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GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS 030725

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Jul 25, 2003, 1:14:23 AM7/25/03

030725

GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{*} TAKE ACTION! SHUT THE DOOR TO TOXICS ON FARMLANDS
{*} COALITION LOBBIES FOR HIGHLANDS PLAN
{*} DOVER TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS CRITICIZE $20M OPEN SPACE PLAN
{*} US PLAN A TACTIC TO DELAY ACTION ON GLOBAL WARMING
{*} NINE NE GOVERNORS FAVOR CAPPING POWER PLANT EMISSIONS
{*} NEW JERSEY AGENCIES EMBRACE MID-ATLANTIC WIND
{*} EMISSIONS TEST DELAYED
{*} CARS NAMED AS LARGEST REMAINING SOURCE OF LEAD POLLUTION
{*} REPORT FINDS SPRAWL HURTS POCKETBOOK AND ENVIRONMENT
{*} ECOLOGISTS URGE PREVENTIVE CONSERVATION OF COASTAL AREAS
{*} NEWARK SETS HEARINGS ON WATERSHED PLAN
{*} RINGWOOD: CLEAN WATER VS. A RIGHT TO SUE
{*} DRINKING WATER CONTAMINATED IN MONROE
{*} CLEANUP OF OLD ATLANTIC CITY LAUNDRY COSTING MILLIONS
{*} ENVIROS OPPOSE ROWAN UNIVERSITY HOUSING PLAN
{*} BIG PURCHASERS CAN SPARK SUSTAINABILITY SHIFT
{*} TWO NY/NJ BAYKEEPER JOBS AVAILABLE
{*} AQUATIC INSECTS AND MUSKRATS IN HAZLET
{*} SLUDGE HEARING - JUL 28
{*} HUNTERDON HAZARDOUS WASTE CLEAN UP DAY - SEP 13

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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 helping out, please
send an email message to mai...@gsenet.org.

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TAKE ACTION! SHUT THE DOOR TO TOXICS ON FARMLANDS

Date: 24 Jul 2003
From: Jenny Vickers {jen...@optonline.net}

TAKE ACTION!

SHUT THE DOOR TO TOXICS ON YOUR FOOD, FARMS, AND PARKS!

OPPOSE THE PROPOSAL TO PERMIT "EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY SLUDGE"
ON FARMLANDS

PROBLEM:

The NJ Agricultural Committee recently proposed to permit sludge on
preserved farmlands. This so-called "exceptional quality" sludge
contains heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and chromium, as well as
contaminants such as dioxins, PCB's flame retardants, and pesticides.
Currently, permitting this sludge on preserved farmlands is
prohibited, and NJ DEP does not permit its use on Green Acres lands,
nor is it permitted in the Pinelands with certain exceptions.

Giving sludge the "Agricultural Management Practice" status gives the
green light for it to be used on state lands, even on food crops. It
also confers "right to farm" protection to the practice, which means
municipalities can't issue stricter guidelines, and neighbors of farms
that use it have no recourse if it stinks to high heavens. Farmers are
divided on their feelings about applying sludge. Many won't use it,
and most food processing companies won't accept produce grown in it.

TAKE ACTION:

Write TODAY to the State Agriculture Development Committee and say NO
to the proposal to permit sludge application on New Jersey preserved
farms! The hearing will be Monday, July 28th at 3:00 p.m. at the
Health and Agricultural auditorium in Trenton. Call 609-984-2504 for
directions or a copy of the proposal-the comment period closes on
August 8th. Include the following points in your letter:

* Sludge regulations are inadequate to prevent human and
environmental harm from heavy metals, dioxins, PCB's,
radionuclides, flame retardants, and persistent pesticides.

* As a consumer, I won't buy food from farms who use sludge on their
crops.

* As a taxpayer, I object to public lands, including preserved farms,
being used as a dumping ground for toxic sludge.

* I oppose the rule proposal for Biosolids Land Application
Agricultural Management Practice, NJA.C. 2:76-2A.10T

Please write TODAY to:

State Agriculture Development Committee
Gregory Romano, Executive Director
PO Box 330
Trenton, NJ 08625-0330
Send a copy of your letter to DEP Commissioner Brad Campbell, who
wants to
permit sludge on Green Acres lands-parks, forests, and urban tree
planting
projects:

DEP Commissioner Brad Campbell
410 East State St., PO Box 402
Trenton, NJ 08625

- - -

TIPS ON EFFECTIVE LETTER-WRITING:

Your letter is critical to our success. Each handwritten,
personalized letter equates to 300-500 voters conveying your message.
Elected officials assume there are many people who feel the same as
you, who didn't take the time to write. Keep it short and simple and
stay on message. Please let us know you've written this letter by
simply emailing jvic...@cleanwater.org. Thanks!

* * *

New Jersey Environmental Federation
1002 Ocean Avenue
Belmar, NJ 07719
PH: 732-280-8988
FAX: 732-280-0371
jvic...@cleanwater.org
http://www.cleanwateraction.org/

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COALITION LOBBIES FOR HIGHLANDS PLAN

Date: 030724
From: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/morris/

OFFICIALS SUPPORT REGIONAL PANEL

By Lawrence Ragonese, Star-Ledger Staff, July 24, 2003

A coalition of North Jersey government leaders is asking Gov. James
E. McGreevey to create a Highlands Task Force to develop a regional
plan to control growth in a vast section of North Jersey that yields
much of the state's drinking water, officials said yesterday.

Officials from Morris, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon and Somerset
counties are backing a plan proposed to McGreevey six weeks ago by the
Highlands Coalition, a group of some three-dozen environmental groups,
who are concerned about the future of the region.

The task force would not make policy, but would have a strict
timetable - possibly one year - to study key issues and make
recommendations to the state that could lead to regulations to control
growth, said Morris County Freeholder Margaret Nordstrom, who attended
a meeting of county officials on the subject this week.

The committee, as suggested by county officials, would include some
15 to 20 members, including representatives of county and local
government, environmental organizations and the building/ development
industry, said Nordstrom.

"So many studies have been done on this but have led to nothing when
it comes to long-term answers," said Nordstrom. "I'm concerned that 10
years from now the momentum we now have will have died and we'll be
worse off than ever."

The Highlands includes an expansive swath of green in northern New
Jersey that contains countless streams and reservoirs but is under
increasing development pressure. It includes parts of Bergen,
Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties.

McGreevey announced plans earlier this year to spend at least $75
million over the next three years to preserve open space in the
Highlands, saying, "The opportunity to preserve our dwindling open
space is swiftly passing us by."

Some of the governor's proposals would empower the state Department
of Environmental Protection to condemn land endangered by development
and to give tax breaks to people who sell or deed land to the state.
At the same time, the federal legislators are working on a plan to
allocate $25 million annually for preservation in the Highlands.

But exactly how massive preservation should be undertaken and who
would oversee the effort, needs to be determined.

"You find a lot of commonality among towns and counties in the
Highlands. They see a need for regional planning, a need to protect
water resources, but they realize it can't be done alone," said
Michele Byers, executive director of the NJ Conservation Foundation.

A variety of tools and strategies are essential to safeguard the
region, including regulatory protection and strengthening powers of
counties and towns to control development, the environmental coalition
contends. But developers have expressed concern that huge tracts of
land could be excluded from building, leaving few places to create new
housing in Northwest Jersey.

State officials said yesterday they are interested in the task force
concept but need more information.

"It would be inappropriate to comment on possible goals...or
timetables at this time," said E.J. Miranda, spokesman for the state
Department of Community Affairs.

* * *

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.

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DOVER TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS CRITICIZE $20M OPEN SPACE PLAN

Date: 030724
From: http://www.app.com/

By John Hazard, Staff Writer, Ocean County Observer, 07/24/03

Toms River - About 60 Dover Township residents turned out for a
public hearing at the Township Committee meeting Tuesday, most to
offer criticism of a Republican proposal to buy $20 million worth of
open space with the help of the Toms River Regional Board of Education
and Dover Municipal Utilities Authority.

Many in the audience demanded voters be allowed to decide such a
large expenditure in a binding ballot referendum.

Supporters, including Dover Mayor John F. Russo Jr., defended the
plan to partner the township, the Toms River Regional Board of
Education and Dover Municipal Utilities Authority, to each bond for
$6.6 million to provide $20 million to buy open space land as a means
to limit residential development in Dover and its impact on rising
school and municipal taxes and sewer rates.

"I'm not against the idea," said Dan Polifroni, of Dover's Ortley
Beach section. "I just have a funny feeling when I'm asked to rush
into things. What's the rush? I want the chance to vote for my
decisions."

Polifroni asked why he was allowed to vote in 2000 to approve a 1.5-
cent tax increase to provide $5.5 million for open space acquisitions,
but not allowed to vote on this much larger proposal. The township has
proposed using the money from that open space tax to pay debt service
on the $6.6 million bond for its share.

Paul C. Brush, the Your Election Slate candidate for mayor, the first
to propose the matter be brought to voters for approval, said the
issues should be thoroughly flushed out over the next few months and
approved by voters at the polls.

"All (we) ask is that the residents of Dover Township be given the
opportunity to decide," he said.

Russo said the township will hold future public hearings on the
issue, but has argued against a ballot referendum.

"If voters don't like the results they can vote me out in November,"
he said. "That's the referendum. I'm willing to stake my reputation
and my political career on it."

"The land is disappearing in Dover Township. We need to act now," he
said. "We are in a race with the developers and we have to beat them
to the finish line."

Of particular concern, Russo said, is the JAMM Realty property, on
Hooper Avenue, where the township has blocked a developer's plans to
construct a proposed 325-unit apartment complex. The suit is likely to
be forced into settlement and the township will need money to purchase
the property if they expect to keep the developer out, Russo said.

"That's real houses that won't be built, real cars that won't be on
our roads," Russo said. "We will need to act quickly and we will need
the money available right away."

Democratic Committeeman Richard M. Larsen said he agreed with many of
the residents' concerns and said the committee had far too many
questions remaining about the partnership before it could move ahead.
Larsen and fellow Democratic Committeeman John M. Furey have
questioned whether the DMUA can afford to pay its share of the
proposal and whether the three can legally buy and own land together.

"I want answers to so many questions before this plan is ready," he
said.

Several citizens also criticized the school system's involvement,
questioning whether it was legal or adviseable for the township to
partner with the regional school for the purpose of land acquisition.

David F. Lipton, a Beachwood resident, questioned whether any school
money could be spent on acquisitions without approval by voters in the
four towns that make up the regional school district.

"There pulling an end run on the normal procedure of getting voter
approval," Lipton said. "What is in this for residents in the other
three towns and why should they support it?"

Lipton told the committee that if they partnered with the school
district, he would initiate a lawsuit to stop the measure.

James Ellis, who serves as deputy commissioner of the Township's Open
Space Advisory Commission which identifies land to be purchased using
funds from the special 1.5-cent open space tax, said partnering with
the school board would place too many restrictions on the location and
nature of land that can be purchased.

"(The schools) are required by law to only purchase property that
furthers their core mission. This automatically places restrictions on
(the Township)," Ellis said. "This is not in the spirit of the
township's open space program."

Such restrictions could include the right to eventually build on or
use the property, said Willie deCamp, president of Save Barnegat Bay,
an Ocean County based environmental advocacy group.

"It's a matter of truth in advertising," deCamp said. "Are you really
saving open space, in the spirit of the open space tax, if you are
allowing the schools to build on it?"

* * *

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US PLAN A TACTIC TO DELAY ACTION ON GLOBAL WARMING

Date: 030724
From: http://panda.org/

WWF - The Conservation Organization, 24 Jul 2003

US RESEARCH PLAN ANOTHER TACTIC TO DELAY
TAKING ACTION ON GLOBAL WARMING

Washington DC - The ten year research proposal for the US Climate
Change Science Program announced today by the Bush Administration
appears to be another attempt to focus attention on scientific
uncertainties instead of taking action on the basis of science that
already exists, according to WWF.

"If we continue to delay action while the Administration reinvents
climate science we will miss the window of opportunity to reduce
future impacts on communities and wildlife," said Katherine
Silverthorne, director of WWF's US Climate Change Program.

"It is important to continue to build our knowledge of climate
science, but the existing body of scientific literature on climate
change makes clear that we must take steps to reduce emissions of
heat-trapping emissions simultaneously while broadening our
understanding," said Silverthorne. "Existing reports by top experts-
the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, a White House commissioned report by the National Research
Council, and a 2002 report by the US Department of State-project an
array of potential harm if action is not taken to reduce emissions of
the heat-trapping gases that cause climate change."

In its review of an earlier version of the proposal, the National
Academies highlighted that the proposal itself recognized that
"uncertainty is inherent in science and decision making and therefore
not in itself a basis for inaction," discounting the argument for
delaying action based on scientific uncertainty.

"The Administration's irresponsible approach to global warming is
putting us all at risk," said Silverthorne. "The planet has been
diagnosed with a life-threatening disease and rather than working on a
cure, the Administration is looking around for a second opinion it
likes."

This proposal comes close on the heels of the release of an US
Environmental Protection Agency report where Administration officials
censored references to well accepted climate science, as reported by
the New York Times.

* * *

For further information:
Kathleen Sullivan
WWF-US
Tel: +1 202-778-9576
Email: kathleen...@wwfus.org

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NINE NE GOVERNORS FAVOR CAPPING POWER PLANT EMISSIONS

Date: 24 Jul 2003
From: "Peter Montague" {Pe...@rachel.org}

GOVERNORS OF NINE NORTHEAST STATES COMMIT TO REGIONAL
INITIATIVE TO REDUCE POWER PLANT EMISSIONS

Governor George E. Pataki today announced that he has received
commitments from the Governors of nine northeast states to join New
York State in a regional strategy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
from power plants. The initiative proposed by the Governor would
involve developing a market-based emissions trading system to require
power generators to reduce emissions.

"By taking bold steps to control pollution and investing in the
development of alternative and more efficient energy initiatives, New
York State has led the nation in improving air quality," Governor
Pataki said. "I thank the leaders of northeast states who have joined
New York in this historic initiative to build on those efforts by
working together to develop an effective regional strategy to further
reduce harmful emissions."

On April 25, 2003, Governor Pataki sent letters to 10 governors
encouraging their participation in the regional strategy. The Governor
directed Public Service Commission Chairman William M. Flynn and
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Erin M.
Crotty to contact their counterparts and gauge their respective
state's level of interest within 90 days. The two agency leaders
provided an assessment of the progress made on the initiative.

To date, the governors of Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire,
Delaware, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Rhode
Island have sent letters expressing their interest in working with New
York to develop a cap and trade program for carbon dioxide emissions
from power plants. Maryland has indicated that they may participate in
the discussions at a later date.

Ashok Gupta, Director of the Air and Energy Program for the Natural
Resources Defense Council said, "With such a positive bi-partisan
response to address climate change pollution, the Northeast can now
move expeditiously to establish a framework for a multi-state cap and
trade program for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
The debate in the Northeast is no longer about climate science but how
best to use existing technologies to reduce emissions and minimize
energy costs at the same time."

The Greenhouse Gas Task Force was formed by Governor Pataki in June
2001 to assist the state in developing policy recommendations and
strategies to reduce New York's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A
majority of the Task Force members agreed and recommended that the
State pursue a regional approach to reducing emissions. An independent
facilitator, the Center for Clean Air Policy, based in Washington
D.C., issued a report based upon the Task Force process in April.

James T. B. Tripp, general counsel of Environmental Defense, a
national environmental organization, and a member of Governor Pataki's
Greenhouse Gas Task Force said, "We strongly support the Governor's
exciting, multi-state, regional power plant carbon cap initiative.
Since the nine northeastern states that have joined this initiative
have about 1/5 of the nation's population, this is not only a major
regional initiative, but a critical national precedent as to how to
deal with global warming. Environmental Defense helped to pioneer the
use of cap and trade systems to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions from
power plants as part of the federal Clean Air Act amendments of 1990.
The tough challenge lies ahead as these states undertake discussions
to set multi-state power plant carbon baselines, the basis for a cap
and trade system, that are both fair and efficient. We are prepared to
help these states with the best science and economics available to
meet this challenge with the hopes that this system can be in place
within two years."

Paul J. Elston, board member of the League of Conservation Voters and
a member of the Greenhouse Gas Task Force, said, "The positive
response from almost all of the northeastern governors to work toward
a regional carbon cap-and-trade program is great news for the
environment. We thank Governor Pataki for outstanding leadership on
the important national and international issue. This effort could
define the roadmap and set the standard for a national program."

Gavin J. Donohue, President and Chief Executive Officer of the
Independent Power Producers of New York said, "The New York power
generating industry is pleased that New York and the other Northeast
states recognize air pollution is a regional problem that needs a
regional solution. I thank Governor Pataki for this initiative, and
Chairman Flynn and Commissioner Crotty should be commended for
bringing together such diverse interests to work toward a common plan
of action."

DEC Commissioner Erin Crotty said, "Governor Pataki's vision and
leadership have made New York a national leader in improving air
quality. With a collaborative approach among northeast states, we can
make tremendous strides in taking pollutants out of our skies. The
support we have witnessed in response to the Governor's proposal is an
important first step as we foster partnerships that will work toward
improving public health and the environment through reductions in
carbon dioxide emissions."

New York State Public Service Commission Chairman William M. Flynn
said, "Governor Pataki's recognition that regional cooperation among
states is a key to developing effective strategies for reducing carbon
dioxide emissions has received broad support from our neighboring
states. Just as electricity is being traded in larger, more regional
markets, it makes sense to move forward with a regional cap and trade
program for emissions, and I look forward to working with my
counterparts on this important issue."

Leaders from the states participating in the regional initiative will
next convene in September 2003 to begin detailed discussions on the
development of the initiative. The overall goal of the group is to
reach an agreement by April 2005 on a flexible, market-based cap and
trade program.

- - -

Contact: Press Office, 518-474-8418

# # #

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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NEW JERSEY AGENCIES EMBRACE MID-ATLANTIC WIND

Date: 030723
From: http://ens-news.com/

Environment News Service, July 23, 2003

Wayne, Pennsylvania - A mid-Atlantic energy company today announced
the largest single retail sale of wind power in the region's history.
The deal calls for Pepco Energy Services to supply an aggregation of
New Jersey state agencies with wind-generated electricity from
Community Energy of Wayne, Pennsylvania.

Pepco Energy Services, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc., has
agreed to a 33-month contract to supply more than 24 megawatts of
electricity - 12 megawatts of which will consist of energy purchased
from Community Energy and produced by wind farms located in the mid-
Atlantic region.

More than 90 percent of the wind power will come from Community
Energy's new Bear Creek wind farm near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania,
less than 60 miles from northern New Jersey.

The renewable energy will supply 180 New Jersey accounts beginning
this month, including Rutgers University, New Jersey Highway
Administration, New Jersey Transit and the New Jersey Turnpike
Authority.

The public agencies joined together for the purpose of creating one
electricity contract to obtain the lowest cost "Green-E" certified
electricity. In addition, the agencies wanted to meet the 10- percent
environmentally friendly green power goal established by New Jersey
Governor James McGreevey.

Pepco Energy Services and Community Energy struck a longterm
agreement in April 2003, a partnership that allows the energy provider
"to provide emissions-free wind power to our customers," said Dr. Ed
Mayberry, president and chief executive officer of Pepco Energy
Services.

Community Energy markets power from five of the seven wind farms in
the mid-Atlantic, and two of three wind farms in New York.

Pepco Energy Services also supplies energy from wind farms to the
U.S. General Services Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Transportation, World
Bank and the International Finance Corporation.

* * *

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EMISSIONS TEST DELAYED

Date: 030724
From: http://www.nytimes.com/

By Stacy Albin , NY Times, July 24, 2003

Trenton - The state will postpone until January a requirement that
the owners of about 640,000 automobiles take a new emissions test,
Bradley M. Campbell, the state environmental protection commissioner,
said yesterday. The state wants more time to educate drivers about the
new test, he said. Previously set for Aug. 4, the test would have
applied to the owners of cars in the 1996 and 1997 model years. The
new test reads emission data from a computer in the automobile and
will replace what is known as the tailpipe test, where actual
emissions are measured. The state had planned to introduce the
computer examination for automobiles dating from the 1996 model year
to the present. Mr. Campbell said the postponement did not affect cars
in the 1998 model year and later.

* * *

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CARS NAMED AS LARGEST REMAINING SOURCE OF LEAD POLLUTION

Date: 030723
From: http://ens-news.com/

Environment News Service, July 23, 2003

New York, NY - The use of lead in cars accounts for the largest
remaining source of lead pollution, finds a new report released
jointly today by Environmental Defense and the Ecology Center. The
report "Getting the Lead Out: Impacts of and Alternatives for
Automotive Lead Uses" details that the lead starter battery used in
automobiles is responsible for the majority of current lead use in the
world.

It finds that the North American automobile industry is responsible
for the release or transfer each year of more than 300 million pounds
(136,508 metric tons) of lead through mining, smelting, manufacturing,
recycling and disposing of lead-containing automotive components -
primarily batteries - and through normal vehicle use.

"Automobiles are responsible for a majority of lead pollution in
North America, or approximately 16 pounds of lead per vehicle over its
lifetime," said Jeff Gearhart, report author and clean car campaign
research director for the Ecology Center.

The report calls on the automotive industry to phase out lead use in
cars, most notably in the starter battery, and to take responsibility
for ensuring the recovery and proper management of lead used in cars.

There is increasing concern about the health effects of lead, in
particular for pregnant women and children.

"Research suggests there is no safe exposure to lead," said Jerome
Nriagu, professor of environmental health sciences at the University
of Michigan. "Lead poisoning is one of the most serious environmental
health problems in the United States and the world."

The report details that lead is used in a number of car components,
including lead wheel weights, solder in electronics, and lead car
batteries, even though lead-free alternatives are available.

For example, the report says that lead wheel weights can be replaced
with tin or steel weights and that alternative battery technologies
such as nickel-metal hydride batteries are on the road today in gas-
electric hybrid cars and can be further developed for use in
conventional vehicles.

"Investment in alternative technologies - much like FedEx is doing by
introducing vehicles with lithium-ion batteries into its fleet - is
critical," said Kevin Mills, coauthor of the report and director of
the Clean Car Campaign at Environmental Defense. "The automotive
industry can safeguard children's health by improving vehicle design."

* * *

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REPORT FINDS SPRAWL HURTS POCKETBOOK AND ENVIRONMENT

Date: 030723
From: http://ens-news.com/ens/

Environment News Service, July 23, 2003

Washington, DC - Environmentalists often decry how the nation's
transportation planning shortchanges the environment, but a new report
released Tuesday finds that something else is being shortchanged - the
budgets of American families. A report from the Surface Transportation
Policy Project (STPP) shows that America's families spend more than 19
cents out of every dollar earned on transportation - an expense second
only to housing and greater than food and health care combined.

The report says that the nation's poorest families are in particular
hard hit, spending more than 40 percent of their take home pay just to
get around, an expenditure that that has risen 33 percent since 1992
and is making it all the more difficult for lower income families to
afford housing, health care, and other critical services.

Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the report titled
"Transportation Costs and the American Dream: Why a Lack of
Transportation Choices Strains the Family Budget and Hinders
Homeownership," ranks metro areas according to the portion of
household expenditures devoted to transportation.

STPP is a nonprofit organization with the goal of ensuring
transportation policy and investments conserve energy, protect the
environment, strengthen the economy and make communities more livable.

Its latest report details that transportation costs are highest in
sprawling areas such as Tampa, Phoenix and Dallas, due to spread out
development patterns, the lack of transportation choices and the
absence of convenient neighborhoods within walking distance of shops
and schools.

These development patterns force people into vehicles, the report
says, with negative impacts on air and water quality, as well as
wildlife and habitat.

The report finds that for many low and middle income families, the
costs of owning and maintaining several vehicles may even be
prohibiting their ability to own a home - considered one of the most
reliable forms of wealth creation.

"It makes no sense to build transportation systems that exacerbate
income and wealth inequalities," said Rich Stolz, senior policy
analyst at the Center for Community Change. "It is time for Congress
and state and local planners to make policies that place the needs of
people ahead of automobiles."

The new findings come at a time when Congress is debating renewal of
the massive federal transportation bill and beginning deliberations
over the budget for the Transportation Department.

* * *

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ECOLOGISTS URGE PREVENTIVE CONSERVATION OF COASTAL AREAS

Date: 030723
From: http://ens-news.com/

Environment News Service, July 23, 2003

Washington, DC - A new report published by the Ecological Society of
America finds that marine conservation and management strategies need
to address juveniles and their habitats and should shift from
mitigation and restoration measures to more preventive conservation of
key coastal areas such as seagrass meadows, marshes, oyster reefs and
kelp and mangrove forests.

The concept of nursery habitat and strategies for protecting them
have been poorly defined, according to the report, titled "The Role of
Nearshore Ecosystems as Fish and Shellfish Nurseries."

"Most marine conservation and fisheries management strategies focus
on adult populations, not on protecting juvenile habitats, which are
probably the hardest hit by human activities," said lead author
Michael Beck of The Nature Conservancy and the University of
California-Santa Cruz. "We have been talking about the importance of
the nursery value of these near shore habitats for too long without
focusing concerted effort on their management and conservation."

The report outlines clear guidelines on assessing which coastal areas
actually serve as vital nurseries for animals such as clawed lobster,
pink snapper, blue crab, flounder, and brown shrimp.

These guidelines include comparison of nursery value among different
ecosystems, consideration of juvenile survival and growth, measurement
of the movement of juveniles to adult habitats as well as measurement
of the size and number of individuals added to adult populations.

"Because our ability to restore ecosystems such as salt marshes and
seagrass meadows is limited we believe more effort should go towards
conservation efforts," Beck explained. "More habitat needs to be
protected, for example, from the impacts of dredging and coastal
development."

The report also notes that nursery habitats are caught between the
jurisdictions of multiple agencies and recommends that key U.S.
federal agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Fish and
Wildlife Service and the US Geological Survey establish a jointly
funded program focused on nursery ecosystem management.

But the government can not be expected to "do it all," Beck said.

"We should increase opportunities for private sector involvement for
example through the conservation lease and ownership of coastal,
intertidal and submerged lands," Beck added.

* * *

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

NEWARK SETS HEARINGS ON WATERSHED PLAN

Date: 24 Jul 2003
From: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/essex/

MAYOR HAS PROPOSED MERGING AGENCIES

Newark Star-Ledger, July 24, 2003

The Newark City Council is conducting a series of hearings on Mayor
Sharpe James' controversial plan to create a nonprofit agency to merge
and then run the city's watershed and water utility operation.

Under James' "Water Optimization" plan, the new corporation would run
the watershed and water and sewer utilities, which have a combined 225
employees and $79 million budget. The lease would last 40 years.

The new agency would float $129 million in bonds for operating
expenses and bond repayment. It would provide the city with a $90
million concession fee over three years and take on $70 million in
water and sewer bond debt from the city.

An additional $75 million payment to the city is also possible if
certain conditions are met under amendments to the plan.

Under the plan, water rates would increase 6 percent, and sewer rates
would rise 10.75 percent in the first year and 3 percent or more in
each of the following years of the contract, depending on the amount
of money required to pay the new agency's bond indebtedness.

A hearing in the West Ward was held Tuesday.

Here are the dates and locations for the four remaining hearings,
which will begin at 7 p.m.:

Central Ward: Tonight, council chambers, City Hall, 920 Broad St.

East Ward: Tuesday, Portuguese Sports Club, 51-55 Prospect St.

South Ward: July 31, Malcolm Shabazz High School, 80 Johnson Ave.

North Ward: Aug. 5, council chambers, City Hall.

* * *

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

RINGWOOD: CLEAN WATER VS. A RIGHT TO SUE

Date: 030724
From: http://www.northjersey.com/

By Jan Barry, Staff Writer, July 24, 2003

Ringwood - Ken and Dianne Yurista built their dream home on a quiet
cul de sac in a wooded glen.

Shortly after moving from Palisades Park with their two children into
their $500,000 country place last year, they learned there had been a
gasoline leak into the groundwater that supplies the residential
area's wells.

Now the Yuristas, and their neighbors in four other expensive new
homes on Deer Trail Court, face a dilemma.

Worried about health effects from low levels of methyl tertiary butyl
ether, a gasoline additive that was found in some wells on their
street and nearby streets, they and other area residents threatened
lawsuits and pressed officials to provide water from the municipal
system.

In response, Ringwood drew up a plan to install a municipal water
line to serve 160 homes in the Forsgate neighborhood. In return, the
homeowners are being asked to sign a release not to sue the borough or
ConocoPhillips, the company that owns a nearby Mobil station where a
state environmental investigation found a leak more than a year ago.

"I want the water, but I'm not going to sign my rights away," said
Ken Yurista, an electrician who works on construction projects.

Residents can refuse the water connection and stay on their own
wells. But that would run the risk of contaminants invading their tap
water in serious quantities.

Yurista is upset that, even if he goes with the hookup, it's a vexing
deal: Besides having to surrender his right to sue if he agrees to a
hookup, he would lose the $7,000 he spent to install his new well last
year and would have to pay $500 a year in water fees.

He also worries his brand-new home might be damaged by blasting
needed to put a water-line trench through the ledge of bedrock in his
front yard. Standing amid his manicured lawn, he also points to the
massive wall of hand-set fieldstones that he doesn't want ruined.

"I don't want somebody tearing up my yard and not putting it back
right," he said. As for his well, he said: "Either reimburse me, or
leave me my well for watering the lawn and washing my cars."

The five-page release the borough wants homeowners to sign outlines
the deal Ringwood officials negotiated with ConocoPhillips to put up
$4 million to help pay for the water line. Ringwood is proposing to
bond about $2 million to cover the remainder of the project's
estimated costs. The bond would be repaid through water usage fees
charged to the new customers.

The release spells out conditions set by Ringwood and ConocoPhillips,
which include not being held responsible for property damages arising
from "alleged releases" of pollutants, installation of a water line,
and closing and sealing homeowners' wells.

Adding to the family's dilemma, tests of the Yuristas' well have not
turned up any MTBE. Levels of the contaminant in other wells in the
new development have registered below one part per billion. What
worries the Yuristas is that much higher levels have been recorded in
some wells in the area and in test wells at the Mobil station and
behind a nearby shopping center.

MTBE is used to reduce unhealthy vehicle emissions by helping
gasoline burn cleaner. It has been linked to cancer and neurological
problems in animal studies, according to the federal Environmental
Protection Agency.

The Yuristas' neighbors on Deer Trail Court have similar concerns and
have jointly hired a lawyer to represent them.

"I wouldn't sign that without knowing what I'm getting into," Brian
Papiernik, another of the new homeowners, said of the legal release.
"We need an educated opinion from our attorney."

At a recent community meeting, borough officials said they need
nearly 100 percent agreement by owners of the 160 homes in the
Forsgate neighborhood in order to put in the water line at no cost to
homeowners. Several residents at that meeting said they felt
Ringwood's plan to put in a water line was a good idea. Others,
including Yurista and his new neighbors, wanted more information.

Mayor Jerry Holt said Wednesday that some signed releases have been
returned to Borough Hall, which asked for responses by July 31. Holt
said the borough plans to handle the water-line installation and
restore landscaping after the work is done.

No provision was made, he said, to compensate homeowners who would
lose new wells. Officials want the wells closed, he said, to prevent
any possibility of contaminated water in a private well getting into
the municipal water system.

"They'll have to make the decision whether it is appropriate for
them," Holt said of residents wary of the water-line deal.

* * *

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DRINKING WATER CONTAMINATED IN MONROE

Date: 24 Jul 2003
From: "Peter Montague" {Pe...@rachel.org}

MONROE NEIGHBORHOOD'S WATER OPTIONS WEIGHED

By Gene Vernacchio, Courier-Post Staff, July 24, 2003

State environmental officials are weighing ways to provide clean
water to Rex Avenue homes plagued by contaminated wells for nearly
four years.

Since 1999, six homeowners along Rex Avenue, a rural street bordering
Washington Township, have been relying mostly on bottled water and in-
home filtration units after elevated levels of mercury were found.

In an analysis, state Department of Environmental Protection
officials outline three possible solutions:

Install deeper wells.

Maintain the in-home filters.

Connect affected homes to municipal water lines.

State officials will not select an option until a public comment
period concludes July 31.

Jo Stamper, a Rex Avenue resident whose water is contaminated with
mercury, said she and others are lobbying for municipal water lines to
be extended into her neighborhood. "Most of the people on the block
want to be hooked up to city water," Stamper said.

She said she is concerned about the possible expense of connecting to
the Monroe Municipal Utilities Authority lines but still thinks it is
the best option.

Stamper also said a new housing development is being proposed nearby
and she thinks it makes the most sense to connect all homes to
municipal water.

The well contamination on Rex Avenue was confirmed by the Gloucester
County Health Department in 1998, which became aware of mercury
contamination in other areas of the township earlier.

County officials tested 22 wells in and around Rex Avenue and found
six with mercury levels that exceeded the state's Safe Drinking Water
Maximum Contaminant Levels.

A test on one well showed mercury levels at 21 parts per billion.
State officials consider less than 2 parts per billion safe in
drinking water.

Risks of mercury, a toxic heavy metal, include neurological and other
health problems, particularly in developing fetuses and young
children. Mercury accumulates in microorganisms and stays in the body
once ingested or absorbed.

As part of its analysis, DEP officials also performed a cost estimate
of each alternative. Drilling deeper wells is estimated at $127,220;
maintaining in-home Point of Entry Treatment Systems is estimated at
$51,310; and connecting to public water supplies is estimated at
$471,600.

County health department officials are suggesting long-term use of
the in-home systems as the most cost-effective solution.

Jacqueline Sickels, MUA executive director, said in cases of a small
number of affected homes, maintaining in-home systems is a more cost-
effective option.

Well contamination is nothing new in Monroe. The township has been
plagued by water woes for years.

Sickels said the MUA has added 250 to 300 new residential hook-ups
due to well contamination over the past few years. Primary areas added
to public water lines include Crystal Lake, Winslow Road and the East
Woods development.

* * *

Reach Gene Vernacchio at (856) 251-3343 or
gvern...@courierpostonline.com
Copyright 2003 Courier-Post.

# # #

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

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

CLEANUP OF OLD ATLANTIC CITY LAUNDRY COSTING MILLIONS

Date: 24 Jul 2003
From: http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/

CRDA TAKEN TO CLEANER ON SITE CONTAMINATION

By Donald Wittkowski, Staff Writer, (609) 272-7258
Press of Atlantic City, July 24, 2003

Atlantic City - It hasn't been declared a Superfund site, but the
location of an old industrial laundry is turning into an environmental
nightmare costing millions of dollars to clean up.

And no one can say for sure when the job will be completed or what
the final price tag will be.

The state Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, or CRDA, which
bought the century-old laundry from Atlantic City Linen Supply Inc.
and demolished it to make room for a housing project, disclosed this
week that contamination is much worse than first thought and will
require even more money to eradicate.

"This has been a major headache for us all," said Edward C. Einhaus,
the CRDA's housing director.

Marking the sixth or seventh time it has increased funding for the
project, the CRDA approved an extra $265,313 in cleanup costs on
Tuesday, bringing the total price tag to nearly $3 million. More money
will be needed before the work is done, authority officials warned.

"There is no guarantee that this is the last time," CRDA Executive
Director James B. Kennedy told the authority's board members while
seeking their approval for additional funding.

The laundry site - on North Carolina Avenue between Caspian and
Adriatic avenues - was supposed to provide new housing that would
complement the CRDA's multimillion-dollar redevelopment plan for the
surrounding neighborhood.

Soil contamination caused by dry-cleaning chemicals was discovered
after the laundry was demolished in 2001. Since then, CRDA contractors
have excavated several thousand tons of tainted soil and also have
cleaned up contaminated groundwater.

Complicating matters, the state Department of Environmental
Protection, or DEP, has ordered the CRDA to dig even deeper for soil
contamination because the water table has dropped since cleanup
efforts began, Kennedy said.

The cleanup process has become even more tedious and difficult after
the recent discovery of oil pollution, presumably from old underground
storage tanks.

To clean up the oil, work crews had to bring in new pumps, storage
tanks and filtration equipment - adding even more costs.

It was originally thought that contamination was confined to the
laundry property, but dry-cleaning chemicals have been discovered
under the roadbed and there is no end in sight.

"We're still chasing dry-cleaning chemicals under the roadbeds, and
we're going to chase them until we find the end," Kennedy said.

Meanwhile, the CRDA has filed a lawsuit in state Superior Court in
hopes of recovering cleanup costs from the laundry's former owners.

Among those named in the suit are Atlantic City Linen Supply and
Harrah's Atlantic City. The casino company owned the laundry before it
was purchased by Atlantic City Linen.

Former owners have denied responsibility for the contamination.
Atlantic City Linen said it took great care to properly dispose of its
cleaning chemicals.

Now courtroom adversaries, Atlantic City Linen and the CRDA formerly
worked together to develop a new $14 million industrial laundry at
Delaware and Arctic avenues to replace the demolished facility. The
CRDA gave the company financial assistance to relocate.

* * *

To email Donald Wittkowski at The Press: DWitt...@pressofac.com

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

ENVIROS OPPOSE ROWAN UNIVERSITY HOUSING PLAN

Date: 24 Jul 2003
From: "Peter Montague" {Pe...@rachel.org}

ROWAN FOREST REMOVAL FOUGHT

THE UNIVERSITY IS CUTTING DOWN TREES ON A 7-ACRE TRACT OF LAND
IN THE HEART OF CAMPUS IN ORDER TO BUILD MORE STUDENT HOUSING

By Kaitlin Gurney, Philadelphia Inquirer, July 24, 2003

Glassboro - Rowan University tried to buy the apartment complex next
door. Then it tried for the nursing home down the road.

Each time the growing university has tried to find new beds to house
students' heads, something - whether it be mold or angry neighbors -
has gotten in the way.

Rowan now has turned to its own campus to meet housing needs,
planning to build townhouses on its last patch of forested land.

And it has met with opposition once again.

Representatives from four environmental groups gathered at the seven-
acre tract yesterday, contending that the university's plans to cut
down trees, some of which are 300 years old, for student housing
amounts to ecological sabotage.

"An untouched forest like this is a treasure," said Jane Nogaki of
the New Jersey Environmental Federation. "We call upon Rowan's
leadership to promote smart growth, not to be purveyors of sprawl."

The environmentalists urged Rowan officials to spare the forest and
build on off-campus land that the university owns closer to downtown
Glassboro.

The land in the heart of campus is home to old-growth oaks, wetlands,
and species such as red-tail hawks, said Fred Stine of the Delaware
Riverkeeper Network. He compared the land to the MacArthur Tract, an
old-growth forest of similar size in Haddon Township that officials
earmarked for recreational fields to environmentalists' dismay.

"We understand Rowan needs additional housing, just as Haddon
Township needs athletic fields," said Stine, as Sierra Club and Newton
Creek Watershed Association members shook their heads in agreement.
"But this is no way for Rowan to teach its students how to be land
stewards."

Rowan officials said they shared the environmentalists' concerns
about cutting down such ancient trees but said the project would not
be halted. One-third of the nearly 3,000 students who live on campus
each year are tripled up in dorm rooms designed for two.

The university is counting on the townhouses being ready to house 464
students by fall 2004, spokesman Joe Cardona said.

"We're ready to build tomorrow, and the clock is ticking," Cardona
said. "We can fill those 464 beds on day one and still need to build
beds for another 400."

More of the university's 10,000 students apply each year to live on
campus, he said. Rowan's efforts to meet that demand were delayed
after the discovery of mold foiled the purchase of the 400-unit
Crossings apartment complex next to the campus, and after the protests
of Washington Township residents blocked an alternative plan to
purchase a nearby nursing home.

Cardona said the university planned to save as many of the tall oaks
it could and would plant three trees for every one it cut down, in
accordance with state law. That would mean more than 1,000 trees would
be planted on a nearly treeless campus, he said.

But students will lose a tract of land used as an outdoor classroom
for years, said biology professor Patricia Mosto.

"We will compensate, of course, but anyone who does environmental
work would be disappointed to see trees cut," Mosto said. "Some of
those oaks are 300 years old and have never been cut, and the basic
fact is that it is a nice, attractive, healthy forest."

* * *

Contact staff writer Kaitlin Gurney at 856-779-3910 or
kgu...@phillynews.com.
2003 Philadelphia Inquirer

# # #

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

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

BIG PURCHASERS CAN SPARK SUSTAINABILITY SHIFT

Date: 030724
From: http://ens-news.com/

Environment News Service, July 24, 2003

Washington, DC - Mega-consumers such as government agencies,
corporations, international organizations, and universities are
critical to the effort to shift the world toward an environmentally
sustainable future, finds a new study from the Worldwatch Institute.

Environmentalists often focus on changing the consumption patterns of
individuals, but these large institutions spend billions of dollars
annually on goods and services and hold considerable sway over the
health and stability of many of the world's fragile ecological
systems.

The enormous purchases of these large institutions from vehicle
fleets to cleaning supplies, "can have far greater consequences for
the future of our planet than the buying habits of most individual
households," said report author and Worldwatch Research Associate Lisa
Mastny.

"Green purchasing will never be a magic solution to the world's
rampant resource consumption, but it does offer tremendous
opportunities for lessening the impacts," says Mastny.

The study by the international research organization - titled
"Purchasing Power: Harnessing Institutional Procurement for People and
the Planet" - details how the large scale, systematic approach that
most institutions take in their purchasing can have large ripple
effects on which products are used by hundreds or even thousands of
individuals.

Government purchasing, for example, accounts for as much as 25
percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in some industrial countries.

Government procurement in the European Union alone totaled more than
$1 trillion in 2001, or 14 percent of GDP, and in North America, it
reached $2 trillion, or about 18 percent of GDP.

Worldwatch notes that universities spend billions of dollars each
year on everything from campus buildings to cafeteria food.

In the United States, colleges bought some $25 billion in goods and
services in 1999 - equivalent to nearly three percent of U.S. GDP.

International organizations are massive spenders as well, with the
United Nations spending nearly $14 billion on goods and services in
2000.

"Just one environmentally focused purchasing policy or guidance - if
properly implemented and enforced - can bring widespread benefits to
an institution," Mastny explained. "By investing in everything from
energy-efficient lighting to organic food, growing numbers of
businesses, government agencies, hospitals, and other organizations
are not only creating safer and healthier workplaces, but are also
saving money."

Global consumption spending has increased six fold since 1950,
according to the United Nations, with the wealthiest one-fifth of the
world responsible for the vast majority of this spending. But Mastny
reports that if enough demand for green products is generated, entire
markets can shift.

For example, a 1993 directive by President Bill Clinton ordering the
United States government to buy only computer equipment that met the
higher energy efficiency standards of the government's Energy Star
program helped set into motion a "massive overhaul of the consumer
market."

The U.S. government is the world's single largest computer buyer and
Worldwatch finds that Clinton's directive helped change the market to
its current state, where 95 percent of all monitors, 80 percent of
computers, and 99 percent of printers sold in North America meet
Energy Star standards.

The report says that government purchasing is credited with spurring
the rise of recycled paper to the level of standard office supply in
many European countries.

Large corporations have a critical role to play in the push for
sustainability - the report details the impact of U.S. home
improvement retailer Home Depot's 1999 adoption of a green purchasing
policy.

Responding in part to pressure from the Rainforest Action Network,
Home Depot's decision helped shift other retailers to phase out
endangered wood products and favor wood coming from sustainably
managed forests. Today retailers accounting for more than 20 percent
of the wood sold for the U.S. home remodeling market have made adopted
similar policies and two of the nation's biggest homebuilders also
pledged not to buy endangered wood.

Although green purchasing initiatives are gaining favor in the
industrialized world, Worldwatch acknowledges that the developing
world is a different story. And rising consumer demand in development
countries only adds to the challenge.

Mastny suggests that institutions can help spread green purchasing in
developing countries is by using their own procurements to strengthen
local green markets.

The United Nations, the World Bank and multinational corporations can
stimulate green markets by seeking to buy a greater portion of their
goods and services from local green suppliers - something that Mastny
adds can help these institutions and companies combat mounting
criticism about the environmental impacts of their activities.

As more institutions realize that green purchasing can improve
employee health, the environment, and the bottom line, Mastny says,
"groups that disregard environmental factors risk being left behind."

* * *

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

TWO NY/NJ BAYKEEPER JOBS AVAILABLE

Date: 24 Jul 2003
From: Aviva Zuller {aviva_...@netlabs.net}

JOB DESCRIPTION

RESTORATION PROJECT MANAGER, NY/NJ BAYKEEPER
Full time position with benefits
Location: Highlands, NJ

POSITION SUMMARY

Manage community-based oyster restoration program. Duties will
include overseeing reef construction, field monitoring of subtidal
oyster habitat, and extensive interaction with volunteers. Position
involves significant field work along with presentations and reporting
duties.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Manage implementation of community-based oyster habitat restoration
projects involving volunteers and diverse partners. Conduct field
sampling of subtidal oyster reefs on small boats and by diving.
Collect and record biological and water quality data. Analyze data and
create scientific reports. Coordinate and manage large numbers of
volunteers in oyster aquacualture program Give public presentations to
schools and other groups.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required education and experience: Bachelor's degree in Environmental
science, biology, or related field and 2-3 years of experience in
field. Experience with field surveys and/or ecological restoration
projects.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Applicant must be self-motivating and able to work independently.
Must have excellent organizational skills. Speaking and writing
communication skills are imperative. Must be able to lift 50 pounds.
Experience with shellfish aquaculture preferred. Experience
operating, towing and deploying small boats desired. Certified scuba
diver a plus.

SALARY

Competitive Not for Profit Salary commensurate with experience.
Benefits.

TO APPLY

Send CV and cover letter to Aviva Zuller, Programs Manager, NY/NJ
Baykeeper, Building 18, Sandy Hook, Highlands, NJ 07732,
aviva_...@netlabs.net

- - -

PART-TIME RESEARCH POSITION AVAILABLE
with Environmental Non-Profit Organization

NY/NJ Baykeeper is currently seeking Research Intern to work with the
Baykeeper Conservation Program Staff to ensure the efficient operation
of the Conservation Program and Baykeeper office. This position offers
broad experience related to environmental advocacy and land
preservation. A complete job description with skills required follows.

NY/NJ Baykeeper is an affiliate of the American Littoral Society. The
mission of the Baykeeper program is to protect, preserve and restore
the ecological integrity and productivity of the Hudson/Raritan
Estuary, its tributaries and watershed. As the citizen conservation
advocate for the Estuary's waterways and shores, the Baykeeper stops
polluters, champions public access, and influences land use decisions.
Baykeeper pursues opportunities for direct land preservation and
habitat restoration and helps advance the Estuary's environmental and
biological importance as well as its value as a recreational and
cultural resource.

The Of Research Intern is a part-time (15-20 hours) position, paying
between $7.00 - $9.00 per hour, depending on education and experience.
Holidays, sick days, and benefits are not included.

DUTIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO

Answering phones;
Photocopying, and general office support;
Organizing and managing filing system;
Creating and maintaining mailing list and media database;
Researching and obtaining property specific information such as tax
maps and resource inventories
Assisting Program Staff with project specific tasks

QUALIFICATIONS

At least 18 years of age. An interest in biology, education,
communications, environmental science, history, non-profit
organizations or related fields. The qualified applicant should
possess good computer skills (knowledge of Word, Excel, and Access);
good oral and written communication skills, enjoy diverse challenges
and people, and function well with minimal supervision. The ideal
candidate should be flexible, hard working and have a good sense of
humor. Specific job training will be provided.

Positions run from early July through late September and will be open
until filled.

For more information contact Aviva Zuller, av...@nynjbaykeeper.org or
call 732-291-0176. Apply by submitting a resume, cover letter and
contact information for at least three references.

* * *

NY/NJ Baykeeper is a non-profit environmental advocacy and
conservation organization whose mission is to protect and restore the
natural resources of the Hudson-Raritan Estuary. Baykeeper is based at
the Sandy Hook Unit, Gateway National Recreation Area. Baykeeper is an
Equal Opportunity Employer

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

AQUATIC INSECTS AND MUSKRATS IN HAZLET

Date: 030724
From: http://www.ahherald.com/

OLD OAK TRAIL
By Joe Reynolds, j...@ahherald.com
Atlantic Highlands Herald, 24 July 2003

Water is one of the most important natural resources we have on
Earth. Water allows plants to grow and allows animals to flourish.
Water can also provide transportation, power, and pleasure to many
people.

The Bayshore region in northern Monmouth County is a small area with
unpretentious streams and creeks that drain into either Raritan Bay or
Sandy Hook Bay. Unfortunately, government officials and residents for
decades looked to Bayshore waterways and wetlands as garbage dumps or
barricades to development. Consequently, the many sediment-laden
waterways and litter-strewn choked creeks tell us that the Bayshore
watershed is hurting.

Flat Creek is one waterway among 14 in Monmouth County's Bayshore
region. Yet, the good news is that local citizens are again taking an
interest in Flat Creek and demanding improvements in water quality to
richen livelihoods, enhance recreation, and enlarge the region's
natural biodiversity.

For those who do not know, Flat Creek is a waterway that drains from
a large land area in Holmdel and Hazlet townships, and the Borough of
Union Beach. The creek begins in the hills of Holmdel Township,
specifically within the grounds of the PNC Bank Arts Center, and
between the north and south lanes of the Garden State Parkway near
Holmdel Road where it is known as Monaskunk Creek, and joins Flat
Creek in Hazlet. The creek drains into Raritan Bay at the sandy beach
along Front Street in Union Beach.

To lay the groundwork for future restoration of Flat Creek, the
Hazlet Environmental Commission and the Bayshore Regional Watershed
Council sponsored a public program on Saturday, July 12th to help
identify the type of aquatic life in the creek. Jennifer DuFine, our
Americorps Ambassador for eastern Monmouth County, hosted the
activity.

Over 25 people were present to help to identify some of the critters,
such as insects, that exist in the waters of Flat Creek. The
participants were not only from Hazlet, but also from neighboring
towns including Holmdel and Atlantic Highlands.

Technically, the activity we did this day is termed by NJDEP as BATS
(Biological Assessment Teams) and it is an easy and inexpensive way to
monitor local freshwater streams. Anyone, regardless of age, income,
or experience, can monitor their neighboring waterway by using BATS.
By collecting insects and crustaceans that live in the water, one can
analyze the amount and diversity of species to assess the health of
the stream. The more diverse the wildlife in the water, the healthy
the creek.

Some of the insects found in Flat Creek included aquatic worms,
snails, scuds, and cranefly larva. These are important species for a
healthy aquatic food web to exist. In addition, we also observed
"Mike" the muskrat swimming by us. Male muskrats constantly patrol
their territories. Muskrats get their name from the strong musky scent
they leave to indicate territory. For a majority of the year, the diet
of muskrats consists of marsh vegetation, but they can also eat
quantities of freshwater clams and other types of shellfish.

Yet, in spite of seeing Mike, not enough insect species were found in
Flat Creek to ascertain that the creek has good water quality. Flat
Creek currently suffers from serious pollution problems, primarily
from erosion and non-point pollution sources. Non-point pollution
(known as people pollution since it cannot be identified as coming
from a specific source, and cannot be controlled through regulations)
is one of the biggest human activities that influences the health of
Flat Creek. Non-point pollutants such as herbicides, pesticides, pet
or animal wastes, motor oil, trash, and litter, affect the creek by
adding garbage and chemicals to its waters. These pollutants lower
water quality and reduce the habitat needed for wildlife to exist.

If you would like to help with the restoration of Flat Creek, then
you are invited to join us on Saturday, August 16th to help label
stormdrains with non-point pollution plaques (rain date will be
Saturday, August 23rd. We will meet at 9am inside the Hazlet Public
Library on Middle Road.

Furthermore, on Saturday, September 6th we will conduct a clean up of
Flat Creek to remove years of little and debris. We will meet 9am at
the Hazlet Public Library.

I would like to conclude this article by offering a special thank you
to Jennifer Dufine for all her time, cooperation, and patience in
helping to not only improve Flat Creek, but all waterways in eastern
Monmouth County. Her term as a Watershed Ambassador is up in August.
In the past year, she has helped to educate many people on why it is
important to protect and preserve our waters. Thank you and good luck
Jen! The Bayshore region will miss you.

- - -

Lenape Woods Preserve
http://www.ahherald.com/atlantichighlands/lenprsvshots.htm

* * *

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SLUDGE HEARING - JUL 28

Date: 24 Jul 2003
From: Jane Nogaki {jano...@eticomm.net}

GROUPS SAY NO TO SLUDGE ON PRESERVED FARMS

A broad-based group of food, farming, conservation and environmental
organizations is calling on the State Agriculture Development
Committee (SADC) to keep sludge off preserved farmland.

"Sludge is just too unregulated and too unreliable to be used on land
where we grow our food or graze livestock," says Jane Nogaki of the
New Jersey Environmental Federation. "We didn't stop dumping sludge in
the ocean only to see it spread on farmland."

They will be testifying in opposition to the Biosolids Land
Application Agricultural Management Practice, proposed by the State
Agriculture Development Committee in May, which removes existing
restrictions on the use of sludge on preserved farmland. The proposed
regulation would also protect farmers using some types of sludge on
non-preserved farms from _restrictive_ municipal ordinances and public
and private nuisance actions under the state's Right to Farm Act. The
SADC extended the public comment period and scheduled a public hearing
after numerous groups, including several county agriculture
development boards, asked for more time to comment.

The New Jersey Conservation Foundation, New Jersey Environmental
Foundation, Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey, the
Environmental Research Foundation and the NJ Environmental Justice
Alliance are among the groups planning to testify.

The public hearing is scheduled for Monday, July 28th at 3 p.m. at
the Health and Agriculture Building ( first floor Auditorium) in
Trenton.

- - -

Contacts:
Karen Anderson, NOFA NJ 609-737-6848
Jane Nogaki, NJ Env. Federation 856-767-1110
Peter Montague, Env. Research Fndtn. 732-828-9995
Allison Mitchel, NJ Conservation Fndtn. 908-234-1225

* * *

Jane Nogaki
NJ Environmental Federation
223 Park Ave
Marlton NJ 08053
856-767-1110
856-768-6662 fax
jano...@eticomm.net

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HUNTERDON HAZARDOUS WASTE CLEAN UP DAY - SEP 13

Date: 030724
From: http://www.thehcnews.com/

Hunterdon County News, 07/24/03

Saturday, September 13, 2003
9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Route 12 County Garage
Hunterdon County Complex
Flemington, NJ 08822

NO PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED

The County no longer requires pre-registration for it's Hazardous
Waste Cleanup Program

If you have any questions, please email : ajoh...@co.hunterdon.nj.us
or call between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm at: 908-236-7111, FAX
908-788-1662.

ACCEPT WITH NO QUANTITY LIMIT: Used Motor Oil Automotive and Household
Batteries Anti-Freeze WE WILL ACCEPT UP TO 10 GALLONS OR 80 POUNDS OF
THE FOLLOWING: PLEASE NOTE THE NEW ITEMS BEING ACCEPTED Amounts in
excess of 10 gallons or 80 pounds may incur a cost for disposal Latex
Paint * Varnish/Stains Herbicides Gas/Oil Mix Mercury Computers &
Monitors *** Oil Based Paint * Insecticides Pool Chemicals
Photographic Chemicals Fuel Oil/Sludge Paint Thinner Pesticides
Aerosol Cans Battery Acid Diesel Fuel Asbestos Pipe Wrap Gasoline
Kerosene Drain Cleaner Fluorescent Tubes ** Propane Tanks **** *
consolidate latex paints and oil based paints, keeping them type
separated, to make full cans ** wrap fluorescent tubes in newspaper or
put back in original sleeve *** No keyboards or other equipment will
be accepted **** No freon, helium or other tanks will be accepted WE
WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: Solid Waste Empty Containers *
Radioactive Materials Explosives Pentachlorophenol PCB's Silvex *Empty
dry containers with the lids off can be disposed of with regular
garbage or recycled with tin and bi-metal at the Hunterdon County
Transfer Station.

NEXT CLEANUP DAY IS SCHEDULED FOR: Saturday, March 13, 2004

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

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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Tel: 973-394-1313 - Fax: 973-394-9513
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