Clean Water News

As the new home of NJPIRG's environmental work, Environment New Jersey can be contacted regarding this news release. 

NEW BRUNSWICK—Before the first public hearing this evening on Gov. Jim McGreevey’s water initiative, some of the state’s environmental leaders urged that the new protections be quickly adopted and that the governor announce a more comprehensive round of protections early next year.

The proposed upgrades for 15 waterways, officially called Category One, will increase protections for nine of the state’s largest drinking water reservoirs and six streams that provide over 3. 5 million New Jersey residents with drinking water and provide habitat for threatened and endangered species.

"These are smart protections to encourage smart growth," said Douglas O’Malley, NJPIRG’s clean water associate. "We need to give increased protections to our drinking water sources and we need to stop encroaching development from coming right up to the banks of our pristine rivers and reservoirs."

At the hearings, NJPIRG presented over 9,000 postcards as pieces of official public comment that support the governor’s initiative and have been collected from all over the state. Over 70 mayors have signed onto the Save Our Waterways campaign, calling on the DEP and Gov. McGreevey to strengthen protections for the state’s pristine drinking waters sources. In addition, over 60 local and state-wide environmental groups have urged the governor to sign strong new protections.

"Today starts a new day in how we protect our drinking water in New Jersey. For the first time drinking water reservoirs get more protection than a mud puddle in parking lot. This is only the beginning—there are many more streams and reservoirs that need more protection," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

Gov. McGreevey announced the new protections this Earth Day, proposing 15 waterways for protection, calling on the DEP to announce a comprehensive round of upgrades early next year and to implement protections into existing regulations. The protections would ensure that the water quality would not be measurably degraded by:

1) creating buffer zones that would restrict development around waterways

2) stopping new or expanded sewer lines, and

3) placing tough standards on industrial discharge.

The advocates praised the governor’s initiative and focused on its three major points:

1) Implementing these new protections for the 15 proposed waterways before finalizing any new sewage treatment permits that would discharge into them;

2) Adopting a more comprehensive list of waterways to receive these increased protections during the first half of 2003; and

3) Increasing enforcement of these new protections throughout DEP regulatory apparatus as exemplified in the new stormwater rules that were just announced yesterday.

"The governor’s initiative has enormous potential—safer drinking water, smarter growth, protected endangered species habitat and less sprawl," stated NJ Environmental Federation Campaign Director David Pringle. "To ensure its potential is reached, we need to implement it this year before any new pollution is permitted. Today’s hearing helps get us there—it’s a launch pad not just to determine if these waterways get upgraded, but how and when. The bottom line is this is a great first step to a three step process—many more waterways need to be upgraded fast and these protections comprehensively enforced."

Currently, the DEP is considering a sewage discharge permit from K. Hovnanian Co. to discharge 88,000 gallons of daily sewage into the Sidney Brook in Union Township from a proposed development, Milligan Farms. If the new protections are granted to the Sidney Brook, the developer would have to meet a much higher standard for the planned sewage discharge. The upgrading of the South Branch of the Rockaway Creek would also place a much higher standard on the plans for a Pulte Homes development, Windy Acres, in Clinton Township.

Yesterday, the DEP announced strong, new protections in the form of stormwater management rules that implement Category One protections into the regulations. The new protections call for a 300-foot buffer established in undisturbed areas along a Category One reservoir or river.

"By enforcing current protections and extending these protections to crucial waterways in New Jersey, we can assure our residents that New Jersey is committed to safeguarding our precious natural resources," said State Sen. Leonard Lance (R-23), a strong supporter of the initiative.

The new proposed protections are amendments to the Surface Water Quality Hearings and can be read in full at www.state.nj.us/dep/wmm/bfbm/sgwqt.html. There will be a second and final public hearing on December 18 at 1 p.m. in Trenton at the DEP.

For more background on the governor’s water initiative, please refer to his Earth Day press release, www.state.nj.us/cgi-bin/governor/njnewsline/view_article.pl?id=690.

List of 15 Waterways that the Governor has proposed for Category One designation, the highest level of protection, to ensure they remain unpolluted:

Nine Reservoirs
1. Boonton Reservoir: Boonton Township in Morris County
2. Charlottesburg Reservoir: Rockaway in Morris County
3. Doughty Reservoir: Egg Harbor, Galloway, Absecon in Atlantic County
4. Glendola Reservoir: Wall in Monmouth County
5. Manasquan Reservoir: Howell in Monmouth County
6. Oradell Reservoir: Oradell in Bergen County
7. Round Valley Reservoir: Clinton Township in Hunterdon County
8. Swimming River Reservoir: Colt’s Neck in Monmouth County
9. Wanaque Reservoir: Wanaque in Passaic

County Six Streams
1. Assincunk Creek: Mansfield in Burlington County
2. Beaver Brook: Clinton in Hunterdon County
3. Flatbrook/Walpack: Walpack in Sussex County
4. Pequest Tributary: Mansfield in Warren County
5. Sidney Brook: Union in Hunterdon County
6. South Branch of Rockaway Creek: Clinton in Hunterdon County