Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.

Dismiss

GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS 030917

0 views

Skip to first unread message

GSENet

unread,

Sep 17, 2003, 12:50:59 AM9/17/03

030917

GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

TABLE OF CONTENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{*} COST OF PREVENTABLE CHILDHOOD ILLNESS TALLIED IN MA
{*} 70 GROUPS BLAST BUSH FOR OPPOSING EUROPEAN CHEMICAL POLICY
{*} SUPERFUND FACES STRUGGLE FOR ROOM IN THE BUDGET
{*} GEMS CLEANUP STALLED AMID RACE FOR SENATE
{*} EAST WINDSOR ACQUIRES 122 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE
{*} 11 MIDDLESEX TOWNS GET TOTAL OF $6.25 MILLION FOR PARKS
{*} MORRIS COUNTY JUDGE FELLS TREE LAW
{*} TRENTON BEGINS CENTURY-OLD PARK PLAN
{*} GROUP STARTS ANTI-POLLUTION RESEARCH FOR FERRIES
{*} `CLEAN' CARS GO ON SALE NEXT MONTH
{*} POWERFUL NEW CATALYSTS ATTACK WIDE RANGE OF POLLUTANTS
{*} BERGEN COUNTY OPEN SPACE FORUM HELD AT FDU
{*} RESIDENTS URGED TO BEAR-PROOF SURROUNDINGS THIS FALL
{*} DELAWARE ESTUARY HABITAT DIRECTOR JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
{*} MERCER COUNTY WASTE DAY SET - SEP 20

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Many thanks to our volunteers: Jerry Cullins, Vanessa Frey,
Jeff Hook, Ken Krebs, Peter Montague, Paul Neuman, Phil Reynolds,
and to all you folks out there who contribute in so many ways.
If you have a couple hours a week, and would like to help out,
please email us at mai...@gsenet.org.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

COST OF PREVENTABLE CHILDHOOD ILLNESS TALLIED IN MA

Date: 16 Sep 2003
From: "Peter Montague" {Pe...@rachel.org}

PREVENTABLE CHILDHOOD ILLNESS COSTS STATE OVER $1 BILLION ANNUALLY

Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, September 15,

Boston, MA - The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow and Tufts
University's Global Development and Environment Institute today
released a new report that estimates the incidence and cost of
childhood illnesses caused by toxic pollution in Massachusetts.

Although there are many inter-related factors that lead to childhood
illness, a growing body of scientific evidence shows that certain
toxic chemicals can cause a range of illnesses and disabilities
including cancer, asthma, lead damage, and learning disabilities.

Using expert estimates of the portion of these illnesses in
Massachusetts that may be caused by toxic chemicals and pollution, the
report finds that the costs of medical treatment, special education
needs and lost income attributable to environmental exposures ranges
from over $1 billion to $1.6 billion every year.

"Childhood illnesses and disabilities caused by environmental factors
impose staggering costs on society," said report co-author Frank
Ackerman, PhD, Director of Research and Policy at the Global
Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University. "Since
these environmental factors are under human control, the resulting
illnesses can and should be prevented."

The report, entitled "Costs of Preventable Childhood Illness: The
Price We Pay for Pollution," analyzed a variety of costs of illness,
including medical, prescription drug, special education and equipment
costs, school and work days missed, as well as lost wages. These costs
are borne by individual families, by health care and education
systems, and by taxpayers. The direct costs of medical care and
special education range from $54 million to $327 million dollars a
year in Massachusetts.

The report is available on the web at:

http://ase.tufts.edu/gdae/publications/working_papers/03-
09Childhood_Illness.PDF

"The health care system in Massachusetts faces serious financial
challenges, with many institutions being forced to restrict care or
even close their doors, " said Harold Cox, Chief Health Officer for
the City of Cambridge. "Helping to alleviate these burdens by
preventing harm to our children's health from toxic hazards should
become a top priority."

"Over the course of my son's illness, his treatment cost literally
millions of dollars," said Cynthia Bailey, whose son was diagnosed
with brain cancer several years before his death. "Polluting
industries often talk about their costs - but the cost to families
like mine is off the charts."

"My daughter's asthma puts a real strain on my family," said Bridget
Hickson, a concerned mother from Dorchester. "It seems like many
families in my neighborhood are in the same boat."

In response to concerns about the health impacts of toxic chemicals,
Representative Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington) and Senator Steven Tolman (D-
Brighton) have filed legislation entitled "An Act for a Healthy
Massachusetts: Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals (H-2275/S-1168)."
The bill, which is scheduled for a public hearing before the Joint
Committee on Natural Resources of the Massachusetts state legislature
on Thursday, September 18, would mandate a careful process to evaluate
alternatives and replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives where
feasible.

"Our children cannot defend themselves from these toxic assaults on
their health," said Senator Steven Tolman. "It is unconscionable to
allow them to remain in harm's way when there are safe, practical and
affordable alternatives to many of the toxic chemicals we're exposed
to at home, in schools and at work."

"State policy needs to encourage sound environmental practices and
facilitate the transition away from dangerous chemicals," said
Representative Jay Kaufman. "Avoiding the containment, management,
reporting, and clean-up costs associated with toxic chemicals is good
business. It's also good for the state's economy as much as our
environment."

# # #

Rachel's Environment & Health News
Environmental Research Foundation
POB 160
New Brunswick NJ 08903-0160
T: 732-828-9995
F: 732-791-4603
E: e...@rachel.org
W: http://www.rachel.org

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

70 GROUPS BLAST BUSH FOR OPPOSING EUROPEAN CHEMICAL POLICY

Date: 12 Sep 2003
From: "Peter Montague" {Pe...@rachel.org}

AMERICAN NGOS BLAST BUSH ADMINISTRATION
FOR OBSTRUCTING EU'S CHEMICALS REVIEW

Euractiv.com, Sept. 12, 2003

IN SHORT:

More than 70 health care and environmental organisations in the US
urged the Bush administration to stop undermining the EU's chemical
policy reform on behalf of the chemical industry.

BACKGROUND:

The revision of the EU's chemicals policy aims at improving the
testing of chemical substances before putting them on the market.
Currently, around 30,000 chemicals are used in all kind of products
without ever having undergone serious public testing. Worries over the
impact of these chemicals on the environment and public health have
led to this revision.

The key elements of the proposed legislation are:

* the introduction of the "REACH" system to Register, Evaluate and
Authorise new CHemicals under the supervision of a new European
Chemicals Agency;

* the obligation for the chemical industry to provide safety data and
risk assessments of the new chemicals it puts on the market;

* lesser registration requirements or exemptions for chemical
substances used to produce other chemicals;

* provisions to reduce animal testing.

ISSUES:

The Commission's proposals have been the battleground for fierce
lobbying from the chemicals industry and NGOs. Industry fears that the
proposed new chemicals policy will undermine the competitiveness of
the European chemicals industry and will cost many thousands of jobs
(see EurActiv 26 August 2003). For the industry and some governments
(especially the German government), the outcome of this chemicals
review will determine how serious the EU is in its Lisbon ambitions to
become the world's most competitive knowledge society by 2010. NGOs
claim that the revision will be good for the environment and public
health and see the chemicals review as the ultimate test for the
sustainable development strategy of the Union.

POSITIONS:

The US chemical industry and the Bush administration have also
lobbied hard against the Commission's plans. In a contribution to the
online consultation on the Commission's draft proposal in July, the US
administration stated that "the European Commission's draft chemicals
regulation appears to adopt a particularly costly, burdensome, and
complex approach, which could prove unworkable in its implementation,
adversely impact innovation and disrupt global trade."

In a report released on 9 September, 70 health and environmental NGOs
in the United States accuse their government of "intervening in the
regulatory process of sovereign nations at the behest of the
industry". They published a series of internal governmental documents
by four government agencies (the EPA, the State Department, the
Commerce Department and USTR), claiming that the documents prove that
the "US government essentially operated as a branch office of the
chemical industry". In a letter to the Bush administration, the NGOs
urge their government "to recognize the potential benefits (of REACH)
to American consumers and businesses and cease all efforts to
undermine EU chemicals policy reforms" and request "that the
Administration solicit public comments from the American people to
formulate a forward-looking position on chemicals policy to prepare
for new economic realities of the 21st century".

# # #

Rachel's Environment & Health News
Environmental Research Foundation
POB 160
New Brunswick NJ 08903-0160
T: 732-828-9995
F: 732-791-4603
E: e...@rachel.org
W: http://www.rachel.org

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

SUPERFUND FACES STRUGGLE FOR ROOM IN THE BUDGET

Date: 14 Sep 2003
From: "Peter Montague" {Pe...@rachel.org}

WITH INDUSTRY TAX EXPIRED, MONEY FOR TOXIC WASTE
CLEANUPS MUST COME FROM GENERAL REVENUE

By Eric Pianin, Washington Post Staff Writer, Sept. 14, 2003

The Bush administration has come under fire on Capitol Hill for its
handling of the Superfund program and allowing the government to fall
behind in cleaning up the nation's worst toxic waste sites.

But after bipartisan congressional action that blocked President
Bush's request to boost Superfund spending by $125 million in fiscal
2004, the administration is fighting back.

A memo drafted by the Environmental Protection Agency's chief
financial officer for Acting EPA Administrator Marianne L. Horinko
said the agency faces "significant reductions to [its] core programs,"
including proposed spending increases for Superfund, science and
technology programs and certain categorical grants to states.

The memo, prepared by Linda M. Combs, notes that although total
spending for the EPA will increase in the coming year, recent actions
by the Senate Appropriations Committee may divert as much as $360
million from EPA's "base" program initiatives. "So, despite the
increase to the overall agency total, the prospects for our core
programs are sobering, especially when coupled with House action
earlier this summer," Combs said in the memo. A copy was provided to
The Washington Post by Public Employees for Environmental
Responsibility (PEER), an activist group.

EPA spokesman Philip Angell said Friday that "it's ironic...but not
unexpected" that Democrats joined the Republican majority to oppose
the proposed increase in Superfund spending after repeatedly
criticizing the administration for slowing the rate of cleanups.

"This issue has become a lot more politicized over the years," he
said. The administration, he said, is trying to defuse the issue by
showing that the cleanup schedule is heavily influenced by decisions
of previous administrations and that current projects are far more
costly and complicated than those handled during the Clinton
administration.

While Superfund spending has remained relatively flat during the past
five or six years, the annual pace of cleanups has dropped from a high
of about 85 sites during the Clinton administration to about 45 since
President Bush took office.

"You're going to do easy stuff first if you can," Angell said. "If
you look at the numbers [of cleanups] during the Clinton
administration, they're huge numbers. But those were cleanups whose
genesis began" during the administration of president George H.W.
Bush.

Congressional Democrats dismiss those explanations. They say the
administration is slowing the pace of toxic waste cleanup largely to
relieve industry of much of the associated costs. The corporate tax
that generated more than $1 billion a year to finance Superfund
cleanups expired in 1995, and the Bush administration has declined to
try to reauthorize it, leaving general tax funds to pay most of the
cost of cleaning up abandoned sites.

Faced with a dwindling industry-financed trust fund - from $3.6
billion in 1995 to a projected $28 million this year - the White House
chose to designate fewer sites for completion while relying more
heavily on general revenue.

The General Accounting Office recently reported that the trust fund
will run out of money next month.

"The bottom line is: The reason we have problems is that we no longer
have that fee," said Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), a member of the
Environment and Public Works Committee. "In these days of outrageous
deficits, it's very hard to have a robust Superfund program without
getting help from polluters."

Boxer and other Democrats intend to raise their concerns about
Superfund spending Thursday at the Senate confirmation hearing of Utah
Gov. Mike Leavitt (R), nominated to succeed Christine Todd Whitman as
EPA administrator.

There are 1,238 sites on the EPA's cleanup list, including 165
ongoing projects at 124 sites.

As part of his 2004 budget submission, Bush proposed increasing
Superfund spending from $1.26 billion this year to $1.38 billion in
the fiscal year starting Oct. 1. The House this summer approved $1.27
billion for Superfund in the coming year, while the Senate on Sept. 4
agreed to $1.26 billion. Full funding of Bush's request would have
allowed EPA to start work on as many as 15 new sites, the agency said.

Senate and House Democratic aides defended the lawmakers' decision,
noting that appropriators were forced to shift resources within the
EPA's overall $8 billion budget to restore administration cuts in
programs important to members. For example, they said, Bush tried to
cut $500 million from a popular Clean Water State Revolving Fund and
millions more in grants for special projects earmarked by individual
lawmakers. Members of Congress from both parties joined to restore
those funds, partly at the expense of the Superfund program.

"There's more money in the House and Senate by a long shot for EPA
activities, and real increases over last year," a House Democratic
aide said. "But within the details of the bill, we did not agree with
all the administration's priorities."

An aide to Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (Md.), ranking Democrat on the
appropriations subcommittee that oversees EPA spending, said: "Sen.
Mikulski was disappointed we couldn't do more...but it was the best
they could have done under the circumstances. Of course the Democrats
wanted to see more [for Superfund], but a $500 million cut from clean
water programs in real terms...had to be remedied."

"Today, EPA is a rudderless bureaucracy," said PEER executive
director Jeff Ruch. "Without strong intervention by an as yet
indifferent administration, the nation's basic environmental safety
net may be ripped apart by hundreds of short knives carving out pork
barrel projects."

* * *

2003 The Washington Post Company

# # #

Rachel's Environment & Health News
Environmental Research Foundation
POB 160
New Brunswick NJ 08903-0160
T: 732-828-9995
F: 732-791-4603
E: e...@rachel.org
W: http://www.rachel.org

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

GEMS CLEANUP STALLED AMID RACE FOR SENATE

Date: 030916
From: http://www.philly.com/

THE DEP SAID DATA HAD NOT BEEN FILED

CANDIDATES SOUGHT CREDIT, CAST BLAME

By Kaitlin Gurney and Elisa Ung, Inquirer Staff Writers
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sep. 16, 2003

Gloucester Township - Scientifically speaking, the cleanup of the
GEMS landfill was winding down. After years of court hearings and
protests, the discharge of thousands of gallons of tainted groundwater
from the Superfund site was set to begin late this year.

But politically speaking, it has just begun.

Now, the 20-year-old cleanup has become a central issue in the Fourth
District state Senate campaign that could determine whether Democrats
or Republicans rule the statehouse this fall.

Sen. George Geist (R., Gloucester) and Democratic challenger Fred
Madden are engaged in a war of environmental one-upmanship, attempting
to show Gloucester Township voters which candidate can do more to stop
the unpopular plan to flush water containing trace amounts of radium
and uranium through Camden County sewer lines. Township residents have
shown up at municipal meetings in crowds of more than 100 to protest
the proposed discharge, although scientists have said the groundwater,
diluted to drinking-water standards, is safe.

The landfill rose to prominence in the campaign Wednesday, when the
Department of Environmental Protection reversed course, announcing
objections to the cleanup plan it had spent nearly 20 years developing
for the Gloucester Environmental Management Services (GEMS) site.

DEP Commissioner Bradley Campbell said the agency changed its
position because the GEMS Trust, a group of about 300 former polluters
that coordinates the cleanup, had failed to file groundwater
monitoring data for the last six months.

The Madden campaign immediately seized credit for the development,
introducing a letter announcing the DEP's new position at a crowded
six-hour public hearing on the permit authorizing the release of
200,000 gallons of water a day for up to 30 years. "It's a shame it
took a political campaign to bring this issue to the forefront,"
Madden said, speaking also for his running mates, Assemblyman Bob
Smith and Gloucester Township Councilman David Mayer.

Utilities officials at the meeting were confused by the DEP
commissioner's abrupt change of heart. But environmentalist Jeff
Tittel of the Sierra Club explained later last week that Democratic
officials had warned Gov. McGreevey that Geist was gaining votes by so
actively opposing the GEMS cleanup plan.

"The GEMS landfill could be the deciding factor in this election, and
so both candidates have to be on what the public sees as the right
side of it," said Tittel, who has worked to stop the discharge plan.

He compared Gloucester Township voters to "the legislator who has the
deciding vote on the state budget and gets everything he wants."

Yesterday, Geist struck back: He and his running mates, Assemblyman
Stephen Altamuro and Patrick Dougherty, a Franklin Township
councilman, accused Smith of employing a member of the GEMS Trust on
his legislative staff. Geist released a letter asking U.S. Attorney
Christopher Christie to investigate the GEMS Trust, enclosing pay
records that document Trustee Dennis Riley has received $1,500 from
Smith's office this year.

It poses a "conflict of interest for Democrats to oppose the GEMS
cleanup plan but employ Riley," Geist said.

Smith said that Geist was "seriously misinformed" about Riley's
position with the GEMS Trust. Riley is the GEMS trustee appointed to
look out for Gloucester Township's interests as the Superfund site is
cleaned up, Smith said.

Smith sponsored legislation in the Assembly seeking to block the GEMS
discharge, and Geist sponsored its counterpart in the Senate. The
bills were not reconciled in time to reach McGreevey's desk before the
legislative session ended in July, and the legislators have been
blaming each other for stonewalling the other's efforts.

As the politicians spar, scientists are shaking their heads at the
maneuvering that's delaying the groundwater discharge.

Andrew Kricin, deputy director of the Camden County Municipal
Utilities Authority, said the DEP's new position must be reconciled
with what agency attorneys have represented in years of cleanup
hearings before U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Simandle, who ruled in
July that the groundwater discharge could begin this fall.

Kricin said he knew of no "scientific, technical or factual basis for
the DEP's change of position."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which coordinates the
cleanup of the 60-acre GEMS landfill and other Superfund sites, also
criticized the DEP's about-face on the issue.

"The [DEP] is weighing in at the eleventh hour with less-than-factual
information in an attempt to derail the process," said EPA Regional
Administrator Jane Kenny in a statement released Friday.

But environmental activists and Gloucester Township residents who
have criticized the discharge plan for years are overjoyed by the
issue's new prominence, political or not.

"The folks running for office realize that the GEMS cleanup is an
issue that resonates with the public, and we think they're taking the
right position on this," said David Pringle of the New Jersey
Environmental Federation.

"Am I telling Geist it's good politics to use the bully pulpit on
this issue? Yes, I am. Am I telling Madden the same thing?
Absolutely."

* * *

Contact staff writer Kaitlin Gurney at 856-779-3910 or
kgu...@phillynews.com.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

EAST WINDSOR ACQUIRES 122 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE

Date: 030916
From: http://www.nj.com/news/times/mercer/

EAST WINDSOR ACQUIRES 122 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE THROUGH GRANTS

By Eva Loayza, Times, September 16, 2003

East Windsor - The township has acquired 122 acres of open space on
three separate sites along the Millstone River, Rocky Brook and One
Mile Road at no cost to taxpayers.

The sites, mostly funded through state and county grants, include
about 26 acres along One Mile Road and 96 acres of stream corridor
land along the Millstone River and Rocky Brook.

According to a township press release, grants from Mercer County and
the state Green Acres program totaling more than $1 million will cover
almost all of the $1,191,330 purchase price, as well as related costs
of about $47,000 for site assessment, appraisal, survey, legal and
closing charges.

The county provided a grant of $255,622, while Green Acres provided
grants of $376,084 to the township, and $500,000 to East Windsor Green
Space Inc., a nonprofit corporation formed with township support to
access additional Green Acres funds.

The township's share of the cost, about $108,000, was paid from an
open space fund supported by developer contributions. No taxpayer
funds were used toward the purchase.

The One Mile Road site is adjacent to the land being developed by
Toll Brothers for the age-restricted Riviera at the East Windsor
development.

An additional 38 acres of land along the Millstone River and Rocky
Brook was donated by Toll Brothers. Two other developers donated 58
acres of land along the Millstone River.

One site is to the rear of Windsor Corporate Park between Old Trenton
and Millstone roads. The other site is to the rear of the Windsor
Meadows development between North Main Street and Cranbury Station
Road.

Mayor Janice Mironov said acquisition of additional open space
remains her top priority.

"The location of this new open space is especially important since it
will preserve open space in the environmentally important Millstone
River/Rocky Brook stream corridor and will provide valuable and needed
open space along One Mile Road. This is an area of the township which
can especially benefit from preserving open space," she said.

* * *

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

11 MIDDLESEX TOWNS GET TOTAL OF $6.25 MILLION FOR PARKS

Date: 030916
From: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/middlesex/

CARTERET, NORTH BRUNSWICK, SOUTH PLAINFIELD AND
SAYREVILLE WILL EACH RECEIVE $1 MILLION

By Diane C. Walsh, Star-Ledger Staff, September 16, 2003

The Middlesex County freeholder board doled out $6.25 million from
the county's open space trust fund last night to pay for improvements
and renovations to parks in 11 towns.

The awards marked the second time trust funds have been used to
finance park upgrades since voters authorized changes in the open
space program, which was established in 1995 to simply buy and
preserve land.

Carteret, North Brunswick, Sayreville and South Plainfield were the
biggest recipients, each getting $1 million.

Dunellen was awarded $900,000. Last year it was among the first three
towns to share in the new allocation. This year's award, like the $1
million Dunellen got in 2002, is earmarked for Columbia Park to
complete an overhaul of the town's main recreation facility. Officials
plan to construct new track and field areas, add lighting, build a new
baseball field, restrooms, concession stand and expand the parking
area.

The six other towns sharing in the open spaces funds are: Cranbury,
$195,000; Jamesburg, $512,462; Metuchen, $107,000; Middlesex Borough,
$240,000; South Amboy, $150,000; and Woodbridge, $150,000.

Freeholder Director David Crabiel said all 25 towns in the county
were invited to apply for park funds. He said the board chose to
finance the projects in these 11 towns because they were ready to
begin construction.

Middlesex County levies a 3-cent tax for open space and collects
about $12 million a year. Since 1995, the county has acquired nearly
4,700 acres of open space in 13 communities.

Carteret will use its funds for three projects. The borough plans to
reconstruct the Pop Warner Football Field by installing a new drainage
and irrigation system, improving the turf, and building new benches,
bleachers and walkways. The borough also earmarked $250,000 to
construct a new road leading from Industrial Road to the 17.9-acre
park Carteret envisions on its waterfront. The remaining $500,000 from
the county grant will be used to construct the park on the Arthur
Kill.

The $1 million given to North Brunswick will be used to rehabilitate
Sabella Park. Town leaders want to renovate the softball and baseball
fields by installing new lighting, draining and irrigation systems.
There are also plans to construct a new multipurpose field and add
parking, restrooms, walkways, a gazebo and a playground.

Sayreville will use its $1 million for its River Road Waterfront Park
to construct a boat ramp, boardwalk, gazebo, walkways and other
amenities.

Two weeks ago South Plainfield officials made a plea for open space
funds, showing the freeholders pictures of their aging parks and
detailing the improvements they planned. Their wishes were granted
last night with a $1 million allocation.

Ralph Albanir, the county park director who chairs the open space
advisory committee, said $750,000 will be used for the multi-sports
complex in South Plainfield to add lighting and improvements to the
restrooms and concession stand. The remaining $250,000 has been
earmarked for the softball complex and construction of an
environmental center.

Cranbury will be using its $195,000 for renovations at the Babe Ruth
ball field, a new irrigation system at the soccer field and
construction of a playground at Heritage Park.

Jamesburg envisions using its grant to build a new ball field and
install an irrigation system, lighting, access road and parking lot at
the borough's Green Acres recreation area.

In Metuchen, plans for Edgar Field include new fencing while Olmeizer
Park will get new restrooms.

Mountain View Park Soccer Field in Middlesex Borough is earmarked for
a $240,000 renovation, which will include improvements to the
irrigation system, drainage and regrading of two fields.

South Amboy will use its $150,000 to extend the walkway that runs
along the city's waterfront to Raritan Bay Waterfront Park in
Sayreville.

Woodbridge plans to use its fund to rehabilitate the Bowtie Municipal
Pool, where officials also plan to install a slide and playground.

* * *

Diane C. Walsh covers Middlesex County. She can be reached at
dwa...@starledger.com or at (732) 404-8087.
Copyright 2003 The Star-Ledger.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

MORRIS COUNTY JUDGE FELLS TREE LAW

Date: 030916
From: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/morris/

MINE HILL ORDINANCE FOUGHT BY DEVELOPERS

By Margaret McHugh, Star-Ledger Staff, September 16, 2003

A judge yesterday struck down Mine Hill's tree preservation law,
pleasing a developer now off the hook for $800,000 in tree replacement
fees but raising concern of officials in other towns about whether
their tree ordinances might also be challenged.

Superior Court Judge Theodore Bozonelis ruled that the township's
tree ordinance discriminated against developers by exempting
homeowners from the requirements of either replacing felled trees or
paying into a tree fund.

Bozonelis also ruled that the escrow fund amounted to a tax, because
the ordinance didn't clearly state how the money would be spent,
giving too much discretion to local officials.

"It's revenue collecting, rather than being related to planting of
trees," said Bozonelis, sitting in Morristown. The ordinance says the
fund would be used for "tree maintenance, tree preservation, tree
planting and landscaping."

Canfield Building Associates, a subsidiary of Florham Park-based
Kushner Companies, sued the township in May 2002, two months after the
ordinance's adoption, claiming it was an attempt to block it from
building 760 townhouses. The developer is expected to submit revised
plans for a 703-unit development to address septic system issues that
surfaced during the 1 1/2 years of planning board review, Township
Administrator Barry Lewis Jr. said.

Peter Herzberg, the developer's attorney, claimed the ordinance would
have cost his client $800,000 for the trees it could not replace on
its property, and another $115,000 for bigger trees required for
replanting.

The developer intends to chop down thousands of trees on about 83 of
the 208 acres off Canfield Avenue. Under the ordinance, the developer
was required to replace 5,461 of them, through replanting or paying
into the fund. Now, the developer will replace 2,730 of them, as
required by the township's zoning laws, Herzberg said.

Mayor Richard Leary was disappointed by Bozonelis' ruling, but said,
"We'll definitely take a look at what we'd have to do to remodel it"
to make it legal.

Lewis noted the judge upheld the municipality's right to have a tree
ordinance. The township hasn't ruled out the possibility of appealing,
he said.

Jeff Tittel, executive director of the state Sierra Club chapter,
said Mine Hill should appeal the ruling because of the potential
fallout it could have on other towns.

"My concern is that if this is struck down here, similar ordinances
in dozens of other towns could be (struck down), and then it becomes
open season on trees," Tittel said. Towns often base their ordinances
on those from other towns. For example, Mine Hill modeled its tree
ordinance after Roxbury's, and that one was modeled after South
Brunswick's.

"Towns all over Morris County are going to have a problem if it's not
appealed," agreed Roxbury Councilman Sandy Urgo. Urgo said tree
ordinances "serve the public purpose of discouraging clear-cutting,
while not absolutely preventing it in all cases."

Urgo also disagreed with the judge about his finding of
discrimination. "There's a huge distinction between a single-family
home and a developer building a subdivision," he said.

Hanover Committeeman Robert Steiger said he believes that township's
ordinance will withstand a legal challenge. Punia Co. of Livingston
sued last month, claiming the $512,850 it would have to pay into the
tree fund would amount to a taking of its 18 1/2-acre property.

Steiger said that the 10-year-old ordinance has stopped clear-cutting
in the township, making developers more inclined to preserve or
replace trees on their property. Hanover intends to use the $1.3
million collected so far for reforestation or to buy forested
property, he said.

In June, a judge struck down Jackson Township's tree ordinance,
finding that it discriminated against developers.

* * *

Margaret McHugh covers the Morris County courts. She can be reached at
mmc...@starledger.com or (973) 539-7119.
Copyright 2003 The Star-Ledger.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

TRENTON BEGINS CENTURY-OLD PARK PLAN

Date: 030915
From: http://www.nj.com/news/times/

By Tracey L. Regan, Times, September 15, 2003

Trenton - A century ago, the architectural landscape firm of
Frederick Law Olmsted urged the city's Common Council to create a park
along the Assunpink Creek, warning that floods would swamp the
industry along its banks and wash its pollution back into the creek,
city officials note.

Prompted by such massive floods in recent years as Tropical Storm
Floyd, the city is at long last attempting to create a park in the
once-thriving industrial district within the creek's flood plain,
which is now partly abandoned and pockmarked in spots by empty
factories and other residue from a more bustling economic age.

The project has been boosted by millions of dollars in federal aid
that followed the flood. What is now envisioned is a 100-acre, flood-
tolerant park along the Assunpink - from Mulberry to Monmouth
streets - that incorporates several existing parks and provides new
recreational facilities.

City officials say such a project could take as long as a decade to
build and cost as much as $30 million.

But as with many redevelopment projects in the state's older urban
areas, the park proponents are finding themselves up against a
familiar conundrum: The cost of cleaning up the contaminated
industrial properties along the creek is greater in many cases than
the value of the land itself.

The city acknowledges that some of its buyouts along the creek are
closer to property transfers, as the owners are being asked to put up
funds to pay for the cleanup of the land they are leaving behind -
some of it with several generations of pollution, dating back decades.

- - -

The city council approved a payment of $153,000 to Delores Storcella
for almost 2 acres at 21 Nottingham Way. She was paid $153,000 by the
city council this year for her property along the creek but was asked
to put up money for its cleanup. She referred comments on the case to
an attorney, who could not be reached for comment.

Another property owner along the creek, John Scarpati, initially came
to the city looking for a buyout after Tropical Storm Floyd but is now
concerned about the city's possible terms, people familiar with the
case have said.

The city would like him to relocate his businesses, which include a
used-car dealership, a parts store and a recycling business in
facilities that ramble around the intersection of Mulberry and
Nottingham, but he has refused to let environmental officials on his
property to assess its contamination levels, said Leah Yasenchak, the
city brownfields coordinator.

Scarpati did not return several calls for comment on his dealings
with the city, but project officials say he is unhappy about having to
pay for the cleanup before he moves.

"His position is that he doesn't want to lose on the transition,"
said George Dougherty, an attorney representing the Scarpatis. "He
doesn't want to be told, `You're in the park lane and we're putting
you out of business.' "

Yasenchak said the city does not want to "strong-arm" Scarpati, but
acknowledged that the city recently sent him a letter threatening to
condemn his property if the two sides cannot come to terms.

"We're going to continue to work with him and talk to him. He does
have a viable business," said Trenton Mayor Douglas Palmer. "But it's
going to take give and take on both parts."

- - -

The city has run into a significant delay on another property it is
seeking to buy in the flood plain because the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency has not completed a promised assessment of pollution
at the property, which housed a military contractor during World War
II and possibly other businesses, Yasenchak said.

"It might be a mess - I am concerned about that," she said, adding
that it's "a pretty fair guess" that cleanup costs at the site will
exceed the value of the land.

She said the city has not asked landowners to pay for costs that
exceed their buyout price. In the case of the Clinton Commerce Corp.,
the property owners have no business on the site.

"These are not polluters and the city is not out to gouge them," she
said. "But we don't give a liability release. We can't."

The owners of the property say they have been left in limbo by the
delay - unable to use their property or recoup its value.

"I don't know what I'm getting," said David Boudwin of Clinton
Commerce. "We've left the property open for a long time for
environmental inspectors and we began talking 2 1/2 years ago." He
added that the city would not lower the property taxes on land.

"All of this time lag is killing us," he said.

While they have said the park may cost as much as $30 million,
project officials say price is difficult to project accurately until
they have finished all of the environmental assessments.

- - -

The city does not have to remove all of the industrial contamination
along the creek but does have to protect the public from coming in
contact with it, Yasenchak said. She noted that project engineers
likely would secure the surface of the land with some sort of fabric
net and then cover a lot of it with a foot or two of clean soil.

Because of environmental rules governing development within the flood
plain, however, the city cannot simply add a layer of soil.

The city will, therefore, have to remove dirt to compensate for what
is going in, and it is enormously expensive to remove tainted soil.

"We could be taking one foot from as many as 70 acres and removing a
lot of concrete," Yasenchak said. "But there may be some wiggle room
as to how much we have to remove, and that needs to be negotiated with
the (state Department of Environmental Protection.)

"Clearly, from an environmental standpoint, we're making an
improvement," she added.

Elaine Makatura, a DEP spokeswoman, said regulators have met with the
city about the project, but have not seen a formal proposal yet.

Yasenchak said that in order to keep a recent multimillion-dollar
grant from the federal government to relocate the industrial district
along the creek, the city has to get moving on the project.

"We're giving ourselves a deadline of next June," she said, noting
the city already has extended the deadline. "At some point," she said,
"(HUD) is going to start saying that the project is going on too long.
But we're not there yet."

A group of former Mulberry Street residents who accepted buyouts
after Tropical Storm Floyd and saw their houses demolished also are
questioning the progress of the park.

One of them, David Ponton Jr., said he was annoyed to drive by the
grassy spot where his house once stood, only to see cars parked on it.

"Do we feel everything is resolved? No," said Ponton. "The park is
not functional."

"We understand the process of getting a park in and we know it's
going to take time," he added.

* * *

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

GROUP STARTS ANTI-POLLUTION RESEARCH FOR FERRIES

Date: 030916
From: http://www.nj.com/newsflash/jersey/

Associated Press, 9/16/03

New York - A coalition of academic, government and environmental
groups on Tuesday announced a $6.8 million program to find new ways to
reduce the amount of pollution ferries emit into New York Harbor.

Funded by a $5 million Federal Transit Administration grant, the New
York Harbor Private Ferry Emissions Reduction Program will test new
pollution-cutting technologies on 40 private vessels in the harbor,
the groups said.

Ferry service has become much popular in the two years since the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks destroyed major rail links in downtown
Manhattan. Business more than doubled for the area's largest ferry
service, New York Waterway, since the attacks. Service between
Manhattan, New Jersey, Queens and Brooklyn is expected to grow as
redevelopment continues in the neighborhood.

Groups including the New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority, the city Department of Transportation, the nonprofit
Environmental Defense group and Rutgers University plan to develop
technology that cuts between 150 and 300 tons of nitrogen oxide - the
main ingredient in smog - from the atmosphere each year.

"By putting enough funding on the table to clean up virtually every
private ferry in the harbor, it looks like smooth sailing toward
healthier air for New York Harbor," said Andy Darrell, the program
director for Environmental Defense Living Cities.

Pat Smith, a spokesman for New York Waterway, said the ferry service
would cooperate and offer its boats to test the new technologies. He
said New York Waterway currently operates "the cleanest fleet in the
country."

Smith said 22 of the service's 33 boats already have engines that
meet federal Clean Air Act standards that are not required until 2007.
The remaining 11 boats will be upgraded by the end of 2004, he said.

The company is eager to use technologies that burn even less fuel as
ferry service becomes more popular, he said. "New York Waterway
definitely wants to be a part of this," he said.

In addition to the Federal Transit Administration grant, the city DOT
is providing $1.8 million of its federal Congestion Mitigation Air
Quality funds. Rutgers and the University of Delaware plan to research
the best ways companies can reduce emissions while continuing to fuel
the economy.

* * *

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

`CLEAN' CARS GO ON SALE NEXT MONTH

Date: 030916
From: http://www.usatoday.com/

By James R. Healey, USA Today

Imagine a car that pollutes so little, the exhaust is cleaner than
the air you breathe in many cities, so nearly free of pollution that
it's immeasurable by normal means.

Now imagine that instead of a science-fiction machine, it looks and
drives like any other car, is priced about the same and uses the same
unleaded gasoline you've been buying at the corner station.

Ford and Toyota begin selling such cars nationwide next month, the
first time that the superclean models will be available in showrooms
in all states. The automakers are sweetening the package by swallowing
the cost of making the vehicles nearly pollution-free.

Seven car companies have begun selling such low-polluting cars in
California, where they are called PZEVs, for partial zero-emission
vehicles. They're all normal vehicles - Honda Accord, Toyota Camry,
BMW 325 - that look and perform just like their non-PZEV counterparts
sold in other states. California car buyers might not even have known
they bought low-pollution models, so innocuous are they.

California, because of its smog, requires the biggest automakers to
sell PZEVs and other low- pollution vehicles to help the state meet
federal clean-air standards.

The extra cost of PZEV (pronounced PEE-zev) hardware is estimated at
$500 a car by automakers and consultants, but at less than $200 by
California clean-air officials. Whatever the amount, most car
companies say it is enough to discourage them from offering PZEVs
nationwide.

"We're fairly certain our customers would be unwilling to pay it,"
says Kevin Cullen, staff development engineer at General Motors'
Milford, Mich., proving grounds and technical adviser for GM
environmental programs. "If the sticker price reflects the difference
in costs, we don't think there'll be a whole lot of PZEVs sold in the
open market."

Ford and Toyota are going nationwide, nonetheless, to spread the
extra cost of California PZEV hardware over more cars and to earn
public relations points for showing environmental concern.

Ford's 2004 nationwide PZEV Focus starts at $14,915. That's $115 more
than a similarly equipped, standard-emissions Focus. But the PZEV
model comes with a more-powerful engine that normally would be more
than $115 extra.

Toyota's nationwide PZEV is a gas-electric hybrid, the redesigned '04
Prius. So not only is pollution minimal, fuel economy is high -
forecast at 55 miles a gallon in combined city and highway driving.
The '04 Prius is bigger and more powerful than previous models, which
have not been sufficiently pollution-free to qualify as PZEVs. But the
price is unchanged from the smaller predecessors: $20,480.

NO LONGER A NICHE CAR

If Prius were the only U.S.-wide PZEV, other automakers could dismiss
it as a niche model. But now that Ford has tossed strong-selling Focus
into the pot and made the PZEV engine a desirable high-performance
option on its own, it's tough to look the other way. Ford is putting
additional pressure on other automakers by promising to sell all its
future PZEVs nationally. Next up is a gas-electric hybrid Escape
sport- utility vehicle in 2004, then the Futura sedan.

Even if other automakers don't follow suit promptly, they'll have to
move in that direction as U.S. auto-pollution regulations get
progressively stricter starting with '04 models and begin to converge
with California's pollution restrictions the next few years.

"It's only a matter of time before essentially all gasoline-fueled
passenger cars and light trucks are PZEVs," says Tom Austin of Sierra
Research in Sacramento, which studies clean-air issues for government
and industry.

"Once the technology has been demonstrated, once it becomes clear
it's something that can be manufactured and will perform in customer
hands - - even if the costs don't come down significantly - it'll be
difficult for the evolution toward the near- zero-emission vehicles to
stop," says Austin, who worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and was head of the California Air Resources Board.

CARB, which sets the state's clean-air standards, projects that
automakers will build 275,000 PZEV cars annually for the state in '05,
rising to 800,000 annually in 2018 and after. In addition to the
increasing number of nationwide PZEVs, some of the California cars
will find their way into other states as the cars change hands in the
used-car market.

Thus, "huge numbers of everyday cars built to the cleanest internal
combustion standards on Earth" will begin to make up a bigger portion
of the market, says CARB spokesman Jerry Martin.

California is the single biggest new-vehicle market, about 10% of
U.S. sales, making it a hefty enough tail to wag the dog.

"You're more or less compelled to have increasing numbers of PZEVs if
you want to continue doing business in California," says Cullen. He
says GM will manufacture what it must for California, but he won't say
what models those will be.

The amount of pollution that engineers can have removed from the
internal-combustion gasoline engine amazes the engineers themselves
and earns respect even from those who want gasoline power to go away.

'THE NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE'

"We've seen the near-impossible accomplished with gasoline vehicles,"
acknowledges Alan Lloyd, chairman of CARB, which favors electric cars
over gasoline vehicles.

"I never even considered, five or 10 years ago, that I'd be able to
talk about PZEV gasoline vehicles," says Dave Szczupak, Ford Motor
vice president in charge of engines and transmissions. "It's no one
thing. It's attention to a lot of details."

Typically, PZEV cars have engines designed from scratch to burn
cleanly. The combustion is controlled more precisely by higher-powered
engine computers. The catalytic converters are packed with about twice
as much of the expensive metals that scrub out air pollutants.

Tailpipe pollution of a PZEV is as much as 90% less than from other
new cars. But that's only good enough to earn California's SULEV
designation - super-ultra-low-emission vehicle. To go the next step
and reach PZEV status, the vehicle also has to prevent gas fumes from
escaping.

To eliminate evaporative emissions usually requires an impermeable
steel gas tank instead of the cheaper plastic tank most cars use. The
fuel lines and connections are unusually robust. Extra carbon-filled
filters keep gas fumes from escaping from the engine itself.

If, after all that, the automaker will guarantee that pollution
levels will stay within a specified range for 150,000 miles or 15
years - vs. 80,000 miles or eight years under '04 federal
regulations - then the vehicle earns California PZEV status. If it's
also a gas-electric hybrid, as the Prius is and the Escape will be, it
is designated AT (for advanced technology) PZEV. AT-PZEV cars are
labeled "cleanest" on CARB's auto-buying Web site, one notch higher
than PZEVs.

The cars won't deliver California levels of low pollution without
California's unique blend of low- sulfur gas. Higher-sulfur gas
doesn't ruin them, though. A diet of California gas would return the
cars to true PZEV performance, auto and fuel engineers say.

But even on non-California gasoline, PZEVs pollute little. Ford says
the PZEV Focus puts out a pound of smog-producing pollutants in 15,000
miles on California gas, roughly two pounds on typical U.S. fuel. A
non-PZEV Focus would put out 10.7 pounds in 15,000 miles, Ford
calculates.

Starting in January, U.S. refiners will begin cutting the sulfur
content of all gasoline, heading for the 30-parts-per-million level
California currently requires.

"Most fuels will be there by 2006," says Jerry Horn, product
engineering manager in charge of gasoline at Chevron Products, a unit
of ChevronTexaco.

California drops to 15 parts per million Jan. 1, but "there'll be
only modest improvements" in emissions vs. 30 ppm, according to Steve
Westland, Chevron Products consulting engineer on fuel regulations and
emission technology.

Regardless of whether they wear PZEV badges, all '04 Focuses with
2.3-liter engines will be identical to California PZEV Focuses. And
all Prius hybrids will have the full complement of California PZEV
hardware.

BIGGEST HURDLE: MARKETING

The biggest hurdle for the PZEV Focus and Prius could be credibly
marketing them as near-zero- emissions vehicles, especially the Focus.

"We've been trying to educate the world that, hey, you can make very
clean (gasoline) cars. We did a study and people just wouldn't believe
that the exhaust could be as clean as the air: 'Nope, not buying it,'
" Westland says, suggesting how hard it will be to convince buyers the
cars are as clean as automakers say.

GM's Cullen says PZEVs not only will be hard to market believably but
also are an expensive way to clean the air. "The way air quality gets
better is that somebody scraps an old vehicle, and a new vehicle comes
in at the top of the chain and replaces it," he says.

"Fifty percent of pollution comes from the oldest 10% of cars," he
says. It's an argument often used in favor of proposals to get older
models off the road.

Austin, the consultant, agrees that scrapping old cars would clean
the air fast. But he says if an individual state offered high enough
bounties for old cars to scrap them, it would become a magnet for old
cars from all over and could go broke. Federal officials have been
unwilling to take on a nationwide old-car scrap program.

CALIFORNIA MANDATE

Nissan pioneered California PZEVs with the 2000- model Sentra CA.
Now, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Volvo and even high-performance
brand BMW sell them. By 2011, there should be about 3.4 million PZEVs
on California roads, says CARB spokesman Martin. "My personal feeling
is that eventually all cars (sold in the USA) will be PZEVs. It's so
easy to do."

He sees them as a permanent part of the clean-air solution. He says
that Californians keep cars 12 to 15 years because they don't rust,
delaying the turnover that would bring more PZEVs into the mix faster.

Driving the PZEV expansion is California's so- called ZEV mandate.
Imposed in 1990, it envisioned that 10% of auto sales in California by
the biggest manufacturers would be battery-power electric cars by now.
But battery cars proved too expensive and unpopular. And battery cars
can be dirtier than PZEVs when calculations include pollution from
power plants that furnish electricity to recharge batteries.

GM, DaimlerChrysler and GM-controlled Isuzu sued to block the ZEV
requirement. A compromise finally broke that logjam last month. The
new version of the ZEV rule envisions fuel-cell electrics instead of
battery cars.

Meantime, automakers can earn so-called ZEV credits via PZEVs. An
automaker must amass ZEV credits equal to 10% of its production for
the California market by 2008. That rises to 16% in 2018. Each PZEV
sold is worth 0.2 of a full ZEV credit under California's scoring
system. A fuel- cell vehicle gets 40 ZEV credits.

The state could fine an automaker up to $5,000 for each vehicle that
it falls short of any year's quota. Strictly speaking, it could order
a car company to quit doing business in the state, though that's
considered remote.

The picture's murky until 2005, when the car companies tell CARB
which mix of PZEVs and electric cars they plan to sell to meet the
clean- car quotas. It'll probably be two years after that before CARB
has enough information to determine whether companies are meeting the
quotas, Martin says.

Automakers seem generally in favor of fuel cells, but affordable,
mass-market versions are years away. Honda has three fuel-cell
vehicles in the USA, leased to the city of Los Angeles for everyday
duty, and plans two more by year's end. Toyota has four, leased to the
University of California, and plans four more by the end of the year.

GM has a prototype chassis but no completed vehicles.

Automakers would have to build just 250 fuel-cell cars by 2008 to
keep up with the California regulations, and auto engineers say it
would be years after that before fuel-cell cars showed up across the
country, even in tiny numbers.

Thus, PZEVs are a clean-air key. They - not electric cars - "are the
fruit of the ZEV program," Martin says. "The original reason that
PZEVs were built was so (automakers) could say, 'We built these gas
cars so good, what do you need (electrics) for?' Cars would not be at
this state of cleanliness if not for the ZEV mandate."Cover storyCover
story

* * *

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

POWERFUL NEW CATALYSTS ATTACK WIDE RANGE OF POLLUTANTS

Date: 030916
From: http://www.sciam.com/

By Sarah Graham, Scientific American, September 11, 2003

Scientists have developed catalysts that harness the ability of
hydrogen peroxide to break down a variety of harmful agents, ranging
from sulfur in diesel fuel to an anthrax-like bacterium. What is more,
the process was developed under the tenants of Green Chemistry, which
means it is sustainable and environmentally friendly. Researchers
reported on the work yesterday at a national meeting of the American
Chemical Society in New York City.

Terry Collins of Carnegie Mellon University led the team that
developed the new class of catalysts, which are known as TAMLR-
activators. In general, these compounds increase the ability of
hydrogen peroxide to break down other substances through a process
called oxidation. By adjusting the reaction conditions, the
researchers have shown that these molecules can attack a variety of
pollutants. For example, Colin Horwitz, also at Carnegie Mellon,
described experiments that indicate the catalysts can remove up to 85
percent of sulfur compounds present in automotive fuels. Diesel fuel
in the U.S currently contains about 500 parts per million of sulfur
contaminants, which are associated with both asthma and acid rain, and
degrade fuel efficiency. "We are working to develop Fe-TAML activators
to clean fuel to the point where they will comply with stringent EPA
sulfur standards slated to go into effect by 2006," Horwitz says.
"This technology could aid significantly in the development of cleaner
burning, more fuel-eefficient automobile engines."

The catalytic oxidation process can also work against water-borne
pathogens. A third team member, Deboshri Banerjee, reported that in
laboratory tests it killed 99.999 percent of cultured spores of
Bacillus atrophaeus, which is often used in tests to simulate the more
dangerous Bacillus anthracis, or anthrax. The scientists posit that
the catalyst helps the hydrogen peroxide break bonds in the outer
coats of the spores, breaking them open and killing them. Because
bacterial spores tend to be more resistant than other types of
microorganisms, the researchers hope that their process can also be
used to treat other waterborne pathogens, particularly those such as
Cryptosporidium or Giardia that are prevalent in areas with poor
sewage treatment. "Our single biggest goal," Collins remarks, "is to
develop a system of catalysts that can eliminate a wide range of
pathogens in water to have cleaner drinking water worldwide."

* * *

BERGEN COUNTY OPEN SPACE FORUM HELD AT FDU

Date: 16 Sep 2003
From: "Hugh Carola" {hu...@hackensackriverkeeper.org}

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
THE FUTURE OF OPEN SPACE IN BERGEN COUNTY

September 16, 2003

Hackensack - In its ongoing mission to provide voter education and
opportunities for citizens to exercise their rights as citizens, the
League of Women Voters of Bergen County (LWV) is hosted an open forum
on this evening at Fairleigh Dickinson University's Wilson Auditorium.
Entitled: "Open Space Trust Fund: Can We Afford Not To Save It?, " the
event featured presentations by three noted and knowledgeable
individuals on the subject of open space preservation:

* Adam L. Strobel, Director of the Division of Open Space, Bergen
County Department of Planning and Economic Development. Mr. Strobel
spoke about the history and accomplishments of the fund.

* Murray Sabrin, Ph.D., Professor of Finance at Ramapo College of New
Jersey / Executive Director of the Center for Business and Public
Policy. Dr. Sabrin spoke in opposition to the Fund's
reauthorization.

* Dennis O. Miranda, Project Manager for Urban Parks, New Jersey
Conservation Foundation. A native of Bergen County, Mr. Miranda was
instrumental in creating the coalition that successfully campaigned
for the Fund in 1998.

"Questions from the public were invited and encouraged," said Minna
Greenberg of the LWV who also serves on the Trust Fund's Advisory
Board whose job it is to review all applications for funding, "And we
certainly had a lively and informative discussion."

In 1998 by an almost 2-1 majority, the voters of Bergen County
approved the establishment of a trust fund dedicated to the
acquisition and maintenance of public open space, historic and
farmland preservation, and the upgrading of recreational
opportunities. To date, 20 out of New Jersey's 21 counties have
established similar trust funds and in each instance, the voters of
those counties have decided to tax themselves in order to establish a
stable source of funding dedicated solely to such projects. The trust
fund is supported by a small, additional property tax. Currently
Bergen County residents pay the smallest amount of anyone in the State
at one half-cent per $100 of assessed valuation per year. For example,
a homeowner whose property is assessed at $300,000 pays $15 per year
into the fund.

The Advisory Board, consisting of both County officials and citizens
representing various constituencies, administers the fund and the
Board of Chosen Freeholders approves all disbursements. By the end of
this year, $40 million worth of matching grants will have been
distributed to municipalities across Bergen County with many more
applications waiting in the wings. But they might have to keep on
waiting.

On December 31, the Bergen County Trust Fund is set to expire because
in 1998, the Freeholder Board inserted a sunset provision into the
original ballot question. In July of this year, the current Freeholder
Board voted 6-0 with one abstention to place a trust fund
reauthorization referendum question on this year's ballot. If
approved, the trust fund will be reestablished without a sunset and
the tax will be set at one cent per $100, which, if approved, will
still be among the lowest, statewide with the owner of a $300,000
property paying only $30 annually.

Ms. Greenberg stated, "The mission of the League of Women Voters is
to encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in
government. We hope we have done that tonight."

* * *

Minna Greenberg, President
League of Women Voters of Bergen County
c/o 44 Devonshire Place
Glen Rock NJ 07452
201-447-2611

Note: This Press release is being sent on behalf of the League of
Women Voters of Bergen County by the offices of Hackensack Riverkeeper
at their request.

# # #

Hugh M. Carola, Program Director
Hackensack Riverkeeper
231 Main Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601
201-968-0808
201-968-0336 (FAX)
http://www.HackensackRiverkeeper.org

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

RESIDENTS URGED TO BEAR-PROOF SURROUNDINGS THIS FALL

Date: 16 Sep 2003
From: "depnews depnews" {dep...@dep.state.nj.us}

NORTH JERSEY RESIDENTS URGED TO BEAR-PROOF SURROUNDINGS THIS FALL

Sept. 16, 2003

Trenton - The Department of Environmental Protection, Division of
Fish and Wildlife, reminds North Jersey residents to bear-proof their
homes and surrounding areas throughout the fall season.

"As temperatures drop, black bears become more active foraging for
food and searching out den sites in preparation for the winter
season," said Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley M.
Campbell. "This boost in activity can bring bears closer to areas of
human habitation and increase the possibility for human-bear
conflicts."

It is part of a black bear's behavior to investigate food sources
such as garbage cans, leftover pet food, bird feeders and barbecue
grill drip trays.

"Black bears are opportunistic feeders and will consume whatever is
available, so it is especially important to keep one's surroundings as
temptation-free as possible," said Division Director Martin J. McHugh.

Bear-proofing should include proper storage of residential garbage in
an airtight container in a secure area such as a basement or against
the inside wall of a garage. Garbage containers should be washed at
least once a week with a disinfectant solution to remove any odors.

Outside feeding of cats and dogs should be done during daylight hours
and any uneaten food should be removed immediately after feeding.
Birdfeeders should be hung during daylight hours only, suspended by a
free-hanging wire at least eight feet off the ground. Barbecue grills
should be cleaned to minimize food odors and stored securely.

Campbell stressed the importance of never feeding bears.

"Bears that are fed intentionally or unintentionally can become
aggressive," Campbell said. "For that reason, it now is unlawful in
New Jersey to feed bears. People who persist in feeding bears will be
prosecuted."

Individuals should use common sense in an encounter with a bear.
Remain calm and never approach the animal. Make the bear aware of your
presence by talking or clapping, and always give it an escape route.
Nuisance or damage problems caused by bears should be reported
immediately by calling (908) 735-8793.

Since 1997, the Division has been providing residents with
informational programs on New Jersey's black bears, as well as
distributing millions of pieces of educational literature. To learn
more, visit the Division's website at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com
or call (908) 637-4125. Programs for schools and civic organizations
are available free of charge, as are brochures and other materials on
living in bear country.

* * *

Contact: Jack Kaskey, 609-984-1795

NJ Department of Environmental Protection

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

DELAWARE ESTUARY HABITAT DIRECTOR JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Date: 16 Sep 2003
From: "Joy Hecht" {jhe...@njssi.net}

The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, a regional environmental
non-profit organization based in Wilmington, Delaware, seeks an
individual to oversee the development and implementation of the
Delaware Estuary Program's (DELEP) Habitat Plan.

Specifically, the Habitat Director will be responsible for:

* Chairing DELEP's Habitat and Living Resources Advisory Committee,
plan and facilitate its meetings and apprise the DELEP and
Partnership Directors of progress, problems and opportunities;

* Assisting in the development and overseeing the implementation of
DELEP's Habitat Restoration Implementation Strategy/Plan;

* Taking the lead in developing and gaining program approval for an
initial list of priority habitat projects in the Estuary and a
process to identify future projects;

* Overseeing the tracking/mapping of habitat restoration progress in
the Estuary;

* Taking the lead to develop and implement an Invasive Species
Management Plan for DELEP;

* Serving as the primary point of contact for habitat restoration
related issues;

* Assisting in the development and preparation of grant proposals;

* Coordinating and providing habitat and living resource data to
DELEP's monitoring plan and report and the State of the Estuary
Report;

* Assisting the Partnership's Habitat Coordinator with the
development of public outreach materials and the implementation of
on-the-ground projects; and

* Coordinating habitat activities between the Partnership, DELEP's
Program Office, and DELEP partners.

Candidates must have strong biological or ecological background,
interpersonal and organizational skills, the ability to manage and
perform multiple tasks effectively, work independently and meet
deadlines. Candidates must have at least a bachelor's degree (and
preferably a graduate degree) in environmental science or wildlife
management and must have at least three years of related work
experience associated with habitat restoration and coastal ecology.

Interested applicants are encouraged to submit letters of
application, resume, and a list of references by October 3, 2003, to:

Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
400 W 9th St Ste 100
Wilmington DE 19801
F: 302-655-4991
E: kkl...@delawareestuary.org

# # #

Joy Hecht, Executive Director
New Jersey Sustainable State Institute
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
33 Livingston Ave Ste 100 Rm 155
New Brunswick NJ 08901-1981
T: 732-932-4003
F: 732-932-0934
E: Sust...@njssi.net
W: http://www.njssi.net/

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

MERCER COUNTY WASTE DAY SET - SEP 20

Date: 030916
From: http://www.nj.com/news/times/mercer/

Times, September 16, 2003

Lawrence - The Mercer County Improvement Authority will hold its fall
Household Chemical Waste Disposal Day on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2
p.m. at the John T. Dempster Fire School in Lawrence.

The agency will collect used electronic equipment, including
computers, televisions, VCRs, stereo equipment, copiers, printers, fax
machines and scanners.

Household materials such as oven cleaners, aerosol cans, rechargeable
batteries, varnishes, stains, rust removers and motor oils also will
be accepted. Latex paint will not be accepted.

A maximum of 50 pounds of chemical waste per household will be
accepted.

"We do it twice a year and it's been extremely popular," said Steve
Dixon, executive director of the MCIA.

Dixon said the group started the program several years ago.

"The genesis of it was that while we have effective recycling and
solid waste programs, there was a gap that wasn't being filled," he
said. "Every six months it has grown."

For further information, call the MCIA at (609) 278-8086.

* * *

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Phil Reynolds - Editor - reyn...@gsenet.org
Tina Bologna - Executive Director - bol...@gsenet.org

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Back issues of the Garden State EnviroNews are available at
http://www.gsenet.org/library/11gsn/11gsn.php

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Garden State EnviroNet, Inc.
19 Boonton Ave, Boonton NJ 07005
Tel: 973-394-1313 - Fax: 973-394-9513
mai...@gsenet.org - http://www.gsenet.org/

EnviroNews mailing lists:
TEXT - subscribe-en...@gselist.org
HTML - subscribe-en...@gselist.org

0 new messages