PROTECTING The New York – New Jersey Bight
SUPPORT THE CLEAN OCEAN ZONE BILL - H.R. 2854
 Some
stand at the water’s edge and see an endless sea, a boundless expanse.
One of the many fascinating ecosystems within this vast watery
world is located here off the New Jersey and New York coasts. The coasts of NY and NJ and the Gulf Stream, a strong ocean
current, create a triangular mini-sea “wedge” within the big ocean,
officially known as the NY/NJ Bight. The physical, biological, and hydrodynamic characteristics of
this 19,000 square-mile area are extraordinary as more than 300 species
of fish, nearly 350 species of birds, 7 species of sea turtles, and many
marine mammals such as 25 species of whales and dolphins, and several species of seals
and porpoises frequent this region. The ecological richness of the region is astounding, supporting a
diversity of life that is equal to or exceeds the rainforests. This fantastic seaway feeds the souls of millions and provides an
economic mainstay for multi-billion dollar industries.
 However, not so
long ago, with eight ocean dumpsites, the Bight was the “Ocean Dumping
Capital of the World.” These
dumpsites include those for dredged material, cellar dirt, sewage
sludge, acid wastes, wood incineration, and industrial wastes. The Bight shows the results of this legacy of pollution: fish
advisories from contaminated sediments, beach closures from runoff,
storm drains, and raw sewage discharge, and littered beaches. Though those barbaric days are behind us, there are those who,
looking to exploit the sea’s riches and threaten its ecosystem, view
this living resource as a cheap disposal ground. The Bight is still at the receiving end of the most densely
populated urbanized area in the country, belching a steady toxic tide of
poisons into the water. The
fertile waters of the Bight are suffocating under the rainy day deluge
of sediment, pesticides, petroleum, and sewage. The bounty-rich offshore underwater lands are seen by powerful
industries as ripe for exploitation.
IT'S TIME TO LOCK IN THE PROGRESS...
Laws
and regulations are insufficient to protect the vast value of this ocean
region and its living marine resources from polluting and
habitat-destructive activities, such as ocean dumping of contaminated
sediments, permanent extraction of offshore sand by industrial
strip-miners, and offshore gas and oil exploration to name a few. These destructive activities undermine the economic
potentialities for the sustainable living marine resources and must be
prohibited. Elected
officials must strive harder to protect the ocean. The current battles are fought permit by permit, which is
time-consuming, unproductive, and exhausting. It is time to lock-in the tremendous path of progress which has
led to far-reaching improvements in our ocean water quality and lock-out
environmentally harmful activities, thereby ensuring the continued
protection of the ocean today and for future generations. Federal
legislation, "The New Jersey/New York Clean Ocean Zone Act", was introduced
in the 109th Congress US House of Representatives on July 24, 2006, and
reintroduced in the 110th Congress in June 2007. The bill has
been referred to a US House of Representatives Subcommittee and awaits debate and action.
To
read the bill, click here.
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"The New Jersey/New York Clean Ocean Zone Act" will permanently protect the
waters of the NY/NJ and will:
Reduce
Pollution:
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Prohibit new ocean dumpsites.
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Mandate capping of the
Historic Area Remediation Site (HARS) -- formerly the Mud Dump
Site -- with progressively cleaner sediment to ensure the
remediation of the HARS protects against adverse ecological
effects.
-
Prohibit new point sources of
pollution and increases of discharge capacity (e.g., wastewater
discharge outfalls, industrial discharges).
-
Reduce pollution from
stormwater and sediments. (This will be accomplished
through state initiatives.)
Protect
Marine Ecosystems:
-
Prohibit the permanent
extraction (e.g. strip-mining) of natural non-renewable resources,
including sand and gravel.
-
Prohibit industrial and
non-renewable energy facilities and infrastructure, including
oil and gas exploration and development.
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Require the development of
responsible regulations for renewable energy sources. (This
will be achieved by requiring determinations by two federal
agencies that a lease, easement or right-of-way to establish
a renewable energy facility will not unreasonably degrade or
endanger human health or the marine environment.)
Support
Marine Resources:
-
Support recreational and
commercial fishing by acknowledging that federal and state laws
for fisheries exist. Prohibit the COZ legislation from being
used to adopt or enact fisheries management actions. The
COZ legislation shall not be used to restrict or limit
recreational or commercial fishing.
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Support federal and state
approved artificial reefs, and allow underwater research and
exploration, but not projects that will adversely affect the ecosystem.
-
Support,
celebrate, and sustain maritime activities that depend on a
healthy and clean ocean such as: boating, underwater diving, fishing, surfing,
swimming, and the enjoyment of the sea. The COZ
legislation will not be used to restrict or limit these
activities.
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