DEP Monitoring Snow Storm Forecast, Emergency Sand Possible for Beaches

Commissioner Martin says agencies could dispatch sand to at-risk areas

A coming storm could impact the already battered Jersey Shore, but the state Department of Environmental Protection is coordinating dumping emergency sand to help protect the shorefront. DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said his office is in contact with shore towns establishing who has protecting berms in place and who may need emergency sand on their beaches. Another anticipated storm surge in places without established dunes, wiped out by Hurricane Sandy, could become an issue in the forecast. Martin said his office is closely monitoring the storm. If needed, emergency sand could be dispatched to at-risk beaches from the DEP and other agencies, Martin said. “Whether through us, through FEMA, through the army corps of engineers, we’re looking…

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foggyworld

12:12 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013

Now hold on. No one in NJ is allowed to build dunes on beaches without out going through all sorts of red tape with the State. It probably should be the homeowner's responsibility at least to the high water mark but the rich and famous on LBI refuse to even entertain that thought. They want the expensive Army Corps of Engineers to maintain their tax subsidized glorious second homeowner's life.   more ›

Hurricane Sandy

Mobile Cabinets to Provide Sandy Advice in Monmouth Tuesday

Representatives from several State departments will be on hand to answer questions and provide assistance to residents.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story reported that the event would be held Monday. The event is being held Tuesday. Representatives from several state departments are slated to spend the day in Monmouth County Tuesday, offering expert advice and assistance in a number of areas to victims of Hurricane Sandy, Gov. Chris Christie's office announced recently. Senior staff members from the Department of Banking and Insurance, Department of Community Affairs, Department of Environmental Protection, and the Business Action Center will be on hand at Union Beach Hose Co. #1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to do casework for residents who need assistance. The day of casework is part of Gov. Chris Christie's Mobile Cabinet effort, which seeks to …

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Diane Caso

10:12 pm on Monday, February 4, 2013

I FULLY AGREE!! There is no way that people in the Bayshore can afford this. So many are still reeling, trying to pick up the pieces of their lives..   more ›

Municipal Oversight of Public Waterways Criticized in Latest DEP Hearing

DEP holds public hearing on beach and waterway access rules

A large group of citizens and groups gathered at Long Branch City Hall on Wednesday night to criticize the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) proposed public access rules and amendments for beaches, bays and other waterways. The DEP held the meeting to hear public comments on the public access rules and the amendments which were drafted after hearing feedback from the public in the past. According to the DEP, the proposed amendments will: Most spoke against the rules and the amendments stating that while the amendments were a step in the right direction, that they will not help create more public access areas for residents and that it they will give too much power to municipalities.  The rules, if adopted, would give towns the …

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Local Bald Eagles Thrive as State Population Reaches Milestone

Bald eagle nesting sites on Toms River border with Brick

Bald eagles are continuing to nest in the local area, on the border of Brick and Toms River. In what the state Department of Environmental Protection has called a "dramatic" recovery of the bald eagle population, the local nesting sites in northern Ocean County are two of more than 100 nesting pairs that can be found statewide, an important milestone for state environmental officials. DEP spokesman Larry Ragonese confirmed that state officials have identified nesting pairs near Kettle Creek, on the border of Brick and Toms River, as well as in northern Brick, near the border with Wall Township, on the Manasquan River. Bald eagles there are often found flying over Lightning Jack's III Marina at the terminus of Ridge Road. John Zingis, a …

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A Year Into Christie's Bay Plan, Praise and Criticism

Officials tout progress, activists say more should be done

Praise and criticism for Gov. Chris Christie's ten point plan to revitalize Barnegat Bay came from many of the same people Thursday, as state officials touted historic measures to restore the estuary and local activists said even more should be done. It's been about a year since Christie announced his plan, which includes measures ranging from an early closure of the Oyster Creek Generating Station to lawn fertilizer regulations. Since then, the state has committed millions of dollars and plenty of attention to the matter, said state DEP Commissioner Bob Martin, who gave a one-year update on the plan at the Joseph A. Citta Scout Reservation in Waretown. So far, Martin said, work on the plan has included reaching a deal with Exelon Nuclear …

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Ocean Algae Blooms Off Jersey Shore

Scientist explains impact is more likely for ecosystem than humans

A series of environmental circumstances over the past several days has led to a major algae bloom off the coast of New Jersey. Satellite images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) show a large bloom of algae stretching much of the 127-mile length of New Jersey's coastline. The bloom is noted to be nearly 50 miles wide in some locations and is particularly dense between Barnegat Inlet and Cape May. In a press release sent early Friday evening, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection acknowledged the bloom and explained that they, in conjunction with a team from the Rutgers University Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, would be monitoring the bloom. The DEP confirmed that the bloom would not …

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DEP Says Pine Lake Park Wells Free of Contamination

Public comment open until Sept. 14

Time and nature have purged the water under Pine Lake Park of toxic chemicals so there is no need for the government to clean it up, according to state officials. The state Department of Environmental Protection “has determined that no further action is warranted for the Pine Lake Park area ground water,’’ a notice co-signed by Gov. Chris Christie and DEP Commissioner Bob Martin proclaims. The public has until Sept. 14 to comment on the conclusion and the remedial investigation, including widespread groundwater monitoring, that indicate “the ground water is no longer contaminated in this area.’’ The entire neighborhood on the Manchester-Toms River border was served by private wells in 1987, when routine testing of one of those wells found …

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County Disputes Claims on Sewer Service Areas

DEP, local officials working on water quality plan.

If 33,000 acres once destined for sewers in Ocean County are eliminated from areas where sewers are allowed, is it really an increase in the area where development is encouraged? Some environmentalists claim it is. Ocean County officials accuse them of fuzzy math when they claim an additional 16,000 acres will be open to sewers and the development that could follow. Planning Director David McKeon said the grinding of bureaucratic gears has fueled the dispute. He explained it this way: The state Department of Environmental Protection came up with a water quality plan that would remove 50,000 acres of land from areas previously proposed for sewering. Then the DEP sent the plan to county and local officials for fine tuning. That fine tuning …

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Hundreds Turn Out For Final Meeting on Waterfront Access Rules

Meeting on LBI shows where lines are drawn in ongoing debate

Those who came out for and against proposed changes to New Jersey's waterfront public access laws found some common ground at a final public hearing on the issue on Thursday night, but strong opinions from those on both sides of the debate let it be known where the lines were drawn in the sand. The debate has been roaring for some time and, most recently, at public hearings held by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The uproar is over the state's policies toward allowing public access to waterfront areas. The rules would change the type of access private business owners would have to provide the general public, and also put access plans in the hands of individual municipalities rather than a single plan for the entire state…

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Helen Henderson

12:29 pm on Friday, June 3, 2011

Dear Mr. Hill, Your passion and love for the shore, beaches and our ocean was so heartfelt and moving. Many of us share your feelings that renewal and healing can only be found in these places and they belong to all of us. Thank you for sharing kind sir. Sincerely, Helen Henderson, American Littoral Society   more ›

Conflicting Views at DEP Beach Access Hearing

Beach access issue proves complex at publc hearing on rule changes

Local officials appeared in Seaside Heights Monday to show their support for waterfront-access rule changes proposed by the state Department of Environmental Protection under the Christie administration. Although critics say the rules would restrict access to local beaches, Brick Mayor Steve Acropolis and others believe the changes ultimately give them more input into the access planning process. "I would much rather do it at our level," he said. "We are best able to identify the areas where public access would be appropriate." A crowd of nearly 60 people, representing various stakeholders in the beach access fight, gathered in the municipal courtroom in Seaside Heights to voice their criticism or support of the state's proposal. In a …

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