Clean Water In the News

BY CAROLYNNE VAN HOUTEN
STAFF WRITER

TOMS RIVER — A panel of scientists and policy experts discussed the impact of pollution on Toms River Thursday night at Town Hall.

Their theme: Action is needed as members of the group Environment New Jersey described the negative consequences of overdevelopment and collective runoff pollution.

"The Toms River and the natural places that depend on its clean waters, including the Pinelands and Barnegat Bay, are at risk because of the impact of runoff pollution from increased development," said spokesman Ethan Levine. "Four of New Jersey's four coastal counties, Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May, accounted for more than a quarter of the state's growth in urban land in recent years."

The panel pointed out the irony of polluting the very waters that are intended to attract visitors.

"Every day, 50 acres of open space are lost due to development," Levine said.

Cara Muscio, a marine agent with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, pointed out that there are two types of pollutants — point source and nonpoint source — both of which contribute to watersource pollution.

"The way I explain it is point source pollutants are the type that you can literally point to and say "This is the source of the problem,' " she said. "The federal Clean Water Act has helped in this area by limiting chemicals ... that act as pollutants. Nonpoint source pollutants are less evident, and that's where the trouble arises.

"Rain, construction and stormwater runoff picks up pollutants and carries them to the water," she added. "Things like oil and gasoline from cars and sediment from erosion and construction may not be as obvious, but they're contributing factors. Certain bacteria, other pathogens and even certain nutrients disrupt the ecosystem."

Muscio said that even though most residents of Ocean County move here because they love the bay and the ocean, more people place additional stress on local ecosystems.

"We need smart policies, education, citizen conservation efforts and research, if we're going to find a solution," she said.

The specific action outlined at the panel discussion advocated writing letters to Gov. Jon S. Corzine and state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa Jackson, urging them to protect the Toms River by granting it Category 1 protection, which specifies that no alteration can be made to the existing waterway.

In addition, the designation of Category 1 status on a segment of a waterway also triggers the establishment of a 300-foot riparian buffer zone along its banks, placing limits on new, large-scale development projects.

"Category 1 recognizes the link between our actions and the quality of our water," said Susan Kennedy, policy advocate for the American Littoral Society, an environmental group. "These protections are far-reaching, including the preservation of woodlands and trees within the designated space.

"And something like preserving woodlands can help stabilize the ecology of the region and other things, like retaining the temperature of the water," she added.

On Nov. 1, a petition was filed by the American Littoral Society, Environment New Jersey, the New Jersey Audubon Society, the New Jersey Environmental Federation, the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, Save Barnegat Bay and the Sierra Club's New Jersey Chapter. The petition requested that the DEP officially grant Toms River Category 1 designation. The DEP has yet to respond.

"We do not want the petition to linger another four years, like last time," Kennedy said. "If we want to protect our waterways, we must act quickly."

The panel agreed that the future of our wetlands depends upon our individual actions. It issued a petition that read, in part: "Toms River is worthy of this designation because of its high water quality, exceptional recreational value, ecological significance as habitat for threatened and endangered species, and source water for the Barnegat Bay. Not only is the designation appropriate, but badly needed, as the development boom in the part of the state could forever degrade the Toms if left unchecked."

Requests for the Toms River to attain Category I status should be sent to: The Honorable Jon Corzine, Governor of New Jersey, Statehouse, PO Box 001, Trenton, NJ 08625-0001, (609) 292-6000; and Commissioner Lisa Jackson, N.J. Dept. of Environmental Protection, 401 E. State St., P.O. Box 402, Trenton, NJ 08625-0402.