New Jersey Environmental Lobby Newsletter July-September 2007

On July 31st Governor Corzine signed a bill which will allow New Jersey voters to decide whether the State should issue bonds in the amount of $200 MM for Open Space funding. This measure is merely a band aid, a first step toward what is truly needed by our State.

We are in a fight against the irreversible loss of open space. The most recent data show that New Jersey loses almost 41 acres of open space each day. That is almost 15,000 acres a year. It is 15,000 acres of open space lost to us and our children and our children's children. Not only can we no longer enjoy it, but 15,000 acres is no longer available for wildlife habitat, protection of drinking water sources, and flood mitigation. The loss of each acre changes New Jersey's natural environment forever.

If approved in November, the Open Space law will allow the State, counties, municipalities and non-profit organizations to continue to protect New Jersey ecology and economy. It will allow urban areas to create new parks. It will facilitate the purchase of land along waterways so as to protect water quality. It will continue the State's efforts to preserve agricultural lands. An important feature is the "Blue Acres" program, which will permit those affected by flooding to voluntarily sell their properties, avoiding future insurance costs and economic hardship.

This is a vital first step which must be approved in November by a strong majority. Please urge all of your friends, neighbors, coworkers and family to exercise their vote in November. Vote yes to open space.

Save the Date - the Precautionary Principle Conference - March 6, 2008 - by Zoe Kelman-Shinn & Anne Poole

For several months, NJEL board members and staff have been researching the "Precautionary Principle," a philosophy that establishes a "no harm" threshold for regulatory decision making. Under the "Principle," the overriding concern is protection of the public health, both in the short and long terms. The best available science or a preponderance of observations is used to justify decisions that regulate activities that impact public health and environmental sustainability. A jurisdiction does not wait for theoretical "proof" that an activity is harmful, because, as we have seen, "proof" requires that we wait for the irreparable damage to occur. We wait to observe the children that are stricken with asthma, we wait to observe the brain damage caused by exposure to lead, and we wait to observe the permanent damage caused by chromium in water. Our existing decision-making framework has failed to protect us, and has created a crisis in trust of the government agencies that are responsible for protecting us. In addition to its philosophical basis, the Principle is founded on a democratic process. It mandates that decisions be based on meaningful citizen input and places the highest regard on public interests rather than private interests.

At first, the Principle may seem overwhelming-how could it be applied without a complete and disruptive overhaul of our entire legislative and regulatory framework? How could it be applied to permitting decisions? What would it mean for activities that already are approved?

The answers to these questions can be found in the experiences of jurisdictions that have already adopted the Principle. Jurisdictions as diverse as the European Union, Oakland, CA, and towns in New Jersey have already applied it incrementally, or to specific issues. When a town adopts integrated pest management, when a country rejects imports of genetically modified grain, when New Jersey bans diesel engine idling, it is applying the Precautionary Principle, whether or not it realizes it!

NJEL believes that as the rates of chronic respiratory diseases increase in New Jersey, as our bays are degraded, and as flooding raises our insurance costs to unsustainable levels, action must be taken to base regulatory decisions on the Principle. On Thursday, March 6, 2008, NJEL and the Environmental Education Fund (EEF) will sponsor a conference to explain the Precautionary Principle, provide real-world examples of its application, and explore how it could be adopted for decision-making in New Jersey. The conference will be held at Seton Hall University in South Orange. An agenda is under development and to defray the costs, NJEL and EEF is seeking co-sponsors for the conference. If you are interested in assisting with planning or participating in the conference, please email Gregg Rackin at njel@earthlink.net. And watch for more information in the next newsletter.

The Assembly passed a bill in an attempt to protect bicyclists without realizing that is it a solution in search of a problem, and that it would make illegal the sale of virtually every bicycle currently in stock in New Jersey. The bill targets a quick-release mechanism which well-intentioned legislators believed was a safety flaw. However, if the mechanism is not tampered with, and is serviced by a knowledgeable person, it is perfectly safe, as any long distance rider could testify. Passage of S-2628 would in itself create a safety hazard because riders would not be able to obtain maintenance from bicycle shops. Cyclists have already educated some legislators about this, but an email/ letter campaign to State senators, who are now considering the bill, is a wise course of action. Cooperating with your local bicycle shop, even if you are not a rider, in reversing the course of S-2628, would be a good step toward supporting safe, ZERO-EMISSION bike transportation.

NJEL and EEF have been fortunate to have the services of another outstanding intern, Evelyn Strombom, a senior honors student at East Brunswick High School. Evelyn is President of the Spanish Honors Society and the Natural Helpers Club. She is active in her school's chapters of Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union. She is President of the Senior Planning Board of Girl Scouts of Delaware-Raritan Council and the Synergy Chapter of People to People International.

Evelyn is keenly interested in global environmental issues. At the Model United Nations competition at Rutgers University last fall, she was a representative to the UN Environment Program dealing with pressing global issues such as trans-boundary water rights and desertification in Africa and Latin America. For her Advanced Placement American History research project, she chose as her topic Rachel Carson and the origin of the environmental movement. Her research has made her more aware of adverse effects of chemicals in the environment and the importance of environmental activism. She is a casual birder and is happy to report bald eagle and red-tailed hawk sightings near her home in Middlesex County.
Evelyn performed valuable research on a number of topics. Last fall, she researched the Precautionary Principle, a philosophy for protecting public health and the environment when there are considerable uncertainties about potentially harmful causal relationships. Evelyn's findings are now part of the planning for an upcoming conference to educate New Jersey residents and public officials on potential applications of the "Principle" in New Jersey.

During the summer, Evelyn examined the impact of residential wind turbines on property values; highlights of her findings appear elsewhere in this newsletter. Evelyn also learned about the day-to-day management of grass roots organizations, including the necessity of communicating with the public. To this end, Evelyn applied her creativity and computer proficiency to produce an attractive new membership brochure for NJEL. Watch for it to be posted on our website. Thanks for your help, Evelyn, and good luck in your senior year. We know that you will add to your list of accomplishments!

The Environmental Education Fund and Earth Share NJ Perfect Together! -

EarthShare New Jersey (ESNJ) is the New Jersey affiliate of EarthShare, a national workplace giving federation, established to facilitate payroll deductions for individuals who wish to direct their workplace donations to environmental organizations. EarthShare NJ has grown to include 24 organizations that specifically benefit New Jersey. The Environmental Education Fund (EEF) is a proud member, and a founding organization, of ESNJ. Organizational members of ESNJ must meet standards set by the ESNJ National Board, the local affiliate Board, as well as the Combined Federal Campaign requirements for federal employees and the requirements of State and County employee campaigns.

The ESNJ Board and its Executive Director, Paula Aldarelli, have worked to overcome the barriers of entrenched federations and corporate suspicions of environmental advocacy. ESNJ has encouraged charitable giving by employees who may not have participated otherwise and has provided new resources for environmental organizations. Even those employers who wished to open their campaigns to environmental groups found the processing and distribution of donations to individual organizations prohibitive. ESNJ provides that service to employers and to the other
workplace giving federations that coordinate large campaigns.

As a lobbying organization, NJEL cannot share in payroll designations. However, NJEL members can support the projects of EEF, help employers achieve 100% participation in campaigns, and receive a tax benefit by designating ESNJ, or one or more of its member organizations for payroll contributions. Want to help with a broad array of environmental issues? Designate ESNJ and your contribution will be shared by the national organization, our state affiliate ESNJ, and all members of ESNJ. Want to target your support to EEF's watershed education and environmental responsibility projects, Green Town USA or our web site? Designate the Environmental Education Fund to receive 100% of your donation (less a negligible administrative fee to support ESNJ's tiny, dedicated, and overworked staff!). To learn more about ESNJ and to see the complete list of deserving member organizations, visit the ESNJ website, www.earthshare.org. And don't forget to include EEF in your workplace giving plan for 2008!

Legislative Director Mike Pisauro continues to represent NJEL and EEF on the Coastal Ocean Coalition (COC). Standing up to development interests is an uphill battle, but an incremental success may be on the horizon in the form of a bill sponsored by Assemblymen McKeon (Essex), Manzano (Hudson) and Gordon (Bergen). Bill A-4332 would establish a New Jersey Coastal and Ocean Protection Council in the Department of Environmental Protection.

The establishment of the Council has been a priority of the COC, with the objective of a coordinating body that will apply ecosystem-based management to our coastal regions. The Council would be expected to balance what is best for the coastal ecology with the competing utilization interests--tourism, fishing, surfing, construction, and now, energy generation. Unknown or forgotten by the public, is the fact that activities in our coastal regions are regulated and monitored not just by DEP, but by a variety of local and state agencies. This fractured regulatory framework is in itself problematic. Easing the fears of those who might see a new bureaucratic funding burden, only $75,000 in new funding would be appropriated, a small price to pay for better management of our coastal resources. The Council would consist of 9 members, including the DEP Commissioner, the CEO of the NJ Economic Development Authority, and the Executive Director of Travel and Tourism. The other six members will represent various "public" interests.

The COC supports the Assembly bill and is working to convince Senate leadership to conform a Senate version to A-4332. Please contact your NJ State legislators and ask them to support A-4332. Don't know who your State legislators are? Visit our website, www.njenvironment.org to find out! To read the entire version of the proposed bill, "google" New Jersey Assembly Bill A-4332 or email njel@earthlink.net and a pdf version will be emailed to you.

On May 31, the Coastal Ocean Coalition, led by Benson Chiles of Environmental Defense, sent a letter to Governor Corzine with specific recommendations for reversing the degradation of coastal waters and preventing further damage. The letter was intended as a follow up to prior communications to the Governor and to DEP Commissioner Jackson. For over a year, the COC has been urging the adoption of ecosystem-based management of New Jersey coastal resources. Ecosystem-based management recognizes the interconnectedness of species and their habitats, as opposed to piecemeal reactions that treat events or behaviors as unrelated. A process model already exists, developed by the Nature Conservancy, to guide remedial and protective actions.

The "coast" is not to be confused with the "ocean." New Jersey's coast is not just the ocean front and beaches that are so obvious to all, but a system of bays, rivers, and creeks that support the marine life that is vital to New Jersey's ecology. These resources continue to be endangered by overdevelopment and poor management. Coincidental with the COC's authorship of the letter was the observation of a serious "brown tide" algal bloom in the Raritan and Sandy Hook Bays, lending unfortunate credibility to the COC's warnings. Public relations slogans and tourism promotion cannot change the facts-New Jersey's coast-a living resource-is endangered.

Assembly Bill 4332, described on the previous page, is a step in the right direction. Assuming that it is passed and signed into law, the effects of the Council will not be felt in the short-term, however. There are actions that the Governor and DEP can take immediately. One is better implementation of CAFRA, the Coastal Area Facilities Review Act, a law that is already on the books. Another is better monitoring of "bycatch," sea turtles, birds, and undersized fish that are inadvertently captured and thrown back, sometimes dead or dying. Better information about bycatch is an important tool for identifying solutions about endangered and over-harvested species. Space does not allow us to include all of the COC's recommendations here. For the entire text of the COC's letter to Governor Corzine, which includes information about the significance of algal blooms and lists.

NJEL continues to support the development and use of alternative energy. The pilot project of wind turbines off the coast is a step forward, but right now, small, single windmills are meeting with opposition and obstacles. Legislative Director Mike Pisauro has been working to enlist support in the Legislature to give small scale installations at least the same zoning protections as huge cell towers. Mike also spoke on NJEL's behalf at a municipal meeting that was intended to "zone out" a residential windmill that was already in place. When it became apparent that a number of residents supported the windmill, the action was postponed.

A review of literature by EEF intern Evelyn Strombom revealed no evidence that the installation of a small wind turbine (SWT) will have a negative impact on surrounding property values. In fact, reports collected by the American Wind Energy Association indicate that SWTs are perceived as evidence of environmental concern and thus, could increase property values. Small, behind the meter wind turbines do create a "swishing" or "whooshing" noise, but no louder than an air conditioning unit. It is often recommended that SWTs be used on properties no smaller than one acre to ensure that noise does not disturb neighbors. Yet, California allows wind turbines on lot sizes as small as one-half acre, indicating that noise is not a major concern. Evelyn's complete report will be posted on our website, www.njenvironment.org.

The issue of wind energy brought a new small-business member to NJEL. We are happy to welcome Wayne Auto Spa, which is pursuing installation of a wind turbine. A winner of the 2006 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence, the Spa is an environmentally-friendly vehicle cleaning and quick lube center. Owner Rob Burke's use of wind power will complement his "green" practices of solar power generation and use of recycled oil and biodegradable soaps. For more information, visit www.wayneautospa.com.

NJEL is grateful to Mr. & Mrs. Skinner of Chatham for their generous donation in honor of William Bennington's attainment of Eagle Scout. We understand that William is a passionate steward of the environment and we hope that his interests will coincide with NJEL's for many years to come!

REMEMBER!

The New Jersey Environmental Lobby is your voice in Trenton. We are an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on the preservation and protection of a healthy environment for all our citizens. We need your support! JOIN NJEL and help us change the laws!







	President: Anne Poole Legislative Director: Michael Pisauro


	Volume 36 No. 3

	July - September 2007

	Vote YES to Open Space in November - ***by Michael L. Pisauro, Jr.* On July 31st Governor Corzine signed a bill which will allow New Jersey voters to decide whether the State should issue bonds in the amount of $200 MM for Open Space funding. Read More ... Save the Date - the Precautionary Principle Conference - March 6, 2008 - *by Zoe Kelman-Shinn & Anne Poole* For several months, NJEL board members and staff have been researching the "Precautionary Principle," a philosophy that establishes a "no harm" threshold for regulatory decision making. Read More ... S-2628: Well-Intentioned But Flawed - *by Gene Fox* The Assembly passed a bill in an attempt to protect bicyclists without realizing that is it a solution in search of a problem, and that it would make illegal the sale of virtually every bicycle currently in stock in New Jersey. Read More ... Another Outstanding Student Intern - NJEL and EEF have been fortunate to have the services of another outstanding intern, Evelyn Strombom, a senior honors student at East Brunswick High School. Read More ... The Environmental Education Fund and Earth Share NJ Perfect Together! - EarthShare New Jersey (ESNJ) is the New Jersey affiliate of EarthShare, a national workplace giving federation, established to facilitate payroll deductions for individuals who wish to direct their workplace donations to environmental organizations. Read More ... Coastal Ocean Coalition - Incremental Success On The Horizon? - Legislative Director Mike Pisauro continues to represent NJEL and EEF on the Coastal Ocean Coalition (COC). Standing up to development interests is an uphill battle, but an incremental success may be on the horizon. Read More ... Wind Energy - NJEL continues to support the development and use of alternative energy. The pilot project of wind turbines off the coast is a step forward. Read More ... Congratulations Eagle Scout William Bennington - NJEL is grateful to Mr. & Mrs. Skinner of Chatham for their generous donation in honor of William Bennington's attainment of Eagle Scout. Read More ... Vote YES to Open Space in November - by Michael L. Pisauro, Jr. On July 31st Governor Corzine signed a bill which will allow New Jersey voters to decide whether the State should issue bonds in the amount of $200 MM for Open Space funding. This measure is merely a band aid, a first step toward what is truly needed by our State. We are in a fight against the irreversible loss of open space. The most recent data show that New Jersey loses almost 41 acres of open space each day. That is almost 15,000 acres a year. It is 15,000 acres of open space lost to us and our children and our children's children. Not only can we no longer enjoy it, but 15,000 acres is no longer available for wildlife habitat, protection of drinking water sources, and flood mitigation. The loss of each acre changes New Jersey's natural environment forever. If approved in November, the Open Space law will allow the State, counties, municipalities and non-profit organizations to continue to protect New Jersey ecology and economy. It will allow urban areas to create new parks. It will facilitate the purchase of land along waterways so as to protect water quality. It will continue the State's efforts to preserve agricultural lands. An important feature is the "Blue Acres" program, which will permit those affected by flooding to voluntarily sell their properties, avoiding future insurance costs and economic hardship. This is a vital first step which must be approved in November by a strong majority. Please urge all of your friends, neighbors, coworkers and family to exercise their vote in November. Vote yes to open space. **Save the Date - the Precautionary Principle Conference - March 6, 2008 - by Zoe Kelman-Shinn & Anne Poole For several months, NJEL board members and staff have been researching the "Precautionary Principle," a philosophy that establishes a "no harm" threshold for regulatory decision making. Under the "Principle," the overriding concern is protection of the public health, both in the short and long terms. The best available science or a preponderance of observations is used to justify decisions that regulate activities that impact public health and environmental sustainability. A jurisdiction does not wait for theoretical "proof" that an activity is harmful, because, as we have seen, "proof" requires that we wait for the irreparable damage to occur. We wait to observe the children that are stricken with asthma, we wait to observe the brain damage caused by exposure to lead, and we wait to observe the permanent damage caused by chromium in water. Our existing decision-making framework has failed to protect us, and has created a crisis in trust of the government agencies that are responsible for protecting us. In addition to its philosophical basis, the Principle is founded on a democratic process. It mandates that decisions be based on meaningful citizen input and places the highest regard on public interests rather than private interests. At first, the Principle may seem overwhelming-how could it be applied without a complete and disruptive overhaul of our entire legislative and regulatory framework? How could it be applied to permitting decisions? What would it mean for activities that already are approved? The answers to these questions can be found in the experiences of jurisdictions that have already adopted the Principle. Jurisdictions as diverse as the European Union, Oakland, CA, and towns in New Jersey have already applied it incrementally, or to specific issues. When a town adopts integrated pest management, when a country rejects imports of genetically modified grain, when New Jersey bans diesel engine idling, it is applying the Precautionary Principle, whether or not it realizes it! NJEL believes that as the rates of chronic respiratory diseases increase in New Jersey, as our bays are degraded, and as flooding raises our insurance costs to unsustainable levels, action must be taken to base regulatory decisions on the Principle. On Thursday, March 6, 2008, NJEL and the Environmental Education Fund (EEF) will sponsor a conference to explain the Precautionary Principle, provide real-world examples of its application, and explore how it could be adopted for decision-making in New Jersey. The conference will be held at Seton Hall University in South Orange. An agenda is under development and to defray the costs, NJEL and EEF is seeking co-sponsors for the conference. If you are interested in assisting with planning or participating in the conference, please email Gregg Rackin at njel@earthlink.net. And watch for more information in the next newsletter. S-2628: Well-Intentioned But Flawed - by Gene Fox The Assembly passed a bill in an attempt to protect bicyclists without realizing that is it a solution in search of a problem, and that it would make illegal the sale of virtually every bicycle currently in stock in New Jersey. The bill targets a quick-release mechanism which well-intentioned legislators believed was a safety flaw. However, if the mechanism is not tampered with, and is serviced by a knowledgeable person, it is perfectly safe, as any long distance rider could testify. Passage of S-2628 would in itself create a safety hazard because riders would not be able to obtain maintenance from bicycle shops. Cyclists have already educated some legislators about this, but an email/ letter campaign to State senators, who are now considering the bill, is a wise course of action. Cooperating with your local bicycle shop, even if you are not a rider, in reversing the course of S-2628, would be a good step toward supporting safe, ZERO-EMISSION bike transportation. Another Outstanding Student Intern - NJEL and EEF have been fortunate to have the services of another outstanding intern, Evelyn Strombom, a senior honors student at East Brunswick High School. Evelyn is President of the Spanish Honors Society and the Natural Helpers Club. She is active in her school's chapters of Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union. She is President of the Senior Planning Board of Girl Scouts of Delaware-Raritan Council and the Synergy Chapter of People to People International. Evelyn is keenly interested in global environmental issues. At the Model United Nations competition at Rutgers University last fall, she was a representative to the UN Environment Program dealing with pressing global issues such as trans-boundary water rights and desertification in Africa and Latin America. For her Advanced Placement American History research project, she chose as her topic Rachel Carson and the origin of the environmental movement. Her research has made her more aware of adverse effects of chemicals in the environment and the importance of environmental activism. She is a casual birder and is happy to report bald eagle and red-tailed hawk sightings near her home in Middlesex County. Evelyn performed valuable research on a number of topics. Last fall, she researched the Precautionary Principle, a philosophy for protecting public health and the environment when there are considerable uncertainties about potentially harmful causal relationships. Evelyn's findings are now part of the planning for an upcoming conference to educate New Jersey residents and public officials on potential applications of the "Principle" in New Jersey. During the summer, Evelyn examined the impact of residential wind turbines on property values; highlights of her findings appear elsewhere in this newsletter. Evelyn also learned about the day-to-day management of grass roots organizations, including the necessity of communicating with the public. To this end, Evelyn applied her creativity and computer proficiency to produce an attractive new membership brochure for NJEL. Watch for it to be posted on our website. Thanks for your help, Evelyn, and good luck in your senior year. We know that you will add to your list of accomplishments! The Environmental Education Fund and Earth Share NJ Perfect Together! - EarthShare New Jersey (ESNJ) is the New Jersey affiliate of EarthShare, a national workplace giving federation, established to facilitate payroll deductions for individuals who wish to direct their workplace donations to environmental organizations. EarthShare NJ has grown to include 24 organizations that specifically benefit New Jersey. The Environmental Education Fund (EEF) is a proud member, and a founding organization, of ESNJ. Organizational members of ESNJ must meet standards set by the ESNJ National Board, the local affiliate Board, as well as the Combined Federal Campaign requirements for federal employees and the requirements of State and County employee campaigns. The ESNJ Board and its Executive Director, Paula Aldarelli, have worked to overcome the barriers of entrenched federations and corporate suspicions of environmental advocacy. ESNJ has encouraged charitable giving by employees who may not have participated otherwise and has provided new resources for environmental organizations. Even those employers who wished to open their campaigns to environmental groups found the processing and distribution of donations to individual organizations prohibitive. ESNJ provides that service to employers and to the other workplace giving federations that coordinate large campaigns. As a lobbying organization, NJEL cannot share in payroll designations. However, NJEL members can support the projects of EEF, help employers achieve 100% participation in campaigns, and receive a tax benefit by designating ESNJ, or one or more of its member organizations for payroll contributions. Want to help with a broad array of environmental issues? Designate ESNJ and your contribution will be shared by the national organization, our state affiliate ESNJ, and all members of ESNJ. Want to target your support to EEF's watershed education and environmental responsibility projects, Green Town USA or our web site? Designate the Environmental Education Fund to receive 100% of your donation (less a negligible administrative fee to support ESNJ's tiny, dedicated, and overworked staff!). To learn more about ESNJ and to see the complete list of deserving member organizations, visit the ESNJ website, www.earthshare.org. And don't forget to include EEF in your workplace giving plan for 2008! Coastal Ocean Coalition - Incremental Success On The Horizon? - Legislative Director Mike Pisauro continues to represent NJEL and EEF on the Coastal Ocean Coalition (COC). Standing up to development interests is an uphill battle, but an incremental success may be on the horizon in the form of a bill sponsored by Assemblymen McKeon (Essex), Manzano (Hudson) and Gordon (Bergen). Bill A-4332 would establish a New Jersey Coastal and Ocean Protection Council in the Department of Environmental Protection. The establishment of the Council has been a priority of the COC, with the objective of a coordinating body that will apply ecosystem-based management to our coastal regions. The Council would be expected to balance what is best for the coastal ecology with the competing utilization interests--tourism, fishing, surfing, construction, and now, energy generation. Unknown or forgotten by the public, is the fact that activities in our coastal regions are regulated and monitored not just by DEP, but by a variety of local and state agencies. This fractured regulatory framework is in itself problematic. Easing the fears of those who might see a new bureaucratic funding burden, only $75,000 in new funding would be appropriated, a small price to pay for better management of our coastal resources. The Council would consist of 9 members, including the DEP Commissioner, the CEO of the NJ Economic Development Authority, and the Executive Director of Travel and Tourism. The other six members will represent various "public" interests. The COC supports the Assembly bill and is working to convince Senate leadership to conform a Senate version to A-4332. Please contact your NJ State legislators and ask them to support A-4332. Don't know who your State legislators are? Visit our website, www.njenvironment.org to find out! To read the entire version of the proposed bill, "google" New Jersey Assembly Bill A-4332 or email njel@earthlink.net and a pdf version will be emailed to you. On May 31, the Coastal Ocean Coalition, led by Benson Chiles of Environmental Defense, sent a letter to Governor Corzine with specific recommendations for reversing the degradation of coastal waters and preventing further damage. The letter was intended as a follow up to prior communications to the Governor and to DEP Commissioner Jackson. For over a year, the COC has been urging the adoption of ecosystem-based management of New Jersey coastal resources. Ecosystem-based management recognizes the interconnectedness of species and their habitats, as opposed to piecemeal reactions that treat events or behaviors as unrelated. A process model already exists, developed by the Nature Conservancy, to guide remedial and protective actions. The "coast" is not to be confused with the "ocean." New Jersey's coast is not just the ocean front and beaches that are so obvious to all, but a system of bays, rivers, and creeks that support the marine life that is vital to New Jersey's ecology. These resources continue to be endangered by overdevelopment and poor management. Coincidental with the COC's authorship of the letter was the observation of a serious "brown tide" algal bloom in the Raritan and Sandy Hook Bays, lending unfortunate credibility to the COC's warnings. Public relations slogans and tourism promotion cannot change the facts-New Jersey's coast-a living resource-is endangered. Assembly Bill 4332, described on the previous page, is a step in the right direction. Assuming that it is passed and signed into law, the effects of the Council will not be felt in the short-term, however. There are actions that the Governor and DEP can take immediately. One is better implementation of CAFRA, the Coastal Area Facilities Review Act, a law that is already on the books. Another is better monitoring of "bycatch," sea turtles, birds, and undersized fish that are inadvertently captured and thrown back, sometimes dead or dying. Better information about bycatch is an important tool for identifying solutions about endangered and over-harvested species. Space does not allow us to include all of the COC's recommendations here. For the entire text of the COC's letter to Governor Corzine, which includes information about the significance of algal blooms and lists. Wind Energy - NJEL continues to support the development and use of alternative energy. The pilot project of wind turbines off the coast is a step forward, but right now, small, single windmills are meeting with opposition and obstacles. Legislative Director Mike Pisauro has been working to enlist support in the Legislature to give small scale installations at least the same zoning protections as huge cell towers. Mike also spoke on NJEL's behalf at a municipal meeting that was intended to "zone out" a residential windmill that was already in place. When it became apparent that a number of residents supported the windmill, the action was postponed. A review of literature by EEF intern Evelyn Strombom revealed no evidence that the installation of a small wind turbine (SWT) will have a negative impact on surrounding property values. In fact, reports collected by the American Wind Energy Association indicate that SWTs are perceived as evidence of environmental concern and thus, could increase property values. Small, behind the meter wind turbines do create a "swishing" or "whooshing" noise, but no louder than an air conditioning unit. It is often recommended that SWTs be used on properties no smaller than one acre to ensure that noise does not disturb neighbors. Yet, California allows wind turbines on lot sizes as small as one-half acre, indicating that noise is not a major concern. Evelyn's complete report will be posted on our website, www.njenvironment.org. The issue of wind energy brought a new small-business member to NJEL. We are happy to welcome Wayne Auto Spa, which is pursuing installation of a wind turbine. A winner of the 2006 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence, the Spa is an environmentally-friendly vehicle cleaning and quick lube center. Owner Rob Burke's use of wind power will complement his "green" practices of solar power generation and use of recycled oil and biodegradable soaps. For more information, visit www.wayneautospa.com. Congratulations Eagle Scout William Bennington - NJEL is grateful to Mr. & Mrs. Skinner of Chatham for their generous donation in honor of William Bennington's attainment of Eagle Scout. We understand that William is a passionate steward of the environment and we hope that his interests will coincide with NJEL's for many years to come! REMEMBER! The New Jersey Environmental Lobby is your voice in Trenton. We are an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on the preservation and protection of a healthy environment for all our citizens. We need your support! JOIN NJEL and help us change the laws! BACK TO TOP**