 | Vol. 4 No. 1 Summer 1996 |
| A Newsletter About New Jersey's Water Quality Programs |
Harbor/Bight Watershed Plan Approved by policy committee
by Mary Downes Gastrich, Division of Science and Research
On February 20, 1996, DEP Commissioner Robert C. Shinn Jr. and other Policy Committee members of the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Program and NY Bight Restoration Plan approved the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP)- a plan to protect the water quality, living resources, and habitat of the Harbor and Bight area. The CCMP has been sent to the Governors of New York and New Jersey and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator for final approval, which is expected by July 20.
The goal of the Harbor Estuary and Bight Program (HEP) is to establish and maintain a healthy and productive harbor/bight ecosystem with full beneficial uses. To achieve this goal, the HEP CCMP contains over 300 actions, 75 percent of which are commitments to be implemented by the states. CCMP actions address toxic pollutants, management of dredged material, pathogens and floatable debris, excessive loadings of nutrients, and rainfall-induced discharges.
Habitats are a central focus of the plan because quality of life is directly related to their health. Wetlands, for example, are critically important in providing natural functions that maintain human and ecosystem health. To protect habitats, a coordinated bi-state strategy to restore and enhance resources will be developed. This strategy will use existing planning and regulatory programs more effectively, and utilize geographic targeting of critical areas for special protection.
Highlights of new habitat actions in the CCMP include:
- building a comprehensive regional habitat strategy to protect, restore and enhance regionally important habitats;
- forming public/private partnerships in the region and supporting and/or coordinating with ongoing geographically targeted initiatives to protect and restore the environment (for example, Hackensack Meadowlands, Arthur Kill Greenways and Harbor Herons Project, and Barnegat Bay); and
- continuing DEP's work on construction of the Hudson River Walkway, along 18.5 miles of river and harbor waterfront.
Because the HEP determined that continuing discharges of several chemicals, notably metals and organic chemicals such as polychorinated biphyenls (PCBs), are contributing to water quality violations, fish tissue contamination, contaminated sediments, and other ecological effects, it identified actions to reduce the input of these chemicals to the harbor/bight. The USEPA, NJDEP and New York State Department of Conservation are working cooperatively with New York City and New Jersey dischargers to evaluate inputs and take appropriate actions to control discharges using a phased approach. The actions below address the discharge of toxics and the remediation of contaminated sediments, and will minimize the health risks associated with the consumption of fish, crustacea, and shellfish caught in the harbor (some of these actions affect NJ dischargers):
- The discharge of metals (e.g., copper and mercury) should be controlled using a phased approach in which limits and additional requirements are incorporated in permits to prevent increased loadings;
- Ambient levels of organic chemicals (e.g., PCBs) and mercury should be broadly screened and significant discharges of organic chemicals of concern should be identified and eliminated, if warranted (for example, discharges of PCBs within municipal sewage systems);
- The New Jersey Harbor Discharger Group - an organization of eleven New Jersey sewerage authorities - should conduct feasibility studies based on the results of New York City's Harbor Eutrophication Model which addresses nutrient enrichment.
In addition to these actions, the NJDEP and other agencies will utilize existing programs to:
- continue permit compliance and enforcement programs to ensure existing industrial discharges are controlled;
- complete clean-up actions at known sites of highly contaminated sediments (e.g., Passaic River, Hudson River);
- conduct pilot projects to develop and evaluate advisory communication plans tailored to the needs of specific localities and support contamination assessments of edible species;
- develop a comprehensive dredged material management plan, in coordination with the HEP Dredge Material Forum (comprising federal and state agencies and public representatives) to identify short-, mid-, and long-term disposal alternatives to meet the dredging needs of the region; and
- implement discharge controls for combined sewer overflows (CSO), storm water, and non-point source pollution.
The HEP's main focus is the development of a coordinated regional research, monitoring and modeling program. The CCMP includes an Environmental Monitoring Plan with over 35 recommended environmental indicators for coastal, estuarine, and marine waters. This part of the plan is a working example of the NEPPS process (see NEPPS: Replacing accounting with accountability in this issue) as it will monitor progress toward meeting the HEP's goals.
Another key component of the CCMP is public involvement. The HEP has an extensive public involvement plan including grant programs to empower watershed residents to actively participate in the future of the Estuary. Since 1991, 43 mini-grant projects (up to $4,000 each) have been funded by the HEP in this continuing program. In addition, to help the public identify actions they can take to clean up water, the HEP has provided a limited number of Tip Strips. For copies of Tip Strips, the final CCMP and Public Summary (available in July), or more information, please contact Dr. Mary Downes Gastrich, Division of Science and Research at (609)292-1895.
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Last revision Monday, June 17, 1996