 | Vol. 6 No. 4 Spring 1999 |
| A Newsletter About New Jersey's Water Quality Programs |
DEP Publishes State of New Jersey's Environment
The DEP recently published a report detailing the health of New Jersey's air, land, and water. The first of its kind, the report presents a host of environmental indicators-everything from the amount of pollutants emitted into the air to total acres of protected land. These indicators measure the quality of our environment and also serve as a baseline for charting future progress through subsequent reports.
The report contains many statistics about the state's environment. The following water facts were excerpted from the report:
- Over 173 million pounds of shellfish are harvested from New Jersey's coastal waters each year.
- Point and nonpoint source pollution control efforts have helped New Jersey to continuously expand and open shellfish beds for harvesting to 86 percent of available waters.
- Tourism in New Jersey's coastal communities is a $12 billion industry that employs hundreds of thousands of people.
- Prior to 1991, 450 dry tons of sludge were dumped into the ocean per day. Today, over 60 percent of sewage sludge is beneficially used to fertilize crops, support landscaping activities, and to reclaim damaged land.
- Since 1972, $5 billion has been spent to improve sewage treatment. Through advanced pretreatment programs, significant improvements have also been made to prevent or reduce industrial pollution.
The report outlines many other interesting points and is a "snapshot" of the state's current environmental health. If you are interested in receiving a copy, please contact the Division of Science, Research and Technology at (609) 984-6071. The report can also be accessed from the DEP's web site at: www.state.nj.us/dep/hotitems.htm. (Look for the link: "New Jersey's Environment 1998")
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Please contact Tom Cosmas regarding any comments on the New Jersey Discharger web pages.
Last revision Friday, March 19, 1999