Do you know what you're swimming in?
 | |
 |
With all the heavy rain lately, please be aware that stormwater might affect water quality and present health risks in localized areas.
What can you do?
- Avoid swimming within 200 feet of a stormwater outfall. Heavy rains following dry spells tend to be absorbed less by the ground and can wash more pollution that has accumulated on yards or streets into stormdrains than normally occurs.
- If you have any cuts or open sores, avoid swimming until they have healed.
- Avoid beaches and take cover when lightning is in the area. Rip currents at ocean beaches can also be dangerous during rough weather.
Precautionary closures due to rainfall occur at the following 6 beaches in Monmouth County:
- Brown Avenue beach & York Avenue beach in Spring Lake (north of the Wreck Pond outfall pipe)
- Terrace beach and eacon Boulevard beach in Sea Girt (south of the Wreck Pond outfall pipe)
- Two bay beaches: L Street beach in Belmar and Shark River Beach & Yacht Club in Neptune Township
In Ocean County, there have been reoccurring beach closures in the Manasquan River and Tom's River areas that may be rain-related as well.
Also, if it rains heavily in the NY/NJ metropolitan area, combined sewer overflows may release sewage & street debris into the waterways which could present additional health risks in the Bayshore region and the northern NJ shore depending on the flow of the Hudson River plume along the coast.
There are no combined sewer overflows in the New Jersey shore region.
Coastal Water Quality Issues
Legal Agreement on Monmouth Park Racetrack
A legal settlement was announced between NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and NJ Sports Exposition and Authority (NJSEA) which owns and operates the track, as a result of a lawsuit that NJDEP had filed against the track for violations of the state's Water Pollution Control Act. NJSEA has agreed to make improvements to reduce pollution which will be completed in 2012 and pay its outstanding fine of $131,250 to NJDEP. COA commented on the settlement which is called the Administrative Consent Order (ACO) which is yet to be finalized. COA called for requiring more sampling by an independent party in the ACO, as the current requirements are not sufficient to assess whether the track is meeting water quality standards and NJSEA has not earned the public trust to self-report on discharges and their pollution. Click here for COA's comments and here for the ACO.
Monmouth Park Racetrack Continues to Pollute
In spite of improvements made last spring, high fecal bacteria levels continue to be found in Branchport Creek near the Monmouth Racetrack and are posted on the Monmouth County Health Department's website. Storm drains are currently supposed to divert storm water to Two Rivers Wastewater Treatment facility; however, storm drains were observed to be flowing directly into the creek. Issues with manure management were also seen. In addition, fines from previous violations at the track are still outstanding and remain unsettled.
In September, Oceanport and NJ Sports Exposition Authority (NJSEA) have approved the initiation of a multi-million dollar construction project. While we wait for construction to begin to fix the pollution problems, COA again calls on NJSEA to enforce Best Management Practices and fund the necessary water quality monitoring of affected waterways.
Cleanup of Contamination at Fort Monmouth
The Fort Monmouth military base is due to close on September 15, 2011, however several environmental concerns still need to be addressed. The 1,126 acre property, which is surrounded by Eatontown, Oceanport, and Tinton Falls, is planned to be divided and sold to private interests, the towns, and other government agencies.
COA has evaluated environmental assessment efforts and attended closure-related meetings. Although the Army has slowly investigated the land area and cleaned-up some problems, more transparency, assessment, and cleanup efforts are necessary prior to base closure. The contaminant levels at Fort Monmouth are not high enough to make it a Superfund Site. Yet, several toxic chemicals and radiation levels do exceed state standards in some areas and are high enough to restrict the future use and access of specific land areas. There are old landfills located near streams into which hazardous materials were dumped years ago that have not been adequately capped. The Fort's impacts on downstream waters and sediments still need to be fully assessed. COA is seeking better information and cleanup efforts. Click here to view COA's comments on the Environmental Assessment and draft Finding of No Significant Impact.
COA also commented on permits applications for landfill streambank stabilization. Click here for comments. The permits have since been approved and the stabilization process is near completion. The landfills have yet to be adequately capped.
More information is available at the Army's Fort Monmouth website.
For the Army's Environmental Assessment and related information, click here.
For others' comments on the Environmental Assessment, click here.
Part of the Navesink River Closed to Shellfishing Due to Pollution
Despite efforts to reduce fecal pollution in the Navesink River, the state is proposing to close a portion of the river to shellfishing due to increased pollution. The area that had been classified as Special Restricted (shellfishing allowed under special permits only), southwest of the Oceanic Bridge to Red Bank, has been changed to Prohibited (no shellfishing allowed). Total coliform levels which indicate sewage and/or animal waste pollution in the water have increased. The state's study in 2008 of the upper Navesink River region found that the pollution was rainfall-related and from both human and wildlife sources. Several stormwater discharge pipes had high fecal concentrations. The report also identified dumpsters as problems and recommended proper maintenance to keep them water tight. Further investigations to identify potential sewer leakage were also recommended. Since the study, some homes with septic systems were sewered and some stormwater problems were fixed. However, more efforts are clearly needed to reduce pollution to the Navesink River and to reopen this area to shellfishing. Click here for comments.
Syringes, Sewage, and Swimmers – A Dangerous Mix
The annual report, “Testing the Waters,” prepared by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and released in New Jersey by COA and Environment NJ, reviews national beach closures and advisories in 2008 (www.nrdc.org/ttw/). The report shows 20,341 days of beach closings and advisories nationwide at ocean, bay, and
NJ's Readoption of Old Beach Rules Could Make You Sick!
NJ Environmental Groups Call on the Department of Health to Improve the Rules
The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) is
proposing to readopt the existing, outdated beach bathing rules without any
changes and neglect a chance to improve the beach monitoring program. The
current rules close beaches after two-days of high bacterial levels that indicate
fecal pollution and health risks; whereas the USEPA recommends closures
after one-day of high results. Clearly, rapid testing methods are needed that
provide same day results.(Federal legislation is now pending to require these
tests, but not until 2012). Also, a beach needs to be “officially opened” before it can be closed, meaning that a life guard needs to be on duty. If not “opened,” beaches with high bacterial levels are not closed or even posted with
advisories. COA and other NJ environmental groups have recommended many changes to improve the beach program and communication to the public of health risks.
Click here for "Seven Simple Ways to Save Swimmers from Sewage"
Click here to view comments on NJDHSS's Recreational Bathing Rules
Nutrient Water Quality Standards for Marine Waters
New Jersey has proposed to extend the narrative nutrient water quality standards that currently only apply to fresh waters to also include marine waters. Without standards, many nutrient-related problems in coastal waters are not formally recognized by the state. Without recognition, nutrient problems cannot be resolved. The state is working with the EPA and Rutgers to develop methods to assess nutrient-related problems in the future. The standards and new assessment methods represent important progress, however these changes are long overdue and it will likely be years before all coastal waters are assessed for nutrient impacts - let alone addressed by the state's cleanup process. Click here for comments. As of July 2010, the proposed changes have not yet been adopted.
NJ's Non-point Pollution Control Program Needs to be Stronger
The Program has since been approved by NOAA and EPA. Click here for comments.
Draft Nutrient Criteria Enhancement Plan is Unacceptable
The NJ Department of Environmental Protection's Nutrient Criteria Enhancement Plan (NCEP) failed to address or even acknowledge the extent of the nitrogen pollution problems plaguing NJ's marine waters. Excessive nitrogen loadings have contributed to harmful algal blooms, decreased seagrasses and fish nursey habitat, and low dissolved oxygen conditions that have and continue to negatively impact coastal bays and waters. The plan needs to be more proactive and adopt immediate actions to reduce nitrogen loadings now, as the evidence is clear and actions, such as adopting a nitrogen fertilizer ordinance, are feasible.
Click here to view COA's comments on the Draft NCEP.
New Stormwater Permits Show Progress, Improvements Still Needed
The NJ Department of Environmental Prtection recently issued a
Draft Renewal Municipal Stormwater General Permit. The permit is required to
allow stormwater discharge through the storm drainage systems of municipalities (Tiers A and B), and highway agency and public complexes. The Final Permit is to be released March 1, 2009.
Click here to view COA's comments on the 2009 Stormwater Permits.
Draft 2010 Integrated Water Quality Assessment Methods Document
The NJ Department of Environmental Protection's Methods Document needs improvement. The Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report is an important resource that documents the water quality status and trends in New Jersey and identifies water quality impairments. The Methods Document for this report is critical for the report’s reliability and credibility.COA identified several problems with the draft document and made recommendations.
Click here to view COA's comments on the Methods Document.
Revisions were issued on the 2010 Methods Document in December 2009
Click here to view COA's comments on these proposed revisions.
New Jersey’s Impaired Waterways
The NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) released its Draft 2008 Integrated Report on Water Quality. The NJDEP compiles the report biannually as mandated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify and prioritize water quality problems. All NJ ocean waters are impaired for aquatic life use based on low dissolved oxygen levels (DO) and for fish consumption due to high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury in fish. Hotspots of fecal bacteria-impaired waters along the coast also exist. Without the formal declaration of impaired, the state can ignore action to improve these waterbodies.
The ocean from Sandy Hook to Pt. Pleasant was not listed as impaired for shellfish, even though shellfish classification maps have prohibited this area to shellfishing for many years due to pollution. COA recommended this area be listed as impaired to accurately represent this problem.
Barnegat Bay is currently listed as impaired only for low DO for the northern part of bay and for recreation from the northern part of the bay to Barnegat Inlet. Unfortunately, the entire bay is suffering. While excessive inputs of nutrients are known to negatively impact Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor, many of the impacts (e.g., loss of sea grass coverage and decreased shellfish populations) do not qualify as an impairment under the current methods for listing. The NJDEP is working to develop a new marine benthic index to assess the health of estuarine and coastal regions in the future. COA recommended that NJDEP list more areas of Barnegat Bay as impaired, as well as take action now to reduce nitrogen pollution.
For COA's comments on the NJDEP report, click here.
For COA's comments on NJ's list of impaired waters, click here.
EPA: Nitrogen Fertilizer Reduction Ordinance Needed
Alan Steinberg, EPA Regional Administrator, stated at a November meeting organized by the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program (BBNEP) it was essential that Ocean County consider a fertilizer limitation ordinance to reduce nitrogen loadings to Barnegat Bay. Also, EPA identified funding that can be directed toward BBNEP and improving the bay.
Save Barnegat Bay developed a model ordinance for towns to reduce sources of nitrogen to the bay, which is undergoing significant ecological changes due to nitrogen pollution from surrounding communities. This ordinance is under review by BBNEP and government officials. For the ordinance or to learn more about saving Barnegat Bay, call 732-830-3600 or visit www.nitrogenfree.com. Click here to learn about COA’s Barnegat Bay Buddy Program.
Unacceptable Changes to NJ Wastewater Regulations
The NJDEP proposed rule changes to the NJ Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) that will negatively impact coastal water quality and marine life. The NJDEP proposed reducing limits of a toxicity test to a lower enforcement level, which directly violates the NJPDES anti-backsliding rule and federal law. COA rejected this change as well as the use of “mixing” or dilution zones to determine effluent limitations. COA urged NJDEP to add limits for chlorine-related pollution. Chlorine is currently used to disinfect wastewater. However, by-products from chlorination and residual chlorine in discharge are toxic to marine life. Further, NJDEP did not update the bacterial indicators. COA urged adoption of new NJ Surface Water Quality Criteria (E. coli for fresh water and enterococci for marine waters) to protect public health. In addition, COA recommended that specific contaminant limits be established for use of wastewater for beneficial reuses. For COA's comments on the NJPDES Rule changes, click here.
State Water Quality Protections Weakened
On May 20, 2008, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) adopted devastating changes to the classification of waterways eligible for what is legally known as Category One (C1) Waters. A C1 status for a waterway protects it from further degradation by providing a “no further degradation” standard to the watershed. It has been an important tool for improving water quality.
Appallingly, the NJDEP changes to the definition of C1 waters make it nearly impossible for any more brackish or saline waters to be added to the list of protected waters, and adding freshwater streams will now be far more difficult.
For COA comment's on C1 waters from when the rule was originally proposed, click here.
NJ Joint Hearing Focuses on Barnegat Bay
Over 100 citizens attended the annual joint meeting of the NJ Senate Environment Committee and the NJ Assembly Solid Waste and Environment Committee on July 30, 2009. The dire status of Barnegat Bay and solutions to improve the condition of the bay were discussed. The main solutions proposed were to:
1) Reduce development in undeveloped areas of the watershed
2) Reduce polluted runoff from existing pollution, especially with a fertilizer control law such as
the one drafted by Save Barnegat Bay.
3) Require Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station to stop using 1.4 billion gallons a day of
Barnegat Bay to cool the plant and install a closed cooling system.
In addition to these solutions, COA highlighted that enforcing existing litter and sediment pollution control laws could provide needed revenues for addressing stormwater problems and improving water quality. COA advocated for new sources for funding that would also help reduce pollution. The importance of citizens action, such as through the Bay Buddy Program, was emphasized as well. Click here to view COA's testimony.
NJ Coastal and Ocean Protection Council Bill Passed - but No Action Yet
Bill 2645 proposing to create a “New Jersey Coastal and Ocean Protection Council” was passed by the New Jersey state legislature and signed into law last winter (2007-08). A focus of the Council is to address the concept of “ecosystem-based management.” The Bill also mandates extremely broad responsibilities such as considering “any matter relating to the protection, maintenance, and restoration of coastal and ocean resources.” While the intent of the Bill to protect the marine environment is worthy, the ability of the council to meet the goals of the Bill in a timely manner is questionable. Prior to the Bill’s passage, COA and other environmental groups expressed concerns to the NJ Senate about the Council's limited authority and uncertain effectiveness.
Specifically, the Council adds a level of bureaucracy that may substitute words for direct action ocean pollution issues. The language of the Bill allows for the State and NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to send important ocean pollution issues to the Council for consideration, where the issues could sit until the Council chooses to meet. The NJDEP could skirt responsibility for direct action while it awaits the recommendations of this unaccountable Council. Moreover, the Council has no authority other than to “from time to time” make recommendations to the NJDEP Commissioner, and the Commissioner has no legal requirement to reply or act upon these recommendations. The Council would conduct a public hearing once a year and write a summary report of activities one year after formation and thereafter, biannually.
Send Link
Printer Friendly