Key Water Quality Report Being Withheld From Public Release
As the new home of NJPIRG's environmental work, Environment New Jersey can be contacted regarding this news release.
TRENTON—New Jersey's leading statewide environmental organizations filed a
petition with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
Region II, asking the EPA to sanction the New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) for its failure to produce a critical
report on water quality, mandated under the federal Clean Water Act.
Group leaders say the report has been drafted, but held from public
release. The petition specifically requests that the EPA withhold the
funding it normally provides to the DEP to support its efforts to
comply with requirements of the Clean Water Act.
"This
is just the latest chapter in DEP's continued failure to meet the basic
mandates of the Clean Water Act," said Dena Mottola, Clean Water
Advocate, NJPIRG Citizen Lobby. "We have filed this petition as a last
resort. We would prefer and appreciate it if the Governor would step
in, as she has before to her credit, and get the DEP to release the
report."
The
DEP is required to submit a 305 (b) report to the federal EPA, every
two years, and to make those reports publicly available in their
states. This year, the DEP failed to submit a 305 (b) report to the EPA
and the citizens of New Jersey; it was due on April 1, 2000. The 305
(b) report describes the health and pollution trends of all navigable
waterways in the state and includes a comprehensive qualitative and
quantitative assessment of whether those waterways support water
quality standards set forth in the federal Clean Water Act.
"The
305 (b) report is the most important tool that policymakers and
advocates have to assess the health of our state's waters. We need the
reports to evaluate the success of New Jersey's clean water policies
and to advise us when critical new clean water policy is in the making,
as it is right now," said Jeff Tittel of the New Jersey Sierra Club.
The
DEP has proposed to overhaul two major rule packages on water quality
this year: the Watershed Management Rules package and the Surface Water
Quality Standards. Both have invited considerable criticism from
environmentalists, public health organizations, legislators, media,
sportsman organizations, tens of thousands of citizens, and a network
of New Jersey mayors for containing policies that would allow more
pollution into our waterways and fail to implement water clean-up plans
in a timely fashion.
"The
greatest changes in these rules concern pollutants, that we don't know
enough about, and that are specifically targeted by the 305 (b) report.
These changes could lead to increased fish kills in our waterways and
greater concentrations of contaminants linked to miscarriages, birth
defects, cancer and gastrointestinal disease in our drinking water,"
said Amy Goldsmith, Executive Director of the New Jersey Environmental
Federation.
Specific
river and stream quality data that would be contained in the 2000 305
(b) report is needed to determine the true impact of the proposed rule
change, by looking at the cumulative effect of what is already in the
water, and what will be added if the rules go forward as drafted.
Under
the Clean Water Act, all New Jersey waterways were expected to be fully
fishable and swimmable by 1984. The 305 (b) report evaluates our
state's progress in meeting those goals. For example, the 1994 305 (b)
report concluded that that 85% of New Jersey waters don't fully support
fishing and swimming.
Every
two years, the EPA takes all the states 305 (b) reports and compiles
them into a National Water Quality Inventory Report. All other the
other states in EPA Region II, but New Jersey, have submitted their
reports to the EPA. "It is very embarrassing that New Jersey has failed
to submit this report when our neighbors have already complied and
contributed to the national assessment of water quality by the EPA,"
said Dena Mottola.
The
USEPA, in the 1998 National Water Quality Inventory Report to Congress
said, "The National Water Quality Report is the primary vehicle for
informing Congress and the public about water quality conditions in the
United States. This document characterizes our water quality,
identifies widespread water quality problems of national significance,
and describes various programs implemented to restore and protect our
waters."
The state level 305 (b) report documents:
- The public health and aquatic protection standards that form the foundation of water quality;
- The location and extent of the local and state water monitoring network;
- Assessment of whether NJ waters meet standards;
- Specific river and stream water quality data and assessments;
- Coastal water quality;
- Lakes water quality;
- Toxic substances and their impact on water quality; and
- Ground water quality monitoring and assessment.
As such the report is a critical baseline document that is required to evaluate:
- The performance of NJ's water resource programs;
- The strength and effectiveness of NJ standards;
- The adequacy of DEP monitoring; and
- The need for strong watershed and water quality standards.
