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GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS 030429

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Apr 28, 2003, 11:55:12 PM4/28/03

030429

GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{*} AGREEMENT TO BUILD STATE'S FIRST WIND FARM
{*} $1M PROJECT UNDER WAY AT SALEM COUNTY LANDFILL
{*} LOBIONDO NO FAN OF BIG MAP
{*} PROTECTING DRINKING WATER - AC PRESS EDITORIAL
{*} FLOOD CONTROL PLAN MAY LEAVE THOUSANDS UNPROTECTED
{*} WHITE TOWNSHIP - CAP ON NEW SEWER LINES TO SLOW GROWTH
{*} OPEN SPACE PRESERVED IN BETHLEHEM TWP.
{*} NESTING EAGLES FORCE BUILDER TO ALTER PLANS
{*} MEADOWLANDS REBORN
{*} GROUP TRAINS VOLUNTEERS TO STUDY DISCOLORED FEEDER STREAMS
{*} EPA DIVERTS AGENTS FROM NORMAL DUTIES
{*} NJ CENTER FOR BIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH AND PREVENTION
{*} ESSEX COUNTY SIERRA CLUB MAY & JUNE EVENTS
{*} FISH IS A FAMILY AFFAIR
{*} ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY CRUISE - MAY 7
{*} SIERRA NO JERSEY MTG ON ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUPS - MAY 8
{*} FRESHWATER WETLANDS MITIGATION COUNCIL - MAY 9

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Please take a moment to let us know how we are doing. Visit the link
below to complete our short 10 question survey.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=45763154801

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The Garden State EnviroNet (GSE) gratefully acknowledges volunteers
Gerald Cullins, Bambi Dingman, Jeff Hook and Paul Neuman for their
contributions to today's issue. If interested in helping out, please
send an email message to mai...@gsenet.org.

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AGREEMENT TO BUILD STATE'S FIRST WIND FARM

Date: 030428
From: http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/atlantic/

AGREEMENT TO BUILD STATE'S FIRST WIND FARM
ADDS TO EARTH DAY CELEBRATION

By Luis Puga, Staff Writer, (856) 794-5111
Press of Atlantic City, April 28, 2003

Egg Harbor Township - Sunday was the kind of day that made you want
to save the environment.

Fat clouds hung from a bright blue sky as the sun shone neither too
warmly nor too faintly as a cool breeze blew.

For festivalgoers at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority's Earth
Day Celebration, it meant a pleasant environment for learning about
the authority's Environmental Park, waste water, recycling and more.

But with a theme of alternative energy, the celebration also noted
that the wind and sun are effective, clean and economical ways to
power homes.

And, one of those alternatives received a boost as the authority
signed a $2 million lease agreement with Community Energy, of Wayne,
Pa., to build the state's first wind farm.

"Anyone that is here knows that this was something that had to
happen," said Brent Alderfer, president of Community Energy.

Alderfer spent most of the day in the main tent answering questions
about the project. He said the four or five turbines will be located
at the authority's sewage-treatment plant in Atlantic City.

Debra Boney, an acupuncturist from a few booths down, wondered
whether the turbines' spinning blades would kill migratory birds in
the area.

"If you have the turbines sited properly, it would only average one
kill per year," he answered.

Alderfer said the concern stems from a California farm where raptors
were diving through the blades to get to prey. He said those turbines
were poorly spaced and sites are now surveyed to take such issues into
account. Also, the blades spin more slowly. The real concern is the
height and lighting of the structures.

"It's a little bit of bad press," he said. "When you put up a casino,
nobody says, 'What about the birds?' Everything we do has an
interaction with nature."

Alderfer said the more common questions are about what happens when
the wind stops blowing. The answer is: The blades stop.

"It isn't about one source of energy," he said, noting that hydro and
solar power, as well as other sources, need to be part of the picture.

But wind helps cut price volatility of more conventional sources,
according to Alderfer. That will result from the power the farm sends
to the regionwide power grid after the authority takes, at times, as
much as 50 percent of the 1.5 megawatts that each turbine produces.
That figure represents 1,500 homes, Alderfer said.

"With a wind plant, there is no imported oil," he said. "Farmers tell
us it is like the old days where you produce what you needed. It's
more self-reliant to have power generation in your own community."

Alderfer said wind is almost on par with traditional sources. And, if
alternative sources along with conservation and on-site production
were combined, he said, "you could envision putting together a clean-
energy policy in five to 10 years."

At the festival, price was a major concern for some considering
alternative energy. At the Ecological Systems booth, Rose Smith's
major concern was rocking her sleeping infant in the stroller. But,
she listened to the pitch about fitting her home with solar panels.

"We are looking into it because we used to get a discount (on our
energy bill) because our house was totally electric," she said, adding
the main reason to go solar would be cost.

A look at the brochure shows that such firms understand that,
boasting 60 percent state rebates for installed systems and
dramatically reduced bills. Those factors are mixed with such benefits
as eliminating global warming or making a healthier environment.

For some festivalgoers, neither cost nor the environment were the
attraction to the celebration. Nicole Sexton said she's happy to have
something for her son to do.

"No, I don't think about (alternative energy)," she said.

Others were more interested in recycling.

"It's good for (the children) to see where (our recyclables) end up,"
said Ed Hoffman. "(But alternative energy), I don't think that affects
us just as homeowners."

For others, the issue of alternative energy was important.

"It doesn't sit on the forefront of my mind, but it's something we
all should think about," said Craig Antonucci. He and his father-in-
law have dabbled in such sources, heating their pools with solar
power.

"Just look what is going on in the (Persian) Gulf," he said. "I know
we have oil here, but it's not going to last forever."

Those issues may have prompted some to go to the Unplug Salem
Campaign's booth, where they could sign a petition to push for a
clean-energy policy.

Coordinator Norm Cohen, who is also the executive director of the
Coalition for Peace and Justice, said events such as the celebration
are useful to connect with people who are not as familiar with energy
issues.

"Since we are a group dedicated to shutting down the Salem Nuclear
Plant, we are big fans of alternative energy," he said. "With the
energy petition, we are getting positive responses. We're mixed with
the 'no-war' message."

For ACUA President Richard Dovey, whatever brought the throng of
people out to the celebration isn't as important as what they leave
with.

"The kids soak up other things besides the rides," he said, noting
the tours of the recycling center and other educational activities.
"People may read about the authority and that doesn't mean a thing.
They can come hear and leave with an understanding of solid waste or
waste water."

As for the wind farm, the next step will be permit approval from the
state, which Alderfer said he's confident about. He also said his firm
will be seeking additional financing, and the project continues to be
on track for completion this year. He and the authority will be taking
members of the Venice Park Civic Association to a wind farm in western
Pennsylvania.

* * *

To email Luis Puga at The Press: LP...@pressofac.com

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$1M PROJECT UNDER WAY AT SALEM COUNTY LANDFILL

Date: 030428
From: http://www.nj.com/news/sunbeam/

By Erin L. Boyle, Staff Writer, Today's Sunbeam, April 28, 2003

Alloway Twp. - The ground shook as the heavy drilling rig's drill dug
deep into the ground, extracting aged and crumbled garbage from the
Salem County Utilities Authority landfill.

The drilling was part of a new methane gas collection and control
system the authority is installing to release methane gas, which is
naturally released when solid waste decomposes. The project, projected
to reach close to $1 million by its end, has been in the works for
three years, according to authority Executive Director Michael P.
Chapman.

"It's part of our DEP (Department of Environmental Protection)
landfill operating permit that requires us to collect and contain the
methane gas," he said.

Drilling started a week ago today by workers for Moretrench, a
subcontractor of C and T Associates, who is in charge of the
project. It will continue until the 17 new methane gas extraction
wells are finished. The projected finishing date for the entire
project is August.

Those wells will be on the four "cells," or landfill mounds, at the
county dump. The pipes are perforated so the gas can escape into them.
Then "header" pipes, placed around the landfill, will draw the highly
flammable gas out of the cells. The gas is then sent into blower
motors, which sends the gas to a flare, where it burns at 1,200
degrees Fahrenheit.

"It's like a big Shop-Vac," Chapman said of the process, "sucking the
gas out of the landfill."

The landfill now has passive flares, which only run around the top of
the 127 foot landfill mound horizontally. Chapman said the new pipes,
which run vertically into the bottom of the landfill, are better
designed to catch all the gas released by decaying garbage.

"The more efficient way to catch gas is to catch it through vertical,
not horizontal," he said. "If you don't (have vertical pipes), it'll
still work its way through...but you don't want methane gas pockets
and you don't want the odor."

The new wells will be equipped with meters to measure their gas
release and function.

"Each one will have metering ports where the wells will be measured,"
he said. "It will throttle it up and throttle it down (as necessary)."

The flare has a sophisticated computerized system with an automatic
kickoff, should the burning methane gas exceed 1,800 degrees
Fahrenheit. The system also has alarms if system failure occurs,
accompanied by a unique alert system.

"It calls someone on the telephone (at the authority offices) and
tells us something's wrong," said Chapman.

The project is being paid entirely from SCUA revenue, Chapman said.
From SCUA's $60.15 tipping fee, the authority saves money in a
"closure/post closure" account for required projects. Such funds are
enabling the authority to purchase the costly items for the methane
gas collection and control system. The project's flare and blower cost
more than $118,000, while the contractor has, thus far, cost more than
$360,000.

"We've saved money from day one," he said. "It's money we've budgeted
and we've saved from incoming trash."

* * *

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LOBIONDO NO FAN OF BIG MAP

Date: 030425
From: http://www.thedailyjournal.com/

By Joseph P. Smith, Staff Writer, jsm...@thedailyjournal.com

Mays Landing - The state's new "smart growth" initiative threatens
the flow of much-needed federal aid to Cumberland County, according to
Rep. Frank LoBiondo. LoBiondo, R-2, issued the warning in the form of
a short but pointed letter to Gov. James E. McGreevey.

The letter also was filed with the NJ Department of Environmental
Protection, which designed the controversial Blueprint for Intelligent
Growth.

The so-called BIG Map marks much of greater Cumberland County in red,
the color that signifies areas off limits to residential and
commercial development.

"I appreciate the need to develop approaches to curb urban sprawl in
our state," LoBiondo wrote. "(But) I am concerned your BIG Map does
not take into account the views of community leaders, as well as their
efforts to revitalize some of the more economically depressed areas of
southern New Jersey."

The map "severely endangers" the county because it marks as
undevelopable 40 percent of the land within Cumberland County's
federal empowerment zone, LoBiondo said. The zone, intended to spur
economic development, has invested more than $18 million and created
more than 400 jobs in four years.

"Cumberland County chronically suffers from the highest unemployment
rate in the state," LoBiondo wrote. "Walling off 40 percent of the
developable land within the Cumberland EZ is a terrible mistake."

The public comment period on the BIG map's first draft ends today. A
revised version will be released in May. That kicks off another 30-day
comment period. About 1,000 complaints regarding the map have been
filed, a DEP spokeswoman said.

* * *

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PROTECTING DRINKING WATER - AC PRESS EDITORIAL

Date: 28 Apr 2003
From: "David Pringle" {dpri...@cleanwater.org}

April 28, 2003

PROTECTING DRINKING WATER - SMART MOVE

"Sprawl" is a pretty vague concept. One man's "sprawl" is another
man's "affordable housing."

"Smart growth" is no better. Environmentalists, builders, young
families looking for their first homes, long-time residents looking to
preserve a rural way of life - they are all likely to have different
ideas about the "smart" way for the state to handle growth.

But Gov. James E. McGreevey, who has made "smart growth" a top
priority in his administration, sharpened the debate last week by
reclassifying nine reservoirs and six streams in the state - including
the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority's Doughty Reservoir.

Giving these 15 bodies of water so-called "Category One" protective
status means that no measurable deterioration of water quality - zero
- is allowed by either discharges upstream or runoff. And that,
obviously, severely limits the scope of development that will be
allowed upstream of the reservoirs or streams. Any runoff or discharge
must be as clean as the water that is already there.

This is the first time the C1 classification has been used solely to
protect drinking-water supplies.

But are the new rules about protecting drinking water or controlling
growth?

That's a question some builders are asking - and they mean it as a
criticism.

But McGreevey has wisely - if not slyly - hit on a way to give
concrete meaning to terms like "sprawl" and "smart growth."

No one can quibble with the notion of protecting drinking-water
supplies. And that makes it a handy - and sensible - tool for
controlling growth.

Builders are expected to sue over the new rule, which is supposed to
take effect May 19. But McGreevey and Department of Environmental
Protection Commissioner Bradley Campbell may have outflanked the
developers with this move.

And they may have hit on what could be a very effective - not to
mention fair and reasonable - tactic in the war on that thing called
"sprawl" and the fight for "smart growth."

Protecting drinking-water supplies. Prohibiting growth that would
degrade those water supplies. It doesn't get much smarter than that.

# # #

NJ Environmental Federation
1 Lower Ferry Rd.
Trenton NJ 08628
Tel: 609-530-1515
Fax: 609-530-1508
Email: dpri...@cleanwater.org
Web: http://www.cleanwateraction.org/njef/

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FLOOD CONTROL PLAN MAY LEAVE THOUSANDS UNPROTECTED

Date: 030428
From: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/essex/

TOWNS STILL DISAGREE OVER DETENTION BASINS

By Cathy Bugman and Joe Tyrrell, Star-Ledger Staff, April 27, 2003

Eugene Salvati vividly remembers the day 30 years ago when he had to
swim from his car to safety - on Route 22.

Driving his new black BMW through Green Brook, Salvati plowed
headlong into a rush of storm water sliding down the first ridge of
the Watchung Mountains.

"Water was coming into the car, over the gearshift, over the seat,"
he recalled. As the water rose up the dashboard, he climbed over to
the passenger side and swam out.

The storm on Aug. 2, 1973, resulted in six deaths, evacuations and
$80 million in damages. Twenty-six years later, in September 1999,
Hurricane Floyd struck, killing two people in Bound Brook and leaving
hundreds homeless across the region.

The devastation from Floyd prodded officials two years ago to begin
work - after more than 20 years of planning - - on the $366 million
Green Brook flood-control project. It encompasses 13 towns in
Somerset, Union and Middlesex counties that have seen $2.5 billion in
damages from flooding over the last century.

Now, even as construction continues this spring in communities on the
western side of the 65-square-mile Green Brook basin, nearly 80,000
people in Plainfield, Scotch Plains and Fanwood may be bypassed and
left vulnerable to a rising river.

Five years after Berkeley Heights blocked plans to construct two
massive dry detention basins atop the Watchungs that would capture the
floodwaters before they deluge the low-lying towns, there still is no
agreement about how to protect those downstream communities.

Recently, new discussions have taken place on how to safeguard the
area. But some local officials in towns upstream still have not signed
off on a proposal to build two water detention basins.

In fact, Berkeley Heights Mayor David Cohen said he doubted local
opposition has changed much since 1997, when one official in an
upstream community compared the idea of building a detention basin in
town to putting a toilet on the front lawn.

"We're taking on a burden that we didn't have anything to do with
creating," said Cohen, adding a basin is intended only to "alleviate
flooding in distant towns."

But for those who live in those distant towns, like Harold Mitchell,
whose Richmond Street barbershop in Plainfield was swamped in the 1973
flood, there is hope that officials will find some common ground.

"I'm not knocking those communities," said Mitchell, who says he can
still shake out mud from the 40-year-old barber chairs that filled
with water 30 years ago. "I'm just saying, if it's going to work, we
all have to work together."

THE BEGINNINGS

Since plans for the project began in 1986, taxpayers have spent $41.3
million on engineering and plans for 14 miles of levees and flood
walls. Another $13 million has been spent on construction work, which
began in December 2000 in Billian-Legion Park in Bound Brook. The
federal government pays 75 percent of the cost, with the state and
counties funding the balance.

The first phase of construction was completed in October 2002 with
the installation of a higher bridge over the Green Brook, linking
Bound Brook with Middlesex Borough, at a cost of $4.6 million.

In low-lying areas of Middlesex, about two dozen houses and
businesses have been bought and are being razed. The land will be
turned into parks next year.

In the fall of next year, earthen levees will be erected along the
Middle Brook on the western end of Bound Brook. The following year,
more levees and a pump station will be built along Tea Street to
protect the community from a rising Raritan River.

From there, flood-protection work will continue in Middlesex Borough,
Green Brook and North Plainfield. Riverbeds will be re-channeled, more
pumping stations will be built and concrete flood walls and gates will
go up.

Except for the disagreement over the detention basins on top of the
Watchung ridge, the project is on schedule to be completed in nine
years.

Plans for the basins called for one being built on the border of
Watchung and Berkeley Heights, and another on Sky Top Drive, about a
mile down the street in the Watchung Reservation. The size of the
basins has not been determined.

Mayors and council members opposed the basins in their back yard, and
environmentalists objected, saying the project would destroy 100 acres
of wetlands.

In November 1998, a task force formed to find alternatives
recommended about a dozen ideas. It favored a plan to put a 50-acre
basin in part of the Weldon Quarry in Watchung.

The Army Corps of Engineers earmarked $100,000 to study the
recommendations and is reviewing them. At the same time, the Corps is
waiting for the counties and municipalities to agree on a plan, said
William Slezak, chief of the civil works branch of the Corps.

Henry Kurz, Union County's representative on the flood control
commission, said there has been progress by the commission this year
getting the subject back on the table.

In addition, Assemblyman Gerald Green (D-Union) has been holding
recurring meetings with officials from Union and Somerset counties in
an attempt to complement the commission's work. Green said Watchung
sent a councilman to the last meeting.

HOLDING OUT

But Berkeley Heights did not send anyone to either meeting and has
not rejoined the talks. Taking a cue from that community, former Mayor
Anthony Addario of neighboring Watchung has also contested the
proposal to put a detention basin in part of the quarry. His
successor, Albert Ellis, who took office this year, says Addario was
"absolutely right" about the basins.

At a flood commission meeting late last year, Addario said Watchung
would not gain anything from measures to protect the lowland
communities. In fact, the borough intends to rezone part of the quarry
property for redevelopment, and a detention basin there would
eliminate this tax ratable, he said.

But Addario said he is willing to compromise if the counties and the
downstream communities can agree on an alternative plan to build a
small basin in the quarry in Watchung and another small basin in the
reservation, the Skytop site in Berkeley Heights.

"From the beginning, we said we'd be willing to help, but don't put
the entire burden of flood control on us," Addario said. "I said I'd
take half of the responsibility. I said they should take the other
half in the Watchung Reservation."

That's the plan currently circulating in an effort to form "a united
front" of the affected communities and counties, said Union County
Freeholder Director Lewis Mungo, a Plainfield resident.

"If Mayor Addario's willing to set aside smaller acreage in the
quarry, I think we might have the opportunity to use some land in
Skytop for a detention basin and have it be less contentious because
it would be smaller," Mungo said.

A RESOLUTION

At a meeting Green held earlier this month, a consultant from
Somerset said it would be good if the towns passed a resolution in
support of the new proposal being circulated. Green said that idea
wasn't unreasonable.

"If you go further than that, it puts everybody in an awkward
position" Green said. "Supporting the study would make everyone feel
that they are participating and not committing to something against
their advantage."

A spokesman for Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), who promised years ago
when he was last in office that he would work to come up with a
solution for the detention basin component of the project, said the
senator is still working on it.

"He's going to pick up where he left off," said spokesman Alex
Formuzis. "He is looking to find a permanent solution to the problem.
Proper attention will be paid to find a fix."

While the current plan isn't as extensive as the original proposal,
it is workable, said Bruce Connor, the Union County engineer who is
serving as point man for the proposal.

Unlike other towns in the basin, "the downstream communities realize
they're probably not going to get 100- year-flood protection" because
of the need to compromise, Connor said.

In other words, if contractors built a 46-acre basin that was 29 feet
deep, it would hold back water from a 150- year storm for four days.
But if that basin covered only 25 acres and was 15 feet deep, it would
only be able to control the runoff from a 10-year storm for a little
less than two days.

J.B. Wiley, the consulting engineer for the flood control commission,
pointed out that the Corps' own projections show that if another major
flood occurred in Plainfield - which avoided the brunt of Floyd - it
could do more damage than Bound Brook suffered during the hurricane.

There is no deadline to resolve the basin issue and protect the
Plainfield area, but "there's always an issue of funding," Slezak
said. It would be easier to reinsert the upper basin work into the
overall Green Brook project rather than trying to revive it
separately, he said.

"The sooner a decision is made, the sooner there can be a project" in
the upper basin, he said. "That's the real concern, that those
communities will continue to be vulnerable to funding" even after the
$366 million is spent.

* * *

Staff writer Jennifer Golson contributed to this report.
Copyright 2003 The Star-Ledger.

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WHITE TOWNSHIP - CAP ON NEW SEWER LINES TO SLOW GROWTH

Date: 030427
From: http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/

OFFICIALS DON'T WANT TO RESEMBLE GROWING GREENWICH.

By Katherine Blok, Express-times, April 27, 2003

White Twp. - To further their goal of limiting development, White
Township officials approved a measure earlier this month that
prohibits the future extensions of sewer lines.

Sewer lines are in place along Route 519 just south of Route 46
serving the Warren County jail and administration building, the
Country View Village and Brookfield adult communities, and the
Windtryst Apartments.

The new sewer service plan, which will be part of a revised master
plan, will prohibit sewer lines from being installed in any other
areas of the township, according to township officials.

Mayor James Ashe and Committeeman Walter Menegus, who have advocated
larger lot sizes and other zoning changes to limit new development,
said sewers only promote growth.

"The township's plan, the county's plan and the state's plan is to
steer growth away from rural areas. We don't want to promote high
density development in rural areas," Ashe said.

He said more sewer lines will "degrade the quality" of the Pequest
and Delaware rivers.

"Surface water quality is a top priority of the township, the county
and the state," Ashe said.

Menegus said he doesn't want White Township to look like Greenwich
Township.

"We want to preserve our quality of life and preserve our
groundwater. Our quality of life is at stake here. We don't need any
more development," Menegus said.

Sewers will only promote high-density development, he said. Menegus
said one proposed development - a 385- house project near the Apple
Mountain Golf and Country Club - might not happen without sewers.

Planning Board Chairman Robert Matarazzo said there were different
opinions on the planning board when the sewer service plan came up for
discussion last year. While there is a general feeling of "enough is
enough," some members advocated for sewer lines along Route 46 to
serve the homes and businesses there, Matarazzo said.

"Some members would like to see the sewer map, They don't want it to
be extended. I can't disagree with their reasons," Matarazzo said.
"Environmentally, the Pequest River runs along Route 46, feeding into
the Delaware. Right now, there's lots of septic systems adjacent to
the Pequest. A sewer system would alleviate a lot of potential
problems in the future."

Route 46 is also the township's business corridor and is designed for
highway development. Sewer service would encourage things like office
buildings and other businesses, Matarazzo said.

Commercial property is necessary to provide tax revenue to the
township, he said. The township currently has no municipal tax, but
that will change when the landfill closes in 2006. Host community fees
from the Pollution Control Financing Authority account for the
majority of the township's revenue.

"Even though the planning board's responsibility is not to save tax
dollars, it sure is fiscally sound (to promote business). But some
people feel by doing that (allowing sewers along Route 46), we're
going to open up channels for other development, mainly housing, to
shoot an arm off that main sewer system and create multiple
developments. I do share that concern with those people," Matarazzo
said.

"However, I feel that everything we do in planning is a balancing
act. We definitely need to maintain a certain amount of business-
friendly atmosphere, if for nothing else, for our citizens. You
shouldn't have to drive 25 minutes to find basic facilities."

The new sewer service plan was done as an intermediate step until the
new master plan, which is currently being revised and debated by the
planning board, is adopted by the planning board and township
committee. If the planning board decides to allow sewer lines along
the Route 46 corridor, the township committee could veto that portion
of the plan, Matarazzo said.

"I think there's a pretty big concern that enough is enough. (The
sewer system) did do exactly what people thought it would do - if you
put the sewer in, people will come. They did," Matarazzo said. "That
area was designed to allow sewer. Because it was allowed, that's where
the development came. They didn't come in the rest of the township
because there was no sewer. That's the fear a good number of planning
board members have - if we build sewer or earmark for sewer, it'll
come to that."

But Matarazzo said he doesn't think there will be as much development
as some township residents predict, either with or without extended
sewer lines. In the 28 years he has lived in White Township, the two
senior housing communities on Route 519 have been the only major
developments.

"We've had the sewer for probably a third, if not half those years
I've been here," he said. "I guess I just don't think it'll happen
that quickly."

* * *

Reporter Katherine Blok can be reached at 908-475-8044 or by email at
kb...@express-times.com.
Copyright 2003 The Express-Times.

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OPEN SPACE PRESERVED IN BETHLEHEM TWP.

Date: 030427
From: http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/

By Peter Hall, Express-Times. April 27, 2003

Bethlehem Twp. - With help from Hunterdon County and a nonprofit
group, township officials recently acquired 85 acres of unspoiled
land.

Atop Jugtown Mountain and adjacent to other preserved open space, the
Trepani Tract had long been a target of the township's open space
preservation program, Bethlehem Township Committeeman Joe Stetar said.

The township was able to buy it at a bargain price, and Stetar said
he believes that's thanks in part to a new attitude emerging in the
township.

Bethlehem Township paid 20 percent, or $116,000, of the property's
$562,000 price. The county and the Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance paid
the balance.

By comparison, a developer asked for nearly $1 million for a
similarly sized parcel in Holland Township. That deal fell through
when an alliance between Holland Township officials and the
Phillipsburg Riverview organization couldn't get the money together
soon enough.

"I think we have created in Bethlehem Township a culture of
preserving farmland and open space," Stetar said.

The land owners were willing to sell the land at a reasonable price
because they recognized its environmental significance, he said.

"It's a bit of a misnomer to call it a three-way partnership, because
the seller was a big part of this," Stetar said.

Off Mine Road near the township hall, the land is heavily wooded and
adjoins other open space to create a contiguous parcel of about 240
acres. Preserving large contiguous areas of open space is important to
provide habitat for animals.

The area is home to a number of threatened and endangered species
including hawks and other raptors, Stetar said.

The land will be open to passive recreational uses including hiking
and bird watching. The township will eventually give the county the
deed to the land.

The acquisition also helps the township toward its goal of linking
the large parcel of contiguous undeveloped land to Tower Hill Park
nearby, Stetar said.

* * *

Reporter Peter Hall can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by email at
ph...@express-times.com.
Copyright 2003 The Express-Times.

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

NESTING EAGLES FORCE BUILDER TO ALTER PLANS

Date: 030426
From: http://www.phillyburbs.com/

By Brian Scheid, Burlington County Times, Apr/26/2003

Bordentown Township - A family of bald eagles has forced a builder to
scale back plans for a housing development.

However, environmentalists said it's unclear if the efforts would be
enough to keep one of the state's 34 known pairs of breeding bald
eagles in the township.

Developer D.R. Horton Inc. of Freehold, Monmouth County, originally
proposed building a neighborhood of 250 single-family homes off Route
130 near Crystal Lake, in three separate phases. Plans are also in the
works for about 400 more homes on the other side of the lake in
Mansfield.

The first phase of the development, The Grande at Crystal Lake,
includes 96 homes and is in the early stages of construction. However,
second- and third-phase plans to build 154 more homes in were reduced
by 13 homes after state environmental officials discovered bald eagles
frequently nest near the site where many of the homes would have been
built.

The exact location of the nest was not disclosed due to concern that
the eagles could be disturbed, according to Brian Vernachio, sanctuary
director of the New Jersey Audubon Society's preserve in Plainsboro,
Middlesex County.

Jack Kaskey, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental
Protection, said the nest is about a mile west of the development, but
that Crystal Lake is a primary habitat for the eagles.

Populations of the bald eagle, listed by the state as an endangered
species and by the federal government as a threatened species, are on
the rise after a number of widely used pesticides were banned,
according to the DEP. The number of known breeding pairs in the state
rose from a low of one in 1982 to 34 in 2002.

Following negotiations with the DEP and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, the developer will also create a 300-foot buffer around
Crystal Lake where no development can take place. The developer has
also agreed to construct a fence around the woods that surround the
lake, Kaskey said.

"We found that to be a solution to protect that habitat," said
Mitchell Newman, an attorney representing D.R. Horton, who said other
environmental concerns were factored into the reduction in the
proposed number of homes.

Kaskey said it's still unclear if the measures will keep the eagles
in the area since they tend to steer clear of human development.

"Right now, Crystal Lake is a pretty isolated place and all those
homes are going to change that," he said.

The firm will go before the Planning Board on May 8 for final
approval for the second and third phases of the development, township
Community Development Director Werner Nitschmann said. The plan
received preliminary approval by the board pending the modifications,
Nitschmann said.

No formal plans have been submitted for the residential development
extension into Mansfield Township, according to building officials
there.

* * *

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

MEADOWLANDS REBORN

Date: 28 Apr 2003
From: "Captain Bill Sheehan" {cap...@waterkeeper.org}

Opinion, Record, 4/27/03

Last weekend, just south of Philadelphia, a nifty but unheralded
Earth Day celebration was taking place.

At a large nature refuge just off Interstate 95, more than 100
volunteers were cleaning up all sorts of debris along a creek. Several
families were in the visitor's center, learning about the local
wetlands. Other visitors were fishing, riding bicycles, looking for
herons and warblers, or hiking in the preserve.

For North Jerseyans, the scene at the Heinz refuge was particularly
noteworthy, for one simple reason: The metamorphosis of a bunch of
clotted swamps and landfills near Philadelphia into the 1,200-acre
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge provides a great model for the
Meadowlands of northern New Jersey, where a similar transformation is
slowly under way.

The Heinz Refuge draws more than 120,000 visitors a year. Imagine
what a resource the Meadowlands refuge could become when it is
completed in five to ten years. It could well be seven times larger
than the Heinz Refuge, and the metropolitan area it serves is four
times more populous.

The 8,400-acre environmental park envisioned along the Hackensack
River in 14 municipalities in Bergen and Hudson counties was scarcely
imaginable as recently as three years ago. One key parcel of degraded
wetlands, the Empire Tract, was on the way to becoming the site of a
mega-mall. Other sites were toxic waste dumps and old landfills. Now
the plans for the park have gathered so much momentum that it is
considered by many to be a fait accompli.

Consider: At the start of the year, 6,600 acres of marsh, water, and
landfills earmarked for the preserve had already been saved. Last
week, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission agreed to spend $3 million
to help buy another 1,000 acres. That would complete 90 percent of the
land acquisitions.

Rep. Steve Rothman, D-Fair Lawn, a member of the House Appropriations
Committee and a leader of the efforts to create the huge park, has
already obtained $4.5 million in funding for land purchases and
environmental studies from Congress. In the coming year, he hopes to
come up with enough federal appropriations and matching funds to buy
the remaining 10 percent of the refuge.

At the same time, a multimillion-dollar federal study is under way to
decide how best to restore the marshes, clean up the landfills, and
turn them into a park that provides a haven for wildlife, an
environmental education center, and a magnet for all sorts of
recreational activities, including canoeing, fishing, hiking, and
birding.

When the three-year study is completed, the hard work of restoring
the site will begin. By one estimate, the upgrades will cost $100
million, but the congressman says he has already identified the
sources of money needed to pay for it - including, notably, the Port
Authority of New York and New Jersey, which must spend $60 million on
environmental projects to compensate for its dredging projects, which
disturb marine life.

Parts of the future park would be so expensive to decontaminate that
they may simply be made off-limits. But in other instances, long-
degraded tidal marshes will be revitalized so they can again absorb
some of the floodwaters that have plagued low-lying towns nearby.

The key to the progress so far has been the teamwork of Mr. Rothman,
the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, the U.S. Dept. of Fish and
Wildlife, the Army Corps of Engineers, and non-profit groups,
especially the Hackensack Riverkeeper.

Still to be determined is who will manage the park - the state or a
consortium of state and federal agencies and non-profit groups. In any
event, Mr. Rothman wants a governing board with strong local
involvement.

But such decisions are a few years off. For now, let's pause and
savor the strides made toward turning old landfills and tired swamps
into a huge refuge and environmental park - not just in Philadelphia
but right on our doorstep.

* * *

Capt. Bill Sheehan
Hackensack Riverkeeper
231 Main St.
Hackensack NJ 07601
Tel: 201-968-0808
Fax: 201-968-0336
Email: in...@hackensackriverkeeper.org
Web: http://www.hackensackriverkeeper.org

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

GROUP TRAINS VOLUNTEERS TO STUDY DISCOLORED FEEDER STREAMS

Date: 030426
From: http://www.thedailyjournal.com/

By Lisa Grzyboski, Staff Writer, lgrzy...@thedailyjournal.com

April 26, 2003

Vineland - A Maurice River conservation group recently hosted the
first of several training sessions aimed at preparing volunteers to
study orange-tinted water flowing in two of the river's feeder
streams.

The investigation will hopefully determine whether it presents health
and environmental hazards.

There are already indications that the Parvin's and Tarkiln branches
might be compromised where they join and flow into the Maurice River
near the Sherman Avenue-Route 55 interchange.

NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) inspectors found
populations of macroinvertebrates at risk - an indicator of an
impaired ecosystem.

Fred Akers suspects it's why Citizens United to Protect the Maurice
River and its Tributaries received DEP approval to use $56,450 in
federal grant money. The non-profit group received a $20,000 advance
from the state earlier this week.

"It tells you something is maybe wrong, but it doesn't tell you what
it is," said Akers, administrator of The Great Egg Harbor Watershed
Association.

That's where volunteers come in.

By visually assessing the streams and conducting tests, volunteers
can help uncover what is causing small organisms to die, Akers said.
They are also in a unique position to alert environmental consultants
and the DEP of unusual findings.

This is particularly important since the DEP can only do so much,
said Larry Baier, who directs the department's watershed management
division.

The DEP regularly monitors about 2,000 of New Jersey's 7,000 river
miles, Akers said.

As part of the study, Citizens United has partnered with Princeton-
based TRC Omni Environmental Corp. Its monitoring equipment and
consultants will help volunteers study the nine miles of streams, he
said.

But first they need training.

Thirteen volunteers learned how to visually assess the streams and
their buffers during an April 19 session. The training included
classroom and hands-on instruction.

The organization will host another training session and hopes to
attract more local residents, particularly since everyone who attended
the first session was either a professor or Citizens United member.

"The impacts to water quality by development need to be addressed,"
Akers said. "If the public doesn't get involved in water quality, it
won't get any better and it very well may get worse."

Volunteers also will eventually learn how to study insect larva and
macroinvertebrates for signs of pollution.

The project should take about two years.

Vineland is now a step ahead of forthcoming stormwater rules because
the study will investigate non-point source pollution.

It is a catchall phrase for trash, pesticides and household chemicals
that flow into stormwater drains after heavy rains and subsequently
into bodies of water. The federal government wants to limit such
pollution by ordering all municipalities to build new drainage
systems.

It's an expensive mandate, Akers said, and towns and cities will have
to apply for competitive grants.

"Vineland will be able to benefit from such grants by showing that it
is already studying stormwater management," he said.

* * *

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

EPA DIVERTS AGENTS FROM NORMAL DUTIES

Date: 030426
From: http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Associated Press, April 26, 2003

Washington - Environmental Protection Agency criminal agents are
being diverted from their normal investigative work to provide
security and drivers for agency chief Christie Whitman - and getting
long lists of do's and don'ts to keep her happy.

EPA agents assigned to investigate environmental crimes have at times
been ordered to perform more personal tasks, such as returning a
rental car for Whitman's husband after a trip or sitting at a table
until the administrator arrived for a restaurant reservation,
according to interviews with several EPA senior managers.

The lists of do's and don'ts instruct agents who chauffeur the EPA
administrator to ensure they rent only a Lincoln Town Car, tune the
radio to smooth jazz or classical music and set the volume low, and
keep an eye out for a Starbucks coffee shop or Barnes & Noble book
store.

The "professional conduct" lists, obtained by The Associated Press,
say the former New Jersey governor prefers to be addressed as
governor, rather than ma'am or administrator.

After the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, senior managers in EPA's Office
of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics and Training were instructed to
help with homeland security and Whitman's protection detail by
providing agents who normally investigate environmental crimes,
according to memos written last year by office heads.

The agents are pulled from offices around the country for several
days at a time depending on where Whitman travels, and the added
duties are straining already overtaxed resources in the crime unit,
the managers told AP. They spoke only on condition of anonymity, for
fear of reprisal.

The agents normally investigate alleged violators of environmental
laws, gathering evidence for criminal prosecutions.

One manager said an agent on a security detail was directed by
Whitman to return her husband's rental car to the airport so the
Whitmans could catch a flight together.

A second manager said an agent was told by the head of Whitman's
personal security team to hold the reserved restaurant table until
Whitman arrived for dinner. The agent is paid $100,000 a year to
investigate environmental crimes, the manager said.

With agents already designated for homeland security tasks, the
regional offices sometimes are left without investigators for days at
a time when Whitman is in town.

"Up to a week all work will shut down in an area office to facilitate
the protective service detail," one manager said.

EPA officials said the added security was necessitated by the post-
Sept. 11 terrorism concerns and specific threats against Whitman,
which they declined to describe. They said the agency is trying to
minimize the impact of the added duties on the 220-agent Criminal
Investigation Division.

"We dedicate a minimum amount of resources to the protective detail,"
said Leo D'Amico, chief of the EPA's criminal enforcement office,
which includes the investigative division. "We will adjust our level
as our on-scene people see fit."

D'Amico, whose name appears as the author of one of the do's and
don'ts memos, said he knew of no instance in which an agent was asked
to return a personal rental car or to perform any other personal chore
for Whitman.

"If there is a need to accompany the administrator for protection
reasons, we'll accompany her to any and all locations," he said. "Our
agents are not there to provide any personal services, nor have they
been asked to provide any personal services."

Whitman's protection and chauffeuring is overseen by a small group of
EPA special agents permanently assigned to this job. John Martin, the
agent who supervises that group, said he wrote one of the lists to
help agents not typically trained in providing security.

"We have to plan for the entire day. We'll take her to a Starbucks or
a bookstore when there's down time. Part of our job is to know where
everything is," he said Saturday from Paris, where Whitman was on
government business.

"When we travel to different locations, we usually rely on a local
agent to do the driving since they know the area, where the hospitals
are," he said. "We travel to so many different cities it really
minimizes the impact on each office."

Martin emphasized the lists reflect observations by him and others,
and are not Whitman's requests.

"She does not ask us to do any kinds of personal favors. She doesn't
want the extra-special treatment - she carries her luggage through the
airport...Governor Whitman had no input on that."

Among the additional security measures the EPA is considering is the
construction of a special facility at agency headquarters where agents
can be sure there is no electronic eavesdropping.

The managers interviewed by AP said their superiors at EPA
headquarters have been alerted to their concerns that highly trained
personnel are being diverted from the chief mission of investigating
crimes and protecting public health and the environment.

The managers also said they have questioned some spending, including
the new headquarters facility, at a time when the investigative office
is having to cut back.

In the 12 months after the Sept. 11 attacks, the amount of criminal
penalties dropped to $62 million from $95 million, EPA figures show.

The number of years for criminal sentences and number of defendants
charged each declined by more than 10 percent, while criminal
referrals to the Justice Department fell 2 percent.

But the investigative unit initiated a record 674 cases, almost
entirely due to the new focus on counterterrorism.

EPA officials denied the added responsibilities for homeland security
have hurt enforcement efforts.

"While we're doing protection and homeland security, we are
continuing to do our core mission, which is protecting the
environment," said J.P. Suarez, EPA's enforcement chief.

As for the multiple pages of memos they received on how their agents
should act as chauffeurs and security providers, some managers
chuckled at items that had little to do with security.

For instance, one memo offered the following advice: "Drive like a
federal agent, not like you are on a Sunday stroll or like you are
coming down the back stretch at the Indy 500."

Another told agents to limit their chitchat. "Expect Governor Whitman
to ask you how you are doing. This is not an opening to tell Governor
Whitman your life story, your hobbies, your most interesting
cases...or what is wrong with the Bush administration."

* * *

Guardian Unlimited (c) Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003

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

NJ CENTER FOR BIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH AND PREVENTION

Date: 030428
From: 202-225-5801

April 28, 2003

HOLT UNITES CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION IN FIGHT FOR NEW JERSEY CENTER
FOR BIRTH DEFECTS PREVENTION AND RESEARCH

West Windsor - Rep. Rush Holt today released letters signed by all
fifteen members of the New Jersey Congressional Delegation urging the
Chairman and Ranking Member of the Labor-Health & Human Services
Appropriations Subcommittee and the Director of the Centers of Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) to continue full funding of the New
Jersey Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention and to
increase overall funding for birth defects research.

The letters were sent on behalf of the New Jersey Department of
Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS), which administers the Center, and
the New Jersey Chapter of the March of Dimes. Although the CDC
approved the NJDHSS's application for funding last year, it recently
alerted NJDHSS that it could no longer provide any funding because of
federal budgetary cutbacks. In the Holt letters (attached), the New
Jersey legislators call on the CDC to provide $250,000 per year for
the next five years to the New Jersey Center and to allocate an
additional $750,000 per year to enable New Jersey-based research
entities to conduction additional studies on the birth defects
research data. They also call on Congressional appropriators to
provide an additional $1 million for the CDC and the National Birth
Defect Center in the coming year to support further birth defect
research.

"The federal government has made a five year investment in the New
Jersey Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention and we expect
that investment to continue," said Rep. Rush Holt. "Since the Center's
work is ongoing and cannot be completed in only five years,
eliminating funding for the program would void the research that has
already been conducted. That would be an irresponsible investment
decision and it would rob New Jerseyans of research that could
eventually save lives."

Launched five years ago, the New Jersey Center for Birth Defects
Research and Prevention compiles a database and registry of birth
defects throughout the state of New Jersey. One of the goals of the
Center is to determine whether environmental factors, such as exposure
to pollution and toxic substances, are directly linked to incidences
of birth defects. April 11, 2003

- - -

Chairman Ralph Regaula (OH- 16)
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
2358 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Chairman:

We are writing on behalf of the New Jersey Department of Health and
Senior Services (NJDHSS) and the New Jersey Chapter of the March of
Dimes to urge continued full funding of the New Jersey Center for
Birth Defects Research and Prevention and its surveillance activities
conducted through the New Jersey Special Child Health Services
Registry. As you know, New Jersey had received approximately $900,000
annually between 1997 and 2002 to fund these projects. Unfortunately,
while their most recent application for another five years of funding
at similar levels was approved, the CDC has subsequently notified the
New Jersey Center that no federal support will be forthcoming beyond
Fiscal Year 2003 because the limited funds available are to be awarded
to seven applicant Birth Defects Centers in other states.

As you know, New Jersey has the most Superfund sites in the country,
as well as one of the most diverse populations. In addition, our state
is in the tragic and virtually unique position of having been directly
impacted by both the World Trade Center attacks and the anthrax
attacks of 2001. Consequently, both the research and civilian
communities have an unparalleled personal interest in identifying and
understanding the causes of birth defects to which these recent
calamities may have contributed. On behalf of the NJDHSS, UMDNJ,
Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and other New
Jersey-based research organizations, we seek your assistance in
obtaining an additional $1 million in annual continued funding for the
next five years to allow for the collection and thorough analyses of
additional birth defects data by constituent medical and other
professionals in the State of New Jersey.

We urge your support for this modest increase of $ 1 million for the
CDC and the National Birth Defect Center to enable New Jersey-based
research entities to conduct the additional studies and research on
this birth defects data that will be necessary to ensure that the
maximum benefit of these efforts may be obtained for benefit of all
New Jersey residents. It will also help ensure that the CDC and the
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
receive the funding they need in FY 2004 to support the work of all
state Birth Defect Centers.

Sincerely yours,
(Signed by Entire New Jersey Congressional Delegation)

- - -

April 11, 2003

Dr. Jose F. Cordero, Director
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
CHAM 101, 4770 Buford Highway
Atlanta, Georgia 30341

Dear Dr. Cordero:

We understand that the NJDHSS is in the process of applying for a new
grant in the approximate amount of $250,000 per year for the next five
years, which should cover most of the costs of the birth defects data
collection in New Jersey. We urge you to support that grant request
and to allocate an additional $750,000 per year for the same period
from additional discretionary funds appropriated to the CDC and the
National Birth Defect Center to enable New Jersey-based research
entities to conduct the additional studies and research on that data
that will be necessary to ensure that the maximum benefit of these
efforts may be obtained for benefit of all New Jersey residents.
Please know that we will work together in coming months to advocate
that the Centers for Disease Control and the National Center on Birth
Defects and Developmental Disabilities receive the funding they need
to support the work of all Birth Defect Centers.

Sincerely yours,
(Signed by Entire New Jersey Congressional Delegation)

* * *

Contact: Jim Kapsis
202-225-5801
202-413-5277 (cell)

Representative Rush Holt
12th District, New Jersey
http//:www.house.gov/rholt

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

ESSEX COUNTY SIERRA CLUB MAY & JUNE EVENTS

Date: 27 Apr 2003
From: "camille gutmore" {cgut...@hotmail.com}

ESSEX COUNTY SIERRA CLUB OUTINGS AND MEETING

OUTINGS: MAY AND JUNE

May 18 (Sun) Hike. Hatfield Swamp Natural Area in West Essex Park. 5
miles at a moderate pace. Hike through marshes, forested wetlands and
see the Passaic River in its natural setting. Children 9 years or
older and well-behaved dogs are welcome. Bring binoculars, water and
lunch/snacks. Meet 10AM in the parking lot on Kilpatrick Lane off
Bloomfield Ave south of Johnny's Motors, which is 1/2 mile west of the
intersection of Passaic Ave and Bloomfield Ave in West Caldwell. Rain
Cancels. Leader: David Ogens (973) 226-7107(eve). Band...@aol.com.

June 7 (Sat) Canoe Trip on the Passaic River. This is a one-way trip
and we will car pool back. Canoe 4 hours at a leisurely pace observing
the wildlife and natural settings. Bring water, a hearty snack or
lunch and comfortable clothes. Meet promptly at 9AM at the
Environmental Center at 621 Eagle Rock Ave in Roseland. Look for an
old white house on the left with a parking lot in front, 1/2 mile west
of the intersection of Eisenhower Pkwy and Eagle Rock Ave.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. A limited number of canoes are available at $15
per seat. ($20 for non-members). Older children are welcome and can
sit in the middle. Rain date Sunday. Leader: David Ogens
(973) 226-7107(eve). Band...@aol.com.

JUNE MEETING

June 12 (Thurs) - What can be done about Mass Transportation in NJ?
Frustrated that you can't get from point "A" to point "B" in New
Jersey via public transportation without hassles and headaches? Come
hear about the recent implementations and future plans the New Jersey
Association of Railroad Passengers (NJ-ARP) has for improving mass
transportation in New Jersey. Doug Bowen, VP of this non-profit
corporation, will share his vision for a more efficient, balanced
statewide transportation network. Come to The Boathouse on the lake in
Verona Park, off Bloomfield Avenue, Verona at 7:30 PM. There's plenty
of free parking and refreshments; all are welcome! For directions to
The Boathouse call Rich at (973) 716-0297.

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

FISH IS A FAMILY AFFAIR

Date: 25 Apr 2003
From: cva...@njmsc.org

Sandy Hook - New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium (NJMSC) has
announced spring schedule for FISH (Families Investigate Science Hands
On). This family- based program allows parents to share a day with
their children learning about the wonders of New Jersey's seashore
guided by NJMSC's marine education specialists.

Reservations are being accepted now for weekend dates this spring.

Families may select from any of the following topics:

SALT MARSH INVESTIGATIONS: Discover how vital this environment really
is. You and your family will have the opportunity to go seining,
identify plankton, and rate the quality of water in Sandy Hook Bay.
DATES: May 3- 12:30pm, May 17- 10am, May 18- 1:30pm.

ON SANDY SHORES: Go on a guided walk of discovery. Learn about
seashells, discover how our beaches move, why we need our dunes, and
take a microscopic look at sand from all around the world!
DATES: May 3- 10am, May 4-11am.

HAPPINESS IS A HORSESHOE CRAB: Do an in-depth study of this
fascinating animal during its annual migration into Sandy Hook Bay.
Younger children will "make and take" a horseshoe crab model and
listen to a story.
DATES: May 4- 1:30pm and May 17- 12:30pm.

Programs are suitable for any age group and run about two hours. The
cost is $8.00 for adults; $6.00 for children under the age of 18.
Group sizes are limited and Pre-registration is highly suggested.

For a FISH brochure which includes a registration form please contact
Bridget Wolff at (732)-872-1300 x30 or visit NJMSC's website at
http://www.NJMSC.org.

* * *

The NJMSC is a non-profit organization that has provided marine
education and research for more than 30 years. The NJMSC is
headquartered at Fort Hancock within the Sandy Hook Unit of the
Gateway National Recreation Area.

NJ Marine Sciences Consortium
Sandy Hook Field Station Bldg #22
Fort Hancock NJ 07732
Tel: 739-872-1300 x13
Email: cva...@njmsc.org
Web: http://www.njmsc.org

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

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY CRUISE - MAY 7

Date: 28 Apr 2003
From: Bill Haduch {bha...@ur.rutgers.edu}

MAY 7 - ONE-DAY ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY CRUISE, NY/NJ

On May 7, 2003, Rutgers Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences will
issue a press release about a $5 million grant from the NSF for a
three-year study of "the fate and transport of nutrients and chemical
contaminants in the Hudson River plume."

This will be the most extensive look ever at where and how the Hudson
River plume really flows once it meets the ocean. It is expected to
affect future decisions on sewage disposal options for the nation's
largest metropolitan area.

The first activity in the study will be a 12-hour survey of the plume
on Wednesday, May 7. A 95-foot boat will leave Staten Island at 7am
and run a series of transects down to around Barnegat Inlet. The boat
is fast and comfortable with several rooms, bunks and a full galley.
It will be an unbeatable opportunity to meet the scientists and get a
first-hand look at what they'll be doing for the next three years.

Pages 5 & 6 of the following PDF newsletter have a good description
of the study, with a description of the trip near the top of page 6 on
the left.

http://www.skio.peachnet.edu/coop/materials/newsletter16.pdf

Journalists interesting in joining the cruise should contact:

Bill Haduch, Science Communicator
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
101 Somerset Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1281
732-932-7084 ext. 633
Fax: 732-932-8412
email: bha...@ur.rutgers.edu
phone: 732-932-7084 ext. 633

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

SIERRA NO JERSEY MTG ON ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUPS - MAY 8

Date: 26 Apr 2003
From: Bets...@aol.com

Sierra Club North Jersey Group

General Meeting - May 8 - Englewood, NJ

"CLEANING UP OUR POST-INDUSTRIAL LANDSCAPE" - a discussion with
longtime conservationists Gil Hawkins, Mary Arnold and Rick Mills on
cleanups of local waterways, waterfronts and wetlands.

Hawkins of the Hudson River fishermen's Association will report on
the Quanta superfund site and the adjacent Celotex brownfields site
(the Promenade) in Edgewater and the Overpeck Creek restoration in
Leonia, Ridgefield Park and Teaneck.

Arnold and Mills of the Teaneck Creek Conservancy will discuss the
community-based effort to rescue 46 acres of wetlands, streams and
natural habitat within Overpeck Park and create a unique eco-cultural
and educational park.

Thursday, May 8
7:30 PM
Flat Rock Brook Nature Center
443 Van Nostrand Avenue
Englewood, NJ

FREE. Everyone is welcome.
For more information and directions: 201-461-4534 or Bets...@aol.com

* * *

Sierra Club North Jersey Group
Betsy Kohn, Chair
2400 Hudson Terrace #5D
Fort Lee, NJ 07024

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FRESHWATER WETLANDS MITIGATION COUNCIL - MAY 9

Date: 28 Apr 2003
From: "Ginger Kopkash" {Ginger....@dep.state.nj.us}

AGENDA FOR NEW JERSEY WETLANDS MITIGATION COUNCIL

May 9, 2003, 9:30 a.m.

US Geological Survey
New Jersey District
810 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 206
Large Conference Room
West Trenton, Mercer County

1. Approval of April 4, 2003 meeting minutes

2. Update on the Mitigation Fund

3. Review and approval of a resolution memorializing the Council's
decision to use Mitigation Fund dollars to contract with U.S.
Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.) to review water budgets associated with
wetland mitigation proposals.

4. Review and approval of a resolution memorializing the Council's
decision to conditionally use Mitigation Fund dollars to contract with
U.S.G.S. to draft an EPA Wetland Program Grant to develop a water
budget manual that uses New Jersey specific data which will be
submitted to EPA by NJDEP.

5. Presentation by Cecile Murphy from NJDEP, Green Acres Program to
use Mitigation Fund dollars to purchase an one hundred forty-three
(143) acre parcel in Upper Township, Cape May County. The applicant is
seeking funding to preserve the parcel and to conduct wetland, stream
and transition area restoration/enhancement activities on the site.

6. Follow-up discussion on the NJ DEP's April 2, 2003 letter to the
Council members seeking comments from the Council on revising some of
their powers and duties.

7. Old Business

8. Public Comment

9. Future meeting dates tentatively scheduled in 2003 are July 11th,
September 19th, and November 14th.

10. Executive Session

Visitors, not on agenda, are requested to call either (609) 633-6563
or (609) 292-0060 by Thursday May 8, 2003 to ascertain if the meeting
is still being held. If you call please leave your name and telephone
number with Virginia Kop'Kash or Courtney Sage so that if there is a
last minute cancellation you will be contacted.

Sincerely,
Virginia Kop'Kash
Staff to the Council
Freshwater Wetlands Mitigation Council

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Tina Bologna - Editor - bol...@gsenet.org

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

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