Save Barnegat Bay!
Critical Legislative Hearing August 12, 2010
Call Your Legislators Today

Barnegat Bay is dying.

Overdevelopment, polluted runoff and destruction of natural habitats are killing one of the most valuable and unique estuaries of New Jersey.

Despite years of scientific study documenting the decline of the Bay′s ecological health, loss of wildlife and increased pollution, most local and state government officials have done little to protect the Bay.

Now, there is an opportunity to take action to save Barnegat Bay.

A package of proposed legislation will create laws that limit the key pollutants impacting Barnegat Bay; help correct past mistakes that allow pollution to continue to harm the bay; and also help limit future degradation from new sources.

These bills will be considered by the Senate Environment And Energy Committee and the Assembly Environment And Solid Waste Committee at a special legislative hearing on August 12^th.

Four bills have been introduced that will help to protect and restore Barnegat Bay: 

1) Reducing Fertilizer pollution (S1411/A2290)  -  Lawn fertilizers contain high concentrations of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus which pollute the Bay. This legislation contains strong and proven measures to reduce the amount of fertilizer used and restrict the most harmful forms from being used, insure common sense limits on when fertilizer is used to avoid unnecessary runoff, and require professional lawn care companies to be trained in responsible use of fertilizers.

2) Protecting healthy soils (S1410/A2501) - Soil is the foundation of all natural systems. Keeping it healthy means protecting its ability to filter pollutants, support plants and infiltrate water. When developers mistreat soil during construction, it begins to act like concrete and increases harmful stormwater runoff. This legislation would require developers to restore soils after construction to maintain well functioning and healthy watersheds.

3) Cleaning up polluted runoff (S1815/A2577) - There are over 2700 stormwater control basins in the Barnegat Bay watershed. Many are not functioning properly and simply pass polluted runoff from development (through) straight to the Bay, without removing pollutants such as nitrogen. To protect and restore Barnegat Bay, these basins must be improved, and "retrofitted" to clean the stormwater passing through them. This bill, the Ocean County Stormwater Utility Authority Demonstration Act authorizes the creation of a stormwater management authority by Ocean County (which contains most of Barnegat Bay′s watershed) to manage stormwater runoff, (clean up) and restore polluting basins and insure that future stormwater does not pollute Barnegat Bay.

4) Making sure new development helps clean up the Bay, not simply add to its destruction (S1856/A2606) - This bill proposes an innovative plan to help clean up Barnegat Bay by authorizing Ocean County to develop a comprehensive plan for identifying and fixing existing sources of pollution, and  by creating a program for assessing a fee on any new development within Barnegat Bay watershed to help with this challenge.

There are 3 things you can do. Action is needed before August 12:

1) Call NJ Legislators and the Governor′s Office     

Please call or email the Senate and Assembly Environment Committee members, Governor Christie, the President of the Senate - Senator Sweeney, and Speaker of the Assembly, Sheila Oliver, and ask them to support these bills.

Governor Christie′s office: (609) 292-6000 
Senate President Sweeney (D-3) - SenSweeney@njleg.org  (856) 251-9801
Speaker of the Assembly Sheila Oliver (D-34) AswmOliver@njleg.org  (973) 395-1166

Senate Environment Committee
Senator Bob Smith (D-18)- senbsmith@njleg.org   (732) 752-0770
Senator Robert Gordon (D-38) - sengordon@njleg.org  (201) 703-9779
Senator Christopher Bateman (R-16)- Senbateman@njleg.org  (908) 526-3600
Senator James Beach (D-6) - senbeach@njleg.org  (856) 429-1572
Senator Jennifer Beck (R-12) - senbeck@njleg.org  (732) 933-1591

Assembly Environment Committee
Assemblyman John McKeon (D-27)- asmmckeon@njleg.org  (973) 275-1113
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-15)- asmgusciora@njleg.org  (609) 292-0500
Assemblyman Peter Barnes (D-18) - asmbarnes@njleg.org  (732) 548-1406
Assemblywoman Denise Coyle (R-16) - aswmcoyle@njleg.org  (908) 604-2372
Assemblywoman Pam Lampitt (D-6)- aswmlampitt@njleg.org  (856) 435-1247
Assemblyman Charles Mainor (D-- asmmainor@njleg.org  (201) 536-7851
Assemblyman Scott Rudder (R-8)- asmrudder@njleg.org   (609) 654-1498

2)  Attend the Hearing 

Attend the Joint State Senate and Assembly Environment Committee Hearing on Thursday, August 12^th from 10 AM to NOON at Toms River Town Hall located at 33 Washington Street.

3)  Contact Ocean County Freeholders

Call the Ocean County Freeholders and urge them to support the Barnegat Bay bills - (732)244-2121 or SBruno@co.ocean.nj.us

Read our letter to the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders. 

Thank you for caring for the coast, and helping to save Barnegat Bay. Please act before August 12^th to make an impact.