the Philadelphia Solar
Power Society; and Paul Williams, Coordinator of the South Jersey
Green Party.
The press conference will focus on UNPLUG Salem's objections and
concerns towards the NRC's new oversight program for nuclear power
plant safety. These concerns have become heightened following the
recent accident at Indian Point #2, a reactor about 35 miles north of
New York City, where one or more steam generator tubes ruptured and
released radiation into the atmosphere. NRC inspectors allowed Indian
Point to operate with defective steam generators since at least 1993.
The NRC inspection program relies on the individual nuclear utilities
to provide all the data for the program, thus allowing a major chance
of omissions or outright cheating by the nuclear utilities. The
program also relies more on a risk-based approached rather than a rule
enforcement approach, making it more likely that workers at nuclear
plants will take shortcuts with regulations they consider unnecessary.
The program also allows a nuclear plant to have several problems in a
three month period and still remain in the "green", or safe, range.
"The fact that such a diverse group of organizations will be speaking
out against the NRC's new inspection program shows that many people
are deeply concerned about the chance that the new inspection program
will lead to safety problems over the next few years. A recent report
by the General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress,
showed that nearly 70% of resident NRC inspectors had deep concerns
about the new inspection program," commented Norm Cohen, Coordinator
for the UNPLUG Salem.
UNPLUG Salem is composed of 73 local, regional, and national
organizations. UNPLUG acts as a safety watchdog for the two Salem
Nuclear Plants, and has as it goals the shut down of these two plants
and the end to the Salem Nuke Fish Slaughter. UNPLUG recently
petitioned the NRC to inspect the steam generators at Salem following
the Indian Point accident.
CONTACT:
Norm Cohen: 609-601-8583/8537
Jane Nogaki: 856-767-1110
Michael Morrill: 610-478-7888
Joseph Mangano: 718-857-9825
Paul Williams: 609-345-1808
Bernard August: 302-237-0708
Mike Ewall: 215-743-4884
Bob Nape: 215-844-4196
Scott Portzline: 717-233-7897
# # #
Coalition for Peace and Justice and the UNPLUG Salem Campaign; 321
Barr Ave., Linwood, NJ 08221; 609-601-8537 or 609-601-8583 (8583: fax,
answer machine) UNPLUG SALEM WEBSITE: http://www.unplugsalem.org/
COALITION FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE WEBSITE:
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~norco/ ICQ# 54268619; The Coalition
for Peace and Justice is a chapter of Peace Action.
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Back issues of the Garden State EnviroNews are available at
http://www.gsenet.org/library/11gsn/11gsn.htm
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