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GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS 030617

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Jun 16, 2003, 11:33:07 PM6/16/03

030617

GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{*} EXPERTS ASSEMBLE FOR TALKS ON METEDECONK'S PROTECTION
{*} SAXTON RECEIVES AWARD FOR PROTECTING THE OCEAN
{*} MCGREEVEY'S ANTI-SPRAWL EFFORTS SUFFER SETBACKS
{*} ANOTHER MILESTONE IN THE RACE TO PRESERVE OPEN SPACE
{*} OP/ED - PICK UP PACE ON OPEN SPACE
{*} NORTH HANOVER FARM IS PRESERVED IN $3M DEAL
{*} ECO-MOM ANSWERS BACK
{*} CONTAMINATED SOIL WILL HEAD FROM BURNT FLY BOG TO IDAHO
{*} SEWER AUTHORITY FAULTS LIGHTNING FOR MAIN BREAK
{*} MANSFIELD MUST SPEND $42K MORE ON SEWAGE TREATMENT
{*} MORRIS COUNTY PLANS COURSE OF ACTION
{*} DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE FROM HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS
{*} NEW LABS AND OFFICES FOR MARINE WATER MONITORING - JUN 17
{*} SUSSEX/WARREN FARMLAND AND OPEN SPACE ROUNDTABLE - JUN 24

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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. Thanks also to Peter Montague for his
many contibutions to the EnviroNews, and his invaluable help as a
member of our Board of Trustees. If interested in volunteering, please
send an email message to mai...@gsenet.org.

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EXPERTS ASSEMBLE FOR TALKS ON METEDECONK'S PROTECTION

Date: 030612
From: http://examiner.gmnews.com/

APPROACHES TO DEVELOPMENT ALONG WATERFRONT A MAIN TOPIC OF DISCUSSION

By Karl Vilacoba, Staff Writer, Examiner, June 12, 2003

Brick - Environmental experts from across the nation will meet in
Ocean County this week for a series of roundtable discussions on
protecting the Metedeconk Watershed.

The Metedeconk Watershed Source Water Stewardship Project began
Sunday and will conclude with a final presentation of its findings at
9 a.m. Friday at the Brick Township Municipal Complex, Chambers Bridge
Road. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.

The Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority (BTMUA) is the lead
partner in the project and has established a steering committee, which
includes representatives from Brick, the Ocean County Planning Board,
the Monmouth County Planning Board and the Freehold Soil Conservation
District.

The sessions are a chance for local officials to brainstorm with
experts from other watersheds, with the aim of finding land
conservation and forestry alternatives for the Metedeconk's
protection, said Kathy Haake of the Trust for Public Land (TPL). The
TPL, an organizer of the meetings, is a national nonprofit
organization that advocates the conservation of land for parks,
gardens and other natural areas.

A key topic of discussion will be approaches to development along the
watershed, said BTMUA Director of Engineering Stephen Specht. Even
construction projects in the furthest reaches of the watershed, such
as Jackson and Millstone Township, can have a direct effect on the
BTMUA's drinking water quality and quantity, Specht said.

"We want to express to our upstream neighbors that they are also
stakeholders in our clean water supply," Specht said.

Specht said the five-member panel of experts was invited with their
wide ranges of expertise and backgrounds in mind. He hopes their input
will yield new ideas that can be applied at the local level.

The panel includes civil/environmental engineer Joshua Briggs; Joe
Pantalion, the assistant director of the Watershed Protection and
Development Review Department for Austin, Tex.; TPL Senior Vice
President Ted Harrison; Robert Pirani, the director of environmental
programs at the Regional Plan Association; and Phillip Rodbell, a
program manager for urban and community forestry with the United
States Department of Agriculture.

The Metedeconk is one of four watersheds chosen nationwide to
participate in a series of source water protection conventions.

The projects are being organized by the TPL, in conjunction with the
United States Forest Service, the University of Massachusetts and the
Environmental Protection Agency.

The Metedeconk Watershed encompasses 68.6 miles in seven towns in
northern Ocean County and southern Monmouth County: Howell, Freehold
Township, Wall, Millstone, Jackson, Lakewood and Brick.

The BTMUA draws about 75 percent of its drinking water from the
river. The authority supplies customers in Brick, Point Pleasant and
Point Pleasant Beach.

Gov. James McGreevey proposed Category 1 environmental protection
status for the Metedeconk River watershed in January. If enacted, the
system will be protected from any discharges that produce a measurable
change in the existing water quality.

A discussion on water protection strategies was held June 11 at
Howell's Echo Lake, followed by a session on funding strategies at
Georgian Court College, Lakewood.

* * *

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SAXTON RECEIVES AWARD FOR PROTECTING THE OCEAN

Date: 030616
From: http://www.app.com/

By Lois A. Kaplan, Staff Writer, Ocean County Observer, 6/16/03

Rep. Jim Saxton, R-3rd, has received one of two First Annual
Leadership Awards presented by the National Marine Sanctuary
Foundation in recognition of his long-term contributions to ocean
protection and preservation.

During Wednesday's presentation, Saxton and U.S. Sen. Ernest F.
Hollings, a Democrat from South Carolina, were honored specifically
for their introduction of the Oceans Act of 2000. The Act established
the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, which is currently preparing its
recommendations to Congress.

The awards were presented by Dr. Robert Ballard of the National
Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and Jean-Michel Cousteau.

Saxton's New Jersey home district includes more than 35 miles of
shoreline, barrier islands, bays and estuaries. Since he was first
elected in 1985, he has worked for clean water, clean air, coastal
protection, wildlife protection and open space.

As a senior member and chair of the Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife
and Oceans Subcommittee, he has worked for improvements in fisheries
management and sponsored legislation banning sludge dumping off the
Atlantic Coast as well as bills that protect marine mammals, domestic
coral reefs and marine sanctuaries.

Saxton has described the Oceans Act of 2000 as "a great bipartisan
effort that will ultimately lead us to the most comprehensive review
of federal ocean policy in 30 years." He added that it will provide
"the information and perspective we need to properly manage and
preserve our ocean and coastal resources" and that he was "proud to
have introduced (it) in the House and to have seen it passed into
law."

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is the private sector non-
profit partner to the federally-managed National Marine Sanctuary
Program, which works to complement the outreach and education efforts
of the nationwide network of 13 marine sanctuaries.

Stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes and from the
Hawaiian Islands to the Florida Keys, the National Marine Sanctuary
Program covers approximately 18,000 square nautical miles.

* * *

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MCGREEVEY'S ANTI-SPRAWL EFFORTS SUFFER SETBACKS

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

DESPITE SETBACKS, MCGREEVEY KEEPS UP FIGHT AGAINST SPRAWL

By Cynthia Burton, Staff Writer
Philadelphia Inquirer, June 16, 2003

New Jersey's "Big Map," which would tell developers where to build
and not to build, has been pulled from the state Web site. State
farmland-preservation money is under siege. And bills to control
sprawl are not moving in Trenton.

One might think Gov. McGreevey, whose anti-sprawl stance was a
powerful theme in his 2001 campaign and this year's State of the State
address, would be discouraged.

But he has been busy traveling the state in recent months, handing
out grants for fixing urban parks in Essex County and for buying open
space in Middlesex County and farms in Salem County. He has used
environmental regulations to protect water sources from pollution,
including parts of the Assiscunk Creek in Burlington County and a
reservoir in Morris County. And he gave a grant to improve parking and
sidewalks around a rail station in Pleasantville, to get people off
the crowded highways and onto the train.

On Friday, he signed a bill in Voorhees giving money to park projects
throughout South Jersey.

Still, the legislature has yet to introduce administration-backed
bills that would change the Municipal Land Use Law by giving counties
new powers for regional planning and allowing neighboring communities
to have a say in developments on their borders.

"He spoke about anti-sprawl in his State of the State address. I was
pleased he did that," said State Sen. Leonard Lance (R., Hunterdon),
who has long fought to change the state's land-use laws. "I was
hopeful that at least a portion of the matters he discussed could pass
this session, and I point out that we have [two] weeks left [before
summer break]. The sands in the hourglass are rapidly descending."

Another longtime sprawl fighter, State Sen. John Adler (D., Camden),
said: "No one's been effective in moving sprawl legislation. There
have been legitimate powerful forces that have a legitimate point of
view that have opposed sprawl legislation. They have their own
economic interests to protect."

"It's discouraging," said Sue Burrows, spokeswoman for New Jersey
Future, a group that has worked for two decades to put land-use
planning on Trenton's radar. "We're hoping to keep it as a very live
issue in the elections."

That shouldn't be a problem. In a District 12 Senate primary this
month, Democrat Ellen Karcher, daughter of former Assembly Speaker
Alan Karcher, beat back a strong challenge from Gordon Gemma using
sprawl as a wedge issue.

Her political consultant, Brad Lawrence, who also helped fashion
McGreevey's gubernatorial campaign message, said sprawl "is a
complicated issue. People are just beginning to figure it out."

He added that even as the public began to tie traffic and high school
taxes to poor land-use planning, politicians are reluctant to alienate
development interests.

During the weekend, the New Jersey Builders Association, one of the
groups that represent those interests, planned to run 60-second ads on
Trenton-based WKXW-FM (101.5) that imply families are breaking up
because adult children cannot find affordable housing in the state and
have to move out. The result: They can't visit dads on Father's Day.

"New Jersey home builders can help. We can bring your family home to
New Jersey but only if Gov. McGreevey lets us," the ad says.

Patrick O'Keefe, the association's executive director, makes a
distinction between sprawl, which is poorly planned and wastes land,
and well-planned development that must occur to accommodate new
residents and businesses and sprawl.

O'Keefe argued that McGreevey is trying to use clean-water standards
to stop any kind of development - good or bad. And, he said, because
the administration has yet to publish new affordable-housing goals for
the state's 566 municipalities, builders are stuck haggling with
planning boards over density.

"We've asked one question, and we'd like to hear their answer: Where
will the people live?" O'Keefe said.

At the same time, open-space preservationists are worried about a
bill backed by some urban Democrats. Assemblyman Joseph Doria (D.,
Hudson) wants to transfer money from farmland and open-space
preservation to refurbishing urban parks. Doria, the mayor of Bayonne,
NJ, has the support of powerful Democrats, including Assembly Speaker
Albio Sires of Hudson County and Joseph Roberts of Camden County.

He said his bill would "correct the inequities" created when former
Gov. Christie Whitman took money from urban parks and gave it to
suburban areas. If successful, Doria's bill would make it impossible
for the state to acquire 20,000 acres of farmland a year as promised
by the governor, according to government analysts. Doria expects the
bill to gain speed after the fall legislative elections.

Internally, the administration has had some difficulty. After
builders, freeholders and mayors complained that a draft of the Big
Map distributed by the Department of Environmental Protection was
inaccurate, it was pulled off the state's Web site. Although meant for
only discussion, the draft became a public-relations nightmare.

Now people looking for the Big Map get this: "To avoid confusion and
misinterpretations, while further revisions are considered, the BIG
map has been removed from the DEP Web site."

* * *

Contact staff writer Cynthia Burton at 856-779-3858 or
cbu...@phillynews.com.

# # #

Rachel's Environment & Health News
Environmental Research Foundation
POB 160
New Brunswick NJ 08903-0160
Tel: 732-828-9995
Fax: 732-791-4603
Email: e...@rachel.org
Web: http://www.rachel.org

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ANOTHER MILESTONE IN THE RACE TO PRESERVE OPEN SPACE

Date: 16 Jun 2003
From: "carol" {ca...@njconservation.org}

THE STATE WE'RE IN
By Michele S. Byers, Executive Director
New Jersey Conservation Foundation
June 11, 2003 - Volume XXXIII, No. 22

Conservationists and local officials alike were excited when Governor
McGreevey promised in his State of the State Address to use the "full
legal weight" of New Jersey's Attorney General to help towns defend
themselves from lawsuits brought by developers with deep-pockets
looking to build more sprawl.

The State took a half-step in that direction recently, when it asked
the court's permission to enter a case on behalf of Lebanon Township,
Hunterdon County, as `amicus curiae,' or `friend-of-the-court.'

Like many towns in the direct path of sprawl, Lebanon Township
revised it's zoning and created a rural conservation zone requiring
that new homes be built on lots of at least 7.5 acres. The State Plan
recommends low growth for the area in part because several streams
feed important drinking water supplies. The Township was then sued by
one of New Jersey's largest residential developers, as well as several
Township residents who argued that the zoning change would reduce the
value of their land, and by extension, their profits if they want to
sell to developers.

When a town acts responsibly, proactively fulfills their affordable
housing obligations, and carefully follows the law to match their
zoning with New Jersey's smart growth goals, the State should help
defend the zoning. After all, the State's goals reflect the need to
protect shared resources that are important to all of us, including
water supplies. In addition, the State's intervention in these court
cases could ultimately save the taxpayers money, by acting as a
deterrent to the filing of future lawsuits.

The State's amicus filing is a half-step because, although it is a
step in the right direction, it falls short of the full legal shield
the Governor announced in his State of the State Address.

Filing an amicus brief does put the State on record about the public
interests at stake in a given case. But it still leaves New Jersey
towns to slug it out alone in court against financial giants.

We need to do more if we hope to stop sprawl and change the legal
landscape.

One of the best ways to send that message is for the State to defend
local zoning that supports the State's smart growth goals. Sprawl will
then face a harsh reality - it will not make good business sense to
spend money on a costly court fight before ever putting a shovel in
the ground.

- - -

I hope you'll contact me at 1-888-LAND-SAVE or
in...@njconservation.org, or visit NJCF's website at
http://www.njconservation.org, for more information about conserving
New Jersey's precious land and natural resources.

* * *

Carol K. Banhart
New Jersey Conservation Foundation
Bamboo Brook
170 Longview Road
Far Hills, NJ 07931
Phone: 908-234-1225 x101
Fax: 908-234-1189

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OP/ED - PICK UP PACE ON OPEN SPACE

Date: 030616
From: http://www.nj.com/opinion/ledger/editorials/

Star-Ledger Editorial, June 16, 2003

The state's effort to preserve open space is showing significant
results. Approximately 300,000 acres have been saved so far, an area
roughly the size of Morris County.

But after nearly five years, the program needs a tune-up. It needs
more money to compete in the race with builders who are devouring land
to construct the homes and businesses a growing economy demands. And a
greater share of the money should go to parks and urban areas. The
McGreevey administration has a reasonable plan to address both
problems.

The first step is to pass a constitutional amendment to allow the
state to borrow more money without increasing spending. This one is a
no-brainer. A 1998 referendum earmarked $98 million a year for this
effort, part of which would be used to finance $1 billion in bonding.

But with interest rates low, there is a chance to stretch those
dollars. Treasurer John McCormac believes he could borrow an
additional $150 million or so without breaking the annual spending cap
of $98 million. He will need the amendment to do it, though, since the
referendum capped borrowing. Bills moving through the Assembly and
Senate would put the referendum on the November ballot, allowing
McCormac to make the move.

To address the park problem, the administration wants to use half
that additional money for park development over the next few years.
That could result in a doubling of the pace of spending on parks,
according to Bradley Campbell, commissioner of the Department of
Environmental Protection.

Some environmentalists worry that diverting some money to parks will
slow the effort to preserve open space in the more rural counties. No
doubt there is a trade-off. But if we want to limit sprawl, we need to
make cities and urban counties more attractive places to live and
work. In a densely populated state like ours, building new parks and
developing ball fields is crucial.

Remember, too, that the 1998 referendum asked voters to approve
spending on both open space and parks, and it won its largest margins
of victory in the urban counties. The dramatic tilt towards open space
was a policy of the Whitman administration, whose base of power was in
the more rural regions. Campbell's adjustment is overdue.

These adjustments fulfill a campaign promise of Gov. James E.
McGreevey, who said he would try to pick up the pace of purchase and
devote more money to parks. In a few years, he may have to propose
another referendum to keep up the pace of this effort.

Until the last scrap of land is gone, the public should at least be
at the table competing for our declining open space.

* * *

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NORTH HANOVER FARM IS PRESERVED IN $3M DEAL

Date: 030616
From: http://www.phillyburbs.com/

By John Reitmeyer, Burlington County Times

Mount Holly - The Burlington County Board of Freeholders has approved
a $3 million agreement to preserve a 305-acre farm in North Hanover
described by the township's mayor as a high priority for development
protection.

The freeholders voted unanimously during their public meeting last
week to purchase a deed restriction that will forever prohibit the
development of the sprawling Probasco farm off Chesterfield-Arneytown
Road.

The agreement arranged by the freeholders calls for a combination of
state, county and municipal tax dollars to cover the cost of the
$10,000-an-acre easement purchase. The farm's four owners will
continue to live and work on the property, according to the deal.

North Hanover Mayor John Kocubinski said the farm has been high on
the township's priority list for preservation because a developer
previously had received preliminary approval for at least 150 homes on
the site.

"It might be some of the best farmland in northern Burlington
County," Kocubinkski said.

"It's great to get a 300-acre parcel," said Freeholder Director
William Haines Jr., who oversees the county's land-preservation
efforts.

"It's prime farmland, and developers have been very interested in
that parcel. I think this one is pretty hard to beat."

When the agreement is finalized, the Probasco farm will become the
21st farm in North Hanover that has been protected through the
freeholders' farmland-preservation program. The township has more than
2,000 acres of preserved farmland within its borders.

Kocubinski said township officials are now setting their sights on a
300-acre farm on Jacobstown-Arneytown Road. Kocubinski recently sent a
letter to the New Jersey State Agricultural Development Committee
supporting an application by the farm's owner that could result in the
property being purchased outright by the state.

* * *

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ECO-MOM ANSWERS BACK

Date: 16 Jun 2003
From: "Robin O'Hearn" {roh...@earthlink.net}

This article ran yesterday in the Suburban Trends in response to Mayor
Jerry Holt's letter of June 8th.

# # #

ECO-MOM ANSWERS BACK

Trends Guest Column, June 15, 2003

Ringwood's Mayor Jerry Holt seems level-headed, but his strident
reaction to my guest column in the Trends on ratables and sprawl,
entitled "Getting the facts right" unleashed a shocking barrage of
mean-spirited labels meant to discredit me personally, for challenging
his notion of "smart growth." Peppered throughout his tirade are words
that characterize me and those who agree with me as "incendiary,"
"eco-extremist," "eco-radical," "eco-elite," "intolerant,"
"doomsayers" who bash "kids and parents as the enemy." In his mind I
am part of an "anti-children," "anti-family," "environmental junta."
But enough of that kind of nonsense. There are some serious issues
facing Ringwood and honest, civil debate, not name calling, is what is
needed.

Mr. Holt maintains that "modest" development has resulted in a so-
called "zero tax increase" for the town. Except there is nothing
"modest" about the aggressive development Ringwood is currently
witnessing and once school costs are factored in, Ringwood's residents
will actually experience a tax increase this year. Which is exactly
the point I want to raise. Sacrificing the mountains to make room for
housing developments is neither environmentally prudent nor fiscally
sound.

Mr. Holt's argument that there were more school children in 1978 or
that our population went down slightly from 1990 to 2000, is highly
suspect if it is being used to demonstrate that additional housing
will put money in our pockets. In the late 60s and early 70s Ringwood
did see a large building boom (e.g. Bald Eagle, Copper Hill, Forsgate,
Edward Drive, James Drive, Painted Forest, and Kensington Woods) and
children did flood the schools, overwhelming the system and forcing
additional construction. This caused a rise in property taxes, which
over the last decade has leveled off as the number of children
declined and the foolish sewer bonding was paid off.

Today, Ringwood has a large number of empty nesters, providing
somewhat of a breather, and a strong environmentally conscious
citizenry that has held town officials' zeal for development somewhat
in check. But there will be a renewed surge in school enrollment as
younger families move in. During the 1999 Council Campaign, the last
time Mr. Holt ran, the Republicans were talking about a maximum
"build-out" scenario of 400 new homes in Ringwood. Even if development
was held to this number, it would add 600-800 children to the schools.
The argument and figures supplied by Mr. Holt imply that there is room
for 776 additional children in the school system. But even half that
amount would be quite costly and he should talk with parents who
believe that the schools are at capacity, right now.

That still leaves us with the question of how to keep Ringwood
affordable and maintain our quality of life. True "smart growth"
principles would encourage a range of housing opportunities and
choices built in an environmentally sensitive manner, in keeping with
the town's semi-rural character. We should work hard to achieve
neighborhoods that can be safely walked. We should be working
diligently as a community to preserve open space, natural beauty, and
critical environmental areas. We should be more creative in attracting
clean industry and we should make development decision predictable,
fair, and cost-effective. For our children and all future generations,
we could and should do more that is positive and forward thinking.

# # #

Robin O'Hearn, Director
Skylands CLEAN, Inc.
973-616-1006
roh...@skyclean.org

POB 85
Ringwood NJ 07456

551 Ringwood Ave
Wanaque NJ 07456

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CONTAMINATED SOIL WILL HEAD FROM BURNT FLY BOG TO IDAHO

Date: 030611
From: http://newstranscript.gmnews.com/

By Anna Kreyman, Staff Writer, News Transcript, June 11, 2003

Marlboro - Contaminated soil will be excavated and shipped to Idaho
as the final phase of the cleanup operation at the Burnt Fly Bog
federal Superfund site begins.

The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded a $10.7 million
contract to Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure Inc., Trenton, to
remove approximately 25,000 cubic yards of PCB- and lead-contaminated
soil from the bog. The excavation and disposal portion of this cleanup
is expected to take four months to complete.

Approximately 6 acres of wetlands in these areas will then be
restored or reconstructed. Long-term biological monitoring for the
section of the bog known as the westerly wetlands will also occur.

Burnt Fly Bog is off Tyler's Lane, near Spring Valley Road in the
Morganville section of the community. The site is 1,700 acres, of
which approximately 60 were contaminated.

A public information session was held in the township on Thursday to
discuss the upcoming cleanup operation.

According to Miguel Garces of Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure,
after the contaminated soil is excavated at the bog it will be shipped
by train to a site in Idaho that has been designed to handle
contaminated waste.

"In addition to the removal of contaminated soil, this contract
includes the reestablishment of more than 6 acres of wetlands and the
construction of security fencing to secure the entire site," said
Mindy Mumford, community relations coordinator for the DEP. "Long-term
biological monitoring of the westerly wetlands will also be
conducted."

Tina Freedman, the chairwoman of Marlboro's Burnt Fly Bog-Imperial
Oil Citizens Advisory Committee, said it is to the credit of the
community that this entire Superfund site cleanup is finally
happening. The process of securing funding and cleaning up the bog has
been ongoing for about 20 years.

"The community has been involved since day one and they should be
commended for all of their efforts, hard work and achievements,"
Freedman said.

A total of $40 million has already been spent on previous stages of
cleanup at the Burnt Fly Bog site.

"The additional funding from EPA would never have been available had
the agency not been embarrassed by a report earlier in the year
showing it had not provided one penny for the cleanup of the site,"
said Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-New Jersey). "I am hopeful that
the EPA will complete this final cleanup expeditiously; however, EPA's
funding abilities for Superfund cleanups overall are seriously
undermined by the Bush administration's refusal to make the polluters
pay for these cleanups, rather than taxpayers."

"By awarding this contract, the DEP and the EPA have taken an
important step toward ensuring the health and safety of Marlboro
residents," said Leslie Potter, a representative of Congressman Rush
Holt (D-New Jersey). "Unfortunately, New Jersey has 112 other
Superfund sites that still need to be cleaned up - more than any other
state. As these sites continue to endanger the health of New
Jerseyans, the Bush administration continues to believe that
taxpayers, and not polluters, should foot the cleanup bill."

According to a press release from the DEP, waste oil stored in
earthen lagoons in the bog's uplands area would periodically overflow
into the adjacent wetlands, causing contamination. The uplands area of
the site, which consisted of four lagoons, has been remediated. The
lagoons were excavated and the contaminants were disposed of off site.

The other contaminated areas are known as the northerly wetlands, the
tar patch and the westerly wetlands. A sedimentation basin was
constructed in 1996 to ensure that any contamination from the
northerly and westerly wetlands areas would be captured prior to
leaving the site, thus protecting the Deep Run and the Runyon well
field that serves Perth Amboy. A record of decision issued in 1998
called for no action in the westerly wetlands with long-term
biological monitoring. It also stated that the northerly wetlands and
the tar patch were to be remediated.

* * *

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SEWER AUTHORITY FAULTS LIGHTNING FOR MAIN BREAK

Date: 030613
From: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/

ENGINEERS SAY PIPELINE PRESSURE, PREMATURE CORROSION ALSO FACTORS

By Dore Carroll, Star-Ledger Staff, June 13, 2003

A lighting strike set off a chain of events that caused a sewer main
to burst in Sayreville on March 2, sending 575 million gallons of
waste into the Raritan River and forcing the closure of clamming beds
in the Raritan and Sandy Hook bays, engineers for the Middlesex County
Utilities Authority said yesterday.

Premature corrosion of the 8.5-foot pipeline that carries wastewater
to a treatment facility in Sayreville made it unable to withstand a
pressure surge that resulted from a dip in electricity at a nearby
pumping station, said Richard Fitamant, executive director of the
MCUA.

Because power did not go completely out during the electrical storm,
relief valves were not triggered to ease pressure in the pipeline,
Fitamant said.

"We had power fluctuations at the pumping station that caused a
surge," in the flow of sewage through the force main, Fitamant said.
"We thought we had a system that could handle far more pressure."

Between March 2 and March 9, when the ruptured pipe was replaced, a
smaller back-up line carried raw sewage to the treatment facility. But
that main was unable to handle the flow of household waste combined
with heavy rainwater, and the excess wastewater gushed into the
Raritan River.

The contamination flowed out to the Raritan and Sandy Hook bays,
spoiling shellfish beds there, and on to the Navesink and Shrewsbury
rivers. About 30,000 acres of shellfish beds were closed to fishermen
for six weeks as a result of the pollution.

The shellfish beds were reopened April 18 when bacterial levels
returned to normal.

The state Department of Environmental Protection is reviewing the
MCUA's conclusions as part of its own investigation into the sewer
main break, spokeswoman Amy Cradic said. The agency has not yet
determined whether any fines will be levied against the MCUA.

Utility inspectors found no structural damage to the pipe segments
adjoining the 13-foot rupture, but because of the aggressive corrosion
on the pipe, the MCUA plans a thorough inspection of the entire 3.5-
mile length of the main, Fitamant said.

During a dry spell in July when wastewater flows are low, engineers
will drain the pipe and conduct an electromagnetic inspection to check
for corrosion, snapped support wires or other damage.

"The integrity of the entire line may be compromised," Fitamant said.

The 25-year-old main was designed to last more than 50 years and
handle 170 pounds per square inch of pressure. The surge that caused
the rupture was 44 pounds per square inch, said Allan Jacobs, a
Piscataway engineer hired to study the damaged main.

A six-foot back-up line put into use while the larger main was being
repaired remains in use to ease pressure on the primary pipeline.

The pre-stressed concrete pipe is supported internally by a thin
steel cylinder and is reinforced by wiring coiled around the outside.
A thin concrete shell protects the wire from corrosion. The pipe was
designed to last more than 50 years.

Since the wires were corroded, engineers are operating on the
assumption that the wires may be damaged elsewhere along the pipeline.
The pipe's only reinforcement is the steel cylinder, which can
withstand 44 pounds per square inch of water pressure.

Engineers believe premature corrosion was caused by fluctuating
groundwater levels and deterioration from chloride, a corrosive
chemical in the soil. Another contributing factor may have been a 1983
break a little more than a half-mile away that could have damaged the
concrete coating on the pipe. One other possibility is that the pipe
was damaged during installation or in its manufacture.

The Ohio-based company that made the pipe, Interpace Corp., went out
of business 20 years ago, said Richard Lewis, a Denville engineer
consulted by the MCUA. More than 28,000 miles of the company's
pipeline are in service throughout the nation.

Water and sewer utilities around the country found premature failures
with pre-stressed concrete pipe made by the same company, Lewis said.

Whether the MCUA could have prevented the break or not, the agency
must still compensate those affected by the damage that resulted.

Clammers who were thrown out of work for six weeks plan to file
claims against the MCUA for their lost wages. After a bitter cold
winter that froze waterways more than usual, barring harvesting, the
clammers were devastated by the spring sewage spill.

"Right now, they would be satisfied being compensated for the income
they lost," said Sean Reagan, an attorney representing about 50
clammers. On Monday, Reagan and others plan to file claims with the
MCUA for the clammers' lost wages, a figure that could reach $500,000.

The utility will then have 10 days to respond and make a counter
offer, then the disputes may be heard by an arbitrator.

Sayreville residents whose property was flooded with murky water have
complained that the utility has not replaced contaminated topsoil on
their lawns and back yards.

Workers twice spread lime on the soil to kill bacteria, and MCUA
officials said fecal coliform levels have returned to a standard range
consistent with animal waste.

Still, the MCUA plans to spend about $200,000 to replace six inches
of topsoil on about a dozen lawns and back yards, Fitamant said.

"Hopefully this is actually going to get done," said Chris Bardsley,
whose home backs up to the site of the sewer main. Bardsley has tried
to keep his young son and daughter away from their backyard playset
because the area was underwater. "I'd like to get my yard back for the
summer."

Residents also said the standing water affected grading of their
street and now pools of water attract mosquitoes.

* * *

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

MANSFIELD MUST SPEND $42K MORE ON SEWAGE TREATMENT

Date: 13 Jun 2003
From: "Peter Montague" {Pe...@rachel.org}

By Jason Bodnar, Burlington County Times, June 13, 2003

Mansfield - The tax burden on residents eventually will ease if the
state Department of Environmental Protection approves the town's
wastewater-management plan, Township Committee members say.

To help get that approval, however, the committee is facing another
significant expense: as much as $42,700 in engineering fees to revise
the plan.

"This is $42,000 out of the blue that we're not prepared for,"
Committeeman Charles Schubert said.

Committee members said the cost might be slightly less, however,
because some of the required engineering work already has been done.

The plan would provide public sewerage to areas of the township
currently served by septic systems. Officials say sewerage would allow
them to attract commercial ratables that in turn would offset rising
residential property taxes.

The town submitted the plan in 1999. Earlier this year, the DEP
requested changes. Mansfield's Planning Board has amended its master
plan to reflect the requested changes. Officials say they now need to
do the same to the wastewater-management plan.

"It's our opinion that if we do these items, your wastewater-
management plan will be approved," said Richard Arango, executive vice
president of Remington, Vernick and Arango, the town's engineering
firm.

Committee members aren't as sure, but said there's no chance the plan
will be approved by the DEP if they don't revise it.

"This would answer a lot of the current outstanding questions by the
DEP," Committeeman Kelly Shea said, "but they have a history of coming
up with new questions."

* * *

Email: jbo...@phillyBurbs.com

# # #

Rachel's Environment & Health News
Environmental Research Foundation
POB 160
New Brunswick NJ 08903-0160
Tel: 732-828-9995
Fax: 732-791-4603
Email: e...@rachel.org
Web: http://www.rachel.org

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

MORRIS COUNTY PLANS COURSE OF ACTION

Date: 030615
From: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/morris/

BERKSHIRE VALLEY MAY OPEN IN FALL FOR LIMITED PLAY

By Lawrence Ragonese, Star-Ledger Staff, June 15, 2003

The views are magnificent. A bald eagle perches on soft green grass,
surveying the countryside for a potential meal. Pure white egrets on
stick legs nestle in the reeds of the still waters of a wetlands. The
Rockaway River flows through the lush valley with several picturesque
lakes in the foreground and a beautiful hilled vista in the distance.

For Jeff Biggs and Mark Holster, it is like viewing their own
personal nature show.

"I think it's breathtaking," Holster, manager of building and
construction for the Morris County Park Commission, said as he looked
at the scene. "We took a raped piece of land and turned it into
something magnificent."

That something is the county's new Berkshire Valley Golf Course, a
beautiful 6,000-acre playground in Jefferson that is just waiting to
be shown off to thousands of golfers, the results of a nearly $20
million investment in county tax dollars.

"The harmony of recreational use and nature will make this so
special," Biggs said as he watched a bald eagle that had landed in an
area between the 13th and 14th holes of the 18-hole championship golf
course. "We have actually brought wildlife back to this site. Could
you imagine 400 homes on this site - and that's what it could have had
- instead of what we have done here?"

Held up for many months by political and bureaucratic disputes, the
process of getting the course opened is expected to move ahead
tomorrow, when a required amendment to the state's northeast water
quality management plan is published in the State Register. That could
finally lead to approvals for septic systems, which have been the
sticking point in getting the course opened.

A pitched battle between the county and state Department of
Environmental Protection over septic and other issues in the past few
years seems to be ending, as politically connected consultants and
lawyers have interceded with the state to get the project back on
track.

The water quality management plan calls for pumping as much as 3,485
gallons of wastewater daily into the ground from the golf course via
two separate sewage disposal systems. These systems are needed to
accommodate expected clientele, generating wastewater from four
sources, a clubhouse, snack bar, comfort station and maintenance
building.

County officials long disputed the state's demand for two septic
systems, saying the golf course would only generate half the
wastewater estimated by the state. But they lost the battle and now
hope the process can move along quickly enough to possibly allow the
golf course to open for limited play in the fall.

Larry Baier, director of the DEP's Division of Watershed Management,
explained once the plan is published in the register, there will be a
30-day written comment period, which could lead to a public hearing.
As that process moves along, the county will be able to pursue a few
other important environmental permits, with a likely conclusion of the
process by September if no major unexpected issues arise.

Baier said he has received assurances from DEP Commissioner Bradley
Campbell that the county could open the course, using portable
toilets, before septics are installed and the entire bureaucratic
process is completed, as long as it seems everything is in order with
the permit process.

Park Commission Director David Helmer said the situation would be
assessed in mid-to-late-summer, with the physical condition of the
course a key factor in determining if limited play could begin. Park
system officials have discussed the possibility of using just nine
holes at first or allowing just small numbers of golfers to play the
course to minimize stress on the newly grown turf.

Helmer said the expertise of the U.S. Golf Association and turf
management experts would be tapped as independent sources in helping
make those choices.

"We want to know what kind of harm could be done, if any, by starting
play his year," said Helmer. "But I really don't think we'll be
playing 18 holes this year."

The county also has held up the bidding process on construction of a
clubhouse and other structures pending approval of needed state
permits. Because of that uncertainty, Helmer said course rangers, shop
managers, cashiers and other needed employees have not yet been hired.

Park Commission officials have long vowed to provide more recreation
opportunities in the northwest sector of the county. After some failed
efforts to find a golf course site, the commission in 1998 purchased
an abandoned quarry off Berkshire Valley Road in Jefferson, announcing
they would turn the environmentally damaged, moon-like tract, filled
with hunks of old lumber, rusted hulks of old vehicles, junked tires,
and discarded metal drums, into a golf course.

It would be the fourth golf course operated by the commission. Others
are Pinch Brook in Florham Park, Sunset Valley in Pequannock and
Flanders Valley in Mount Olive and Roxbury.

Work crews prowled the new course last week, raking, mowing, fixing
up trouble spots and preparing the course for play. Biggs, meanwhile,
is working on a list of minor defects with the contractor.

"This is going to be something really special," Biggs said.

Holster nodded in agreement, saying, "Time is going to prove this is
one of the finest projects the county ever did."

* * *

Lawrence Ragonese is a reporter in the Morris County bureau. He can be
reached at lrag...@starledger.com or at (973) 539-7910.
Copyright 2003 The Star-Ledger.

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

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE FROM HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS

Date: 15 Jun 2003
From: "Peter Montague" {Pe...@rachel.org}

World Wildlife Fund

DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS

Sign the "U.S. Declaration of Independence from Hazardous Chemicals"
(see below) and speak out for better controls on chemicals that can
harm people and wildlife around the world. World Wildlife Fund will
deliver the declaration to European Union officials who are currently
considering landmark legislation to regulate dangerous chemicals. We
will also share the signed declaration with President Bush right
before the Fourth of July Independence Day to demonstrate the U.S.
popular support for safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals.

- - -

U.S. DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE FROM HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS

As Americans and citizens of the global community, we value healthy
families, safe jobs, and a clean environment. In light of the growing
evidence of health and environmental dangers posed by a dependence on
hazardous chemicals, we declare our support for sensible policy
reforms that lead to safer alternatives.

Promising state and local initiatives are underway in the United
States, but our national chemicals strategy is outdated and
ineffective. Existing laws and regulations - here and around the
world - fail to protect people from the hazards of chemicals, or even
provide basic safety data for most chemicals in everyday use. As a
result, many contaminants are accumulating in our bodies and in the
environment, threatening human and ecological health.

We are aware that the European Union is considering draft legislation
(known as REACH) that could dramatically improve the management of
chemicals internationally, with important benefits for public health,
environmental quality, and corporate accountability. We applaud Europe
for confronting this challenge and we urge the European Commission to
ensure that the following three principles are integrated into the
REACH legislation:

1) Substitute Safer Alternatives

To promote innovation and prevent further contamination, chemicals of
"very high concern" must be steadily replaced by safer alternatives.

2) Honor the Public's Right-to-Know

To ensure adequate accountability, we must have access to information
about chemicals that we are exposed to in everyday products, in the
workplace, and in our communities.

3) Level the Playing Field

To protect workers, consumers, and the environment in a global
economy, higher regulatory standards must apply equally to all
chemicals, whether domestically produced or imported.

Finally, since we all have a right to be free from hazardous
chemicals, we call on the U.S. government to enhance the health,
security, and welfare of the American people by following Europe's
lead and bringing our national policy on chemicals into the 21st
century.

Go here to sign the Declaration:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/toxics/whatsnew/declaration.cfm

# # #

Rachel's Environment & Health News
Environmental Research Foundation
POB 160
New Brunswick NJ 08903-0160
Tel: 732-828-9995
Fax: 732-791-4603
Email: e...@rachel.org
Web: http://www.rachel.org

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

NEW LABS AND OFFICES FOR MARINE WATER MONITORING - JUN 17

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

June 16, 2003

Trenton - Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner
Bradley M. Campbell will officially open new offices and laboratories
for the Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring in Leeds Point, Atlantic
County at 11 a.m. Tuesday. The facility will conduct regular testing
of shellfish for metals and other contaminants, as well as help in the
monitoring of marine water quality and events such as oil spills and
algal blooms.

Following remarks by the commissioner, reporters will have an
opportunity to tour the new facility and preview a Web-based 24-hour
water-monitoring system that soon will be available to the public.

DIRECTIONS:

From the North:
Follow the Garden State Parkway south to Exit 48 (Smithville - Route
9). Follow Route 9 south to the traffic light at Moss Mill Road in
Smithville (Alternate 561). Turn left at the light and bear to the
right at the second intersection onto Smith-Bowen Road. Follow Smith-
Bowen Road to its end at Leeds Point Road. Turn left on Leeds Point
Road and travel about 200 yards to Stoney Hill Road. Turn onto Stoney
Hill Road and follow it to the offices of the Bureau of Marine Water
Monitoring.

From the South:
Head north on the Garden State Parkway and exit at the Jimmy Leeds
Road rest area. Look for signs for Jimmy Leeds Road. Turn right onto
Jimmy Leeds Road. After going beneath the Parkway overpass, turn left
onto Great Creek Road. Follow Great Creek Road to its intersection
with Route 9. Turn left on Route 9, then bear right at the Oceanville
Fire House onto Leeds Point Road. Follow Leeds Point Road about 3
miles to Stoney Hill Road (on the right). Turn onto Stoney Hill Road
and follow it to the offices of the Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring.

From the West:
Take the Atlantic City Expressway east to the Garden State Parkway
north. Follow directions for "From the South".

* * *

Contact: Peter Boger, (609)984-1795

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

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

SUSSEX/WARREN FARMLAND AND OPEN SPACE ROUNDTABLE - JUN 24

Date: 16 Jun 2003
From: "Amy Berridge" {aber...@tnc.org}

SUSSEX & WARREN COUNTIES TO HOLD
FARMLAND & OPEN SPACE ROUNDTABLE
LAND PRESERVATION FORUM PLANNED FOR TUESDAY, JUNE 24

Augusta - Sussex & Warren Counties Farmland and Open Space Roundtable
will hold their third roundtable on Tuesday, June 24 at the Sussex
County Fairgrounds, Administration Center, Meeting Room, 37 Plains
Road, Augusta, Sussex County. The meeting will start at 7:30 p.m. and
run until 10 p.m.

The mission of the Farmland & Open Space Roundtable is to provide an
opportunity for State, County, municipal officers, nonprofit
conservation groups to be come more effective in preserving farmland
and opens space in Sussex and Warren counties and to partner with
others involved in preservation. Join the Farmland & Open Space
Roundtable and find out what your municipality and neighbors are
planning for farmland and open space preservation. The meeting is open
to all individuals who are involved and interested in the preservation
of farmland and open space in their communities.

Learn what the next steps are once you have obtained funds for open
space preservation and how others have handled landowner outreach,
appraisals, negotiations, and stewardship.

Featured speakers will include Donna Traylor, Coordinator, Sussex
County Farmland and Open Space Preservation and Bob Resker, Director,
Warren County Department of Land Preservation. The presentation "So
You Have a Farmland and Open Space Tax...Where to go Now?" will focus
on farmland preservation including funding sources, contacting
landowners, negotiating with landowners, making partnerships, "how to"
do appraisals, title, contracts, and surveys. A panel discussion will
follow, so come and ask `the experts' your questions.

The Sussex & Warren Counties Farmland and Open Space Roundtable
Committee in partnership with the NJDEP Green Acres Program, New
Jersey Conservation Foundation, Ridge and Valley Conservancy, Warren
County Department of Land Preservation, The Nature Conservancy, Bryam
Township, and Sussex County Agriculture Development Board organize
this project. For further information and directions to the Sussex
County Fairgrounds, Administration Center, contact Liz Mataset or
Kimberly Testa (NJDEP Green Acres Program) at (609) 984-0500.

- - -

Contact: The Nature Conservancy in the Skylands 973-300-0311

The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit
organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities
representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands
and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its more
than one million members have been responsible for the protection of
more than 14 million acres in the United States and have helped
preserve more than 83 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean,
Asia and the Pacific. Active in the Garden State since 1955, the
Conservancy established the New Jersey Chapter in 1988. Within the
state, the Conservancy has protected over 50,000 acres and has
completed over 300 conservation transactions with the help of 33,000
individual members, as well as corporate sponsors and foundations. The
Nature Conservancy of New Jersey launched a community-based program
office in the Skylands in July 2001 to safeguard the globally
significant Skylands, designated by the Conservancy as a Last Great
Place. Visit us on the Web at nature.org/New Jersey.

* * *

Amy Berridge, Director of Communications
The Nature Conservancy of New Jersey
Kay Environmental Center
200 Pottersville Rd
Chester NJ 07930
Phone: 908-879-7262 x32
Fax: 908-879-2172

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

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

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

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

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

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