in this issue - anjec-association of new jersey ... this issue: 2 anjec report - autumn 2006...

3 Eminent Domain in New Jersey:Of House and Home

5 Planning for Better Water Quality

7 Gorilla Marketing forEnvironmental Commissions

9 ANJEC in the City

10 Acting Locally

11 Smart Growth Updates

12 ANJEC’s Smart GrowthPlanning Grant Awards

13 Phytoremediation

14 Mercury Risks

15 ANJEC in New Jersey

16 Celebration Focuses on Bayshore

19 Twilight Picnic and Silent Auction

REPORTREPORTAUTUMN 2006AUTUMN 2006

In This Issue:In This Issue:

2 ANJEC REPORT - Autumn 2006

Executive Director ................................................................. Sandy BattyEditor ........................................................................................ Sally DudleyAdvertising Coordinator ...................................................... Alison Deeb

The Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions is a private,non-profit educational organization serving environmental commission andopen space committee members, concerned individuals, non-profits, andlocal officials. ANJEC’s programs aim to promote the public interest innatural resource preservation, sustainable development and reclamationand support environmental commissions and open space committeesworking with citizens and other non-profit organizations.

The REPORT welcomes articles and photographs but is not responsible forloss or damage. Opinions expressed by guest authors do not necessarilyreflect ANJEC policy. Articles may be reprinted with permission and credit.Please address correspondence to ANJEC REPORT, PO Box 157,Mendham, NJ 07945; tel: 973-539-7547; toll-free number for members:888-55ANJEC (888-552-6532); fax: 973-539-7713. E-mail [email protected] site: www.anjec.org.

566 MUNICIPALITIES ............................. ONE ENVIRONMENT

Vol. 26 / No. 4 AUTUMN 2006

Library Subscription $18.00ISSN 1538-0742

REPORT

Director’sReport

Sandy BattyExecutive Director

Cover: Common cattail, one of many plants which can takeup and break down toxic substances. Photo by Peter Craig.

New Jersey Has a Stake inGlobal Warming Fight

A recent study by the Union of Concerned Scientists,“The Changing Northeast Climate: Our Choices, OurLegacy,” predicts dire consequences for New Jersey and theother Northeastern states under current warming trends.The UCS says that if we do not decrease our greenhouse gasemissions now, New Jersey will have a climate similar toSouth Carolina’s by the end of this century.

The UCS states that in the Northeast, increasing tempera-tures will result in greater fluctuations in precipitation withextreme flood and drought conditions becoming morefrequent and severe. Extremes in heat and increased airpollution will affect human health and the economy.Changing regional climate will alter forests, crop yieldsand water supplies. Rising temperatures could also impactmany types of ecosystems, upsetting the balance estab-lished over millennia, with unknown consequences.Climate change is expected to raise sea level, which is ofparticular concern to New Jersey, a coastal state where low-lying areas could flood and coastal storms could becomemuch more severe.

Faced with the prospect of global warming and its direecological and economic impacts, what can environmentalcommissions do?

First, they can urge their local governments to be part ofthe solution by signing the Mayors Climate ProtectionAgreement. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels drafted thisAgreement in February 2005 after the U.S. governmentfailed to sign the Kyoto protocol, the international agree-ment to reduce carbon emissions. The U.S. Conference ofMayors adopted the agreement in 2005.

Under the Mayors’ Agreement, participating citiescommit to:● “Strive to meet or beat the Kyoto Protocol targets in their

communities through actions ranging from anti-sprawlland-use policies to urban forest restoration projects topublic information campaigns to committing to renew-able energy sources and improving energy efficiency formunicipal vehicles;

● “Urge their state governments and the federal govern-ment to enact policies and programs to meet or beat thegreenhouse gas emission reduction target suggested forthe United States in the Kyoto Protocol — 7% reductionfrom 1990 levels by 2012; and

● “Urge the U.S. Congress to pass the bipartisan green-house gas reduction legislation, which would establish a

national emission trading system.” (New Jersey is alreadyexploring such a trading system under a cooperative effortby Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to reduce carbondioxide emissions from power plants.)The Mayor’s Agreement is a first step that only becomes

meaningful through implementation. New Jersey environ-mental commissions like Montclair and Cranford havebeen helping their municipalities achieve emissionsreductions by becoming “sustainable communities,”implementing policies like making their towns morepedestrian-friendly and committing to improved gasefficiency of municipal fleet of vehicles.

Many organizations offer suggestions for what townsand cities can do. The Sierra Club’s Cool Cities campaignrecommends that municipalities should:● Conduct an inventory to identify major CO2 sources

under the control of the municipal government;● Then develop a plan to reduce emissions by getting

energy from renewable sources and promotingenergy efficiency.Local officials should realize that energy efficiency will

save money and curb pollution too. Energy-conservingmeasures such as purchasing energy-efficient vehicles forpolice, school and administrative use; improving theefficiency of municipal buildings; switching to LED bulbsfor street lighting and installing solar panels will reducemunicipal costs over time.

Commissions can also encourage residents to help cutgreenhouse gas emissions through simple measures likeconserving hot water, insulating their homes and buyingenergy-saving appliances. Contact ANJEC (973-539-7547or [email protected]) for other ideas or information sources.

ANJEC REPORT - Autumn 2006 3PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

Eminent Domain inNew Jersey:Of House and Home

DBy Kerry Butch, ANJEC Urban Environmental Project Director

isplaced by the militaryoccupation of Greece, 91-year-oldAngie Hampilos and her husbandgained freedom when they came toAsbury Park in 1951. Within a fewyears, they purchased a two-familybeachfront bungalow with lilies androses blooming every year. Angie’shusband passed way several years ago.“I worked all my life for this little pieceof property. Now they say they want totake my whole block to make condo-miniums.... I don’t think anyoneshould push me from my house. If theyask me, I’ll say no. Where am I going togo? The street? I love this house. I wantto die here.”

And while Mrs. Hampilos transplantsher favorite flowers into little plasticpots, throughout Asbury Park, NewJersey and the entire country, munici-pal leaders, redevelopment experts andcommunity groups grapple with theintricacies of eminent domain reform.In the year since the landmark Su-preme Court decision Kelo vs. NewLondon, participants from all sides ofprivate and public life are debating thepros and cons of using eminentdomain. Can eminent domain staveoff runaway growth and bring backvitality to urban areas, or will itcontinue to displace entire neighbor-hoods and fail to give adequatecompensation to homeowners for theloss of their property?

Located in a redevelopment zone,Ms. Hampilos’ house as well as 21other single family homes, 453 occu-pied apartment units, 193 roominghouse units, 18 business operations aresubject to eminent domain proceedingson the 56 acres of Asbury Park’swaterfront area if “good faith negotia-tions” break down between the master

developer and theprivate owner. With aredevelopment appraisalof less that one third theprice of the new privatestudio apartment forwhich her home is beingdemolished, Ms.Hampilos’ family isconcerned about thestress that losing herhome is putting on herhealth and is resentfulthat she can’t live outher life in the house shepaid for (and paid taxesfor) in peace.

Rich De Petro, a smallscale developer whorenovated the historicBritwood Apartments inAsbury Park was dumb-founded when the city refused toinclude the adjacent Jersey Apartmentsin the redevelopment plan and insteaddesignated his building as the plannedparking lot site for new luxury condo-miniums. “The use of eminent domainwas once a mechanism to create publicprojects for the common good. It nowfills the trough for the politically-connected developers,” remarkedDePetro. Others in the redevelopmentzone also face the losses of not beingable to redevelop their own propertiesand effective destructions of theirbusinesses due to required relocations.

Unfortunately, similar stories areoccurring throughout the country.Having designated one or more “areasin need of redevelopment,” 115 NewJersey municipalities have the authori-zation to use eminent domain. InAsbury Park’s 1.5 square mile area,there are seven redevelopment zones.

Kelo vs. New LondonAddressing a redevelopment case filedby homeowner Susette Kelo againstNew London, Connecticut, the USSupreme Court issued a landmarkeminent domain decision in June2005. The decision rules that 15 NewLondon waterfront homes could becondemned for “economic develop-ment.” Kelo had sought to prevent herwell-maintained home from beingtaken for a large scale private redevel-opment that includes restaurants andoffice buildings. “The mere possibilitythat a different private developmentcould produce more taxes and jobs is agood enough reason for condemna-tion, according to the Court,” writesDana Berliner, Senior Attorney withthe Institute for Justice, and attorneyfor Kelo.

In Opening the Floodgates: EminentDomain in a Post-Kelo World, Berliner

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tracks the increasing threats tohomeowners and businesses over justone year. “...(L)ocal governments(have) threatened eminent domain orcondemned at least 5,783 homes,businesses, churches and other proper-ties so that they could be transferred toanother private party.... Kelo hasindeed become the green light thatJustice O’Connor and Justice Thomaswarned about in their dissents.”

The Kelo decision’s element to allowstates to create tougher legislation toprovide further protections forhomeowners, residents and businesseshas resulted in significant public policyreform throughout the country: 30states have enacted legislation. And 14states have addressed existing vaguedefinitions of “blight” reform areas byrequiring that they pose a threat topublic health and safety.

Smart Growth Advocates:“Redevelopment is the Waveof the Future”

“New Jersey needs redevelopmentand we want it,” remarked ExecutiveDirector George Hawkins in hiswelcoming address at New JerseyFuture’s February 2006 RedevelopmentForum 2006: Leveraging Assets to BuildStronger Communities. “Take a look atthe sprawling development patterns ofthe last two decades. Our analysisshows that New Jersey will be out of

buildable land in the next 20 years if itcontinues the same pace of large-lot,campus-style, and office development.Redevelopment is the answer for howwe will accommodate one millionmore New Jerseyans by 2020 withoutgiving up our parks and farm....”

Joseph Maraziti, partner withMaraziti, Falcon& Healy LLP, boardmember of New Jersey Future andformer Chair of the State Planningcommission supports eminent domainas a necessary tool for redevelopment,without which urban communities willnever experience the necessaryinvestment for jobs and increasedquality of life. “Without the use ofeminent domain we will have thestatus quo in our cities.... (I)t’s a veryimportant tool.... Right now the processis not quick. Reforms will add an awfullot of delay in the process (which)doesn’t need to be slower and moreexpensive.” He points to Perth Amboy’ssuccessful redevelopment that carefullyplanned to include public amenitiesand used condemnation cautiously.

In his keynote address to the Leagueof Women Voters of New Jersey,Connie Pascale, attorney with LegalServices of New Jersey, explains thatyou can’t separate redevelopment,eminent domain and displacement.“There has been no significant publicoutcry about redevelopment andeminent domain until Kelo becauseKelo involved the taking of homes ofmiddle class people.” Pascale notes thatour society completely accepts thetaking of the homes of the poor, theelderly and minorities. Referring to arecent Brookings Institute study, hereiterates that New Jersey will lose itseconomic competitiveness if it lacksintegrated communities and servicesector (police, fire, teaching and healthprofessionals) can’t afford to live in thecommunities where they work.

Pascale also reports that increasinglyNew Jersey is losing its affordablehousing. For example, in Lodi(Bergen), municipal officials areseeking to replace a mobile home parkwith a luxury high rise a developmentto increase ratables from $2 million to$12 million a year. Pascale has noproblem with eminent domain as longas it does not disproportionately impactthe poor. His desire is to see “10McMansions make way for 200 units ofaffordable housing.”

Eminent Domain Reform:The First Official Action ofthe Public Advocate

Re-established in 2006, the Depart-ment of the Public Advocate’s firstofficial action was to research the useand abuse of eminent domain in NewJersey. In the department’s May 2006report, Reforming the Use of EminentDomain for Private Redevelopment inNew Jersey, Public Advocate RonaldChen’s acknowledges, “The currentlaws governing the use of eminentdomain for private development donot adequately protect the rights oftenants and property owners.”

Key reform recommendationsinclude the following.● Revise the statutory criteria for

designating a “blighted” areawhich triggers the ability to useeminent domain;

● Offer property owners a meaningfulopportunity to appeal the blightdesignation;

● Create more specific, comprehensiveand community-driven redevelop-ment plans;

● Add protections to help insurethat eminent domain is used as alast resort;

● Protect the rights of tenants;● Require the homeowners are

compensated with at least the‘replacement value’ of their home;

● Strengthen ethics rules for theredevelopment process.

For additional information, contactKerry Butch at [email protected]

The U.S. Constitution’s FifthAmendment states, “[N]or shallprivate property be taken for publicuse, without just compensation.”Traditionally, eminent domain hasbeen defined as the government’sright to take private property forpublic use such as building roads, ahospital, schools, etc. for justcompensation. In 1947, the NewJersey Constitution allowed munici-palities to take “blighted” areas.Under current New Jersey redevel-opment law, eminent domain canoccur in designated “areas in needof redevelopment.”

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Planning for BetterWater Quality:2007 Scheduled RegulatoryChangesBy Daniel J. Van Abs, Director, Watershed Protection Programs,New Jersey Water Supply Authority

One of the nation’s strongestlaws, New Jersey’s 1977 Water QualityPlanning Act, prohibits the NJDEP fromapproving any permit or funding thatis inconsistent with an Areawide WaterQuality Management Plan. Since thattime, many of our surface waters haveseen tremendous improvements(due primarily to better municipalwastewater treatment plants andmajor reductions in industrial efflu-ent), while other surface waters havefallen in quality (due primarily tononpoint source pollution and newwastewater discharges.)

Why haven’t we had uniform waterquality gains? What are these plans,and their associated regulations? Howcan we improve the situation? Theseimportant questions are critical nowbecause NJDEP is scheduled to proposeregulatory changes in early 2007.

The Act and the PlansThe Water Quality Planning Act

largely mimics the requirements ofSection 208 of the federal Clean WaterAct. New Jersey’s law focuses on asingle statewide and twelve area wideWater Quality Management Plans(WQMs), including both ground andsurface waters, and point and nonpointsource pollutants. The critical differ-ence — it requires that no NJDEPapproval be inconsistent with anareawide plan.

In the late 1970’s county andregional planning agencies (Sussex,Middlesex, Ocean, Atlantic, Cape Mayand Mercer Counties, and the Dela-ware Valley Regional Planning Com-mission for Burlington, Camden andGloucester Counties), developed sevenof the 12 areawide WQM plans usingfederal funds. NJDEP handled theremaining areas.

After initial adoption, problemssurfaced almost immediately. Respon-sible for ensuring that funding andpermits were “not inconsistent” withthe plans, NJDEP had no updatingsystem, lacked sufficient federalplanning funds and could not, underthe law, charge fees for plan amend-ments or consistency reviews.

A new process adopted in 1989resulted in more local level wastewatermanagement planning as piecemealupdates to the 12 areawide WQMplans. Essentially unchanged today,these rules (NJAC 7:15) focus onensuring that sewer service areas areconsistent with local master plans andzoning, that the approved wastewatertreatment capacity is appropriate for theproposed sewer service area. The rulesdo not cover broader growth manage-ment or environmental concepts.

The only major rule changes sincethen added provisions for the listing ofimpaired surface water bodies and theTMDL process (essentially, waterpollution control plans for impairedsurface water bodies) in 1997. In 2000,intense public debate and the ultimatedemise of NJDEP’s rules for septicsystem review resulted in ExecutiveOrder 109, which requires NJDEP toconsider several environmental issuesprior to approving any amendment toan areawide WQM plan, which includesany wastewater management plan.

Environmental Sustainabilityand Smart Growth

The 1997 rule amendments were tobe part of a multi-phase change in therules, not just for wastewater manage-ment plans but also for many aspects ofwater quality protection and restora-Sources of Discharges to Surface Water

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tion. There was a recognition that the1989 rules:● were vague regarding the sizing and

extent of sewer service areas,● provided no guidance regarding

septic system densities,● provided little guidance on smart

growth principles and sustainableenvironmental resources, and

● were administratively complexWhile 1989 rules certainly reducedconflicts between planned sewerservice areas and local zoning, theneeds of our rapidly growing state forbetter planning and better environ-mental protection weren’t being met.Several major battles over sewer servicearea extensions were resolved through“on the fly” decisions regardingenvironmental assessment require-ments and appropriate thresholds forapproval or denial.

However, few areas updated theirwastewater management plans everysix years, as required. Project-specificamendments, which require a majorstaff commitment, became the way thatarea wide WQM plans changed —precisely what the process had beencreated to avoid. Review periodsincreased, and NJDEP’s small planningstaff took hits from nearly every sideover the slowness and uncertainty ofthe process.

From approximately 1995 throughnow, NJDEP has attempted to revisethese rules radically so that they workfrom an environmental, smart growthand administrative perspective. So far,the score is STATUS QUO 2, NJDEP 0.Why? The answers, posed here asquestions, constitute the major chal-lenges NJDEP faces.

How Do We Know ifGrowth Is Smart?

The State Development and Redevel-opment Plan is New Jersey’s officialsmart growth document. Havingwastewater management plans thatfollow the State Plan should help bringabout smart growth. But, the State Planlargely based Planning Area 2 (Subur-ban) on a map of NJDEP-approvedsewer service areas, from a time whenwastewater plans did not determinewhether they would exceed environ-mentally sustainable resource uses. So,in a classic “chicken and egg” issue,NJDEP must decide how to define

“smart growth” for wastewater plan-ning without relying on a State Planthat reflects out-of-date NJDEP waste-water plans!

Smart growth isn’t just a wastewaterissue. Can a combination of wastewaterplanning and the State PlanningCommission’s “plan endorsementprocess” help improve the State Planand the wastewater plans simulta-neously, avoiding reliance on outdatedinformation?

What Is Sustainable?Environmental science has come a

long way since the 1970’s, and eventhe 1990’s. Each jump in knowledgeseems to make the questions clearerand the answers harder. In ourcountry’s most densely developed state,what is sustainable, and for whichresource? Does the answer changewhether you are in Newark (Essex) orMaurice River Township (Cumberland)?What if we are already beyond sustain-able levels in some places, for someresources? NJDEP has been addressingwater supply capacity, nonpoint sourcepollution loading and riparian area(stream corridor) protection — whatother resources should be addressed?

Regulations often provide relativelysimple answers to such issues, by usingsingle thresholds for a resource (e.g.,fixed width stream buffers) that

approximate the diversity found innature. NJDEP must address complexissues in defensible, reasonable andadministratively feasible ways. The newrules will need to focus on a relativelysmall number of major issues, or theplanning process could become socomplex as to yield few answers.

How Does Water QualityActually Improve?

Wastewater management planninghistorically focused on ensuring thatsewered or septic service areas areappropriate to new development.While helpful for preventing degrada-tion, it does little to improve existingnegative conditions. NJDEP has beenamending areawide WQM plans toidentify pollution controls for degradedstreams, ponds and lakes, but imple-mentation of these plans is oftenproblematic. To what extent can therules improve this situation? Do theseprovisions belong in wastewatermanagement plans, or should they behandled separately?

Just How BigWill These Plans Be?

How many issues can be addressedsimultaneously through a planningprocess without immobilizing thewhole process? Holistic planning hasbenefits and costs. Every new issue

Water QualityManagement Planning

AreasDesignated

Planning Area WQMP AgencySussex County Sussex CountyNortheast NJDEPUpper Delaware NJDEPUpper Raritan NJDEPLower Raritan/ Middlesex CountyMiddlesex CountyMonmouth County Monmouth CountyMercer County Mercer CountyOcean County Ocean CountyTri-County Area Delaware Valley Regional

Planning CommissionAtlantic County Atlantic CountyLower Delaware NJDEPCape May County Cape May County


increases possible stakeholders,conflicts and solutions. Pursuit ofperfection may be the enemy of goodresults. Costs will also skyrocket withcomplexity, which raises the next issue.

Who Pays for Planning?The 1989 rules put the costs for

wastewater management planningalmost entirely on wastewater utilities.Why not municipalities or counties?The wastewater utilities have a majorstake in sewer service areas delinea-tions. Perhaps as important, they canuse sewer customers’ cash flow forrequired planning. On the other hand,as wastewater planning moves intomore sophisticated smart growth andenvironmental issues, they lack asufficiently broad planning agenda andexpertise. But they are where themoney is! So, NJDEP faces whether orhow to involve those who with themost expertise but the least funding, toreplace those who have good fundingbut the least expertise.

Can The System WorkEfficiently?

Improved planning could signifi-cantly reduce the number of site-specific amendments, and provide amuch better guide for their resolution.But improved planning requires willingagencies, sufficient funding and NJDEPstaffing, etc. Can this system reallywork, with nearly 200 wastewatermanagement planning areas domi-nated by utilities, or with 566 munici-pal plans, or with 21-plus county andregional plans? Improved planning willrequire coordination and cooperationwith entities at other levels, expertise,time and funding. NJDEP will also haveto determine how involved it wants tobe in the planning process (feasibleonly if there are fewer wastewaterplanning entities) versus a regulator ofplans developed entirely by others(which more closely follows NJDEP’shistory as a regulatory, rather thanplanning, agency).

The upcoming updated WaterQuality Management Planning Ruleshave the potential to profoundlybenefit New Jersey. All it takes is a fewanswers to a few questions!

For more information, contact DanielJ. Van Abs at [email protected].

By Julie Lange, ANJEC Resource Center Staff

Gorilla Marketingfor EnvironmentalCommissions

Most people have heard theterm “guerilla marketing,” whichimplies aggressive, cutthroat com-munication aimed at wiping out thecompetition. In the world of environ-mental stewardship, that’s typically nota good strategy.

Effective environmental commis-sions must know how to build publicawareness, bolstercommunity participa-tion and gathersupport from diverseconstituencies, all ofwhich are bestaccomplishedthrough a moreorganic marketingapproach. MotherNature offers us auseful model for thistype of communica-tion in our fellowprimate, the gorilla.In a world where food is survival, thegorilla is very effective at feedinghimself with minimal effort simply byputting himself where the food supplyis plentiful.

Go Where the Food IsFor environmental commissions,

success depends on the good will andsupport of many people — publicofficials, citizens, special interestgroups, developers, local businesses,government agencies and nonprofitentities that can offer assistance. So,with very limited resources available tocommunicate with so many targetaudiences, environmental commis-sions need to put themselves where thepeople are.

Well-chosen community events canoffer an excellent opportunity to tellyour story to a lot of people in a relaxed,friendly atmosphere. In addition to fairsand festivals, consider setting up a table atlocal fundraisers, organization confer-ences, Chamber of Commerce events,back-to-school nights, etc. Wheneverpossible, seek opportunities to speak

at these events andask to be named inany publicity theevent co-ordinatorssend out.

Also consider co-sponsoring eventswith other leadingcommunity organiza-tions, particularlythose with anenvironmental slant,

such as area river-keeper groups or your local healthdepartment. For example, the

environmental commissions of Verona,Cedar Grove and Montclair in EssexCounty joined forces with their localRotary Clubs to sponsor a day of fun andlearning at an environmental fairfeaturing workshops, demonstrationsand information on energy efficiency,composting, hybrid cars, water conserva-tion, safe use of pesticides and energysaving tips for the home.

Joining forces with like-mindedorganizations helps you meet peoplewho could turn into volunteers, allies or,at the very least, voters who will supportenvironment-friendly candidates or whowill favor your open space referendum.And co-sponsorships sometimes lead tolong-term partnerships that can multiplyyour marketing efforts in other ways.


Conserve ResourcesGorillas don’t seem to work very hardto get their needs met, and that’ssomething to bear in mind with yourmarketing activities. Try to invest theleast resources possible to get thedesired result. For example, it takesmuch less time, energy and money toparticipate in someone else’s eventthan to plan your own. That’s particu-larly true if the other group’s event hasa track record of attracting a significantnumber of people. Anyone who’s everplanned an event knows one of thebiggest hurdles is getting people toshow up.

The Bordentown (Burlington)Environmental Commission set up atable at the town’s annual CranberryFestival, which attracts over 40,000people. To capture the interest ofpassersby, the environmental commis-sion displayed enlarged, colorful GISmaps from the recently completedEnvironmental Resource Inventory (ERI).

There are, however, certainly occa-sions when it pays to sponsor your ownevent, particularly when you are tryingto focus public attention on a particularcause. That’s when another basic tenetof gorilla marketing comes into play.

Make a Big NoiseWhen the gorilla speaks, the whole

jungle listens. Likewise, there are timeswhen your environmental commissionneeds to make a lot of noise to geteveryone in the community to payattention. That’s when a campaignapproach is called for, starting with anattention-grabbing theme.

Here’s an example of a great head-line the Franklin Township(Gloucester) Master Plan AdvisoryCommittee used to get a good publicturnout at a talk on rezoning to addressthe potential impact of future growth:“32,000 new homes in FranklinTownship? That’s how many newdwellings could be built here under thecurrent 20-year old zoning scheme.”

When you broadcast a message likethat through flyers, ads, press releases,email blasts and the municipal web site,residents are bound to pay attention.Consistency and repetition are veryimportant in a marketing campaign, sokeep repeating your central messageacross all media. It’s a truism amongadvertising pros that just when you’regetting bored with your message, the

public is only beginning to notice it.Here’s another good attention

grabber from Atlantic Highlands(Monmouth), where the environmen-tal commission came up with a catchycampaign called “Paint the TownBlue.” To remind citizens that stormrunoff drains into Sandy Hook Bay andaffects local beaches as well as waterquality, the environmental commissionrecruited volunteers to stencilstormwater drainsaround town with ablue fish and thewords “No dump-ing--drains towaterway.” Inaddition to paint-ing about 400storm drainsalong 22 miles ofroads, doorhangers describ-ing the problemof non-pointpollution were distributed to nearly1,700 local households.

Pick the Low Hanging FruitA wise gorilla would never climb to

the top of the tree when plenty ofbananas are dangling from the lowerbranches. Likewise, there are somerelatively simple ways for environmen-tal commissions to get free publicity.For example, weekly communitynewspapers have a continuous hungerfor content to fill their pages, but theyusually have a relatively small staff togo out and get the stories. So if youmake it easy for them to cover the“environmental beat” in your town,you’ll find it’s easier to get coverage foryour environmental commission.

When something important is goingon at a planning board meeting, oryour governing body is considering animportant ordinance, call and give thepapers a heads-up a week beforehand.But bear in mind that there may bemultiple municipal meetings on thesame evening, so there may not be areporter available to cover yourmeeting. So offer to do a phoneinterview and supply a synopsis of whathappened at the meeting afterwards.

Here’s an example of working wellwith the media. The Byram (Sussex)Master Plan Project Team worked withthe local paper to develop articlesencouraging a good turnout at a series

of public meetings where updates to thetown’s master plan were being consid-ered. An attractive flyer, entitled “HelpCreate Change in Your Community,”also publicized the meetings and in-cluded a crisp, bulleted list of the issuesto be covered.

Another opportunity to reach a sizableaudience is submitting letters to theeditor, which have a high readership incommunity papers and allow you to get

your message printedexactly the way you wantit. For example, HerbWegner, chairman ofPittsgrove Township(Salem) EnvironmentalCommission, used a

series of letters to theeditor to buildpublic awarenessand participation inthe town’s Environ-mental ResourceInventory (ERI) and

Open Space and Recreation Plan. TheCommission also sent press releases thatthe local paper published, encouragingattendance at public hearings prior tothe adoption of their ERI.

During slow news periods, such asholiday weeks or during the summermonths when schools are closed andmany municipal boards and organizationsare on hiatus, community papers are oftenespecially receptive to story ideas.

Your town’s web site offers anotheropportunity for free publicity. And whenyou’re promoting an event, don’toverlook community calendars that arepublished on radio station web sites andin most newspapers. Listings are usuallyfree and only take a moment to write up.Remember that some newspapers requireone to two weeks lead time for theseannouncements.

ANJEC Can HelpIf you’re looking for materials to use at

your next event, ANJEC has an attractivestormwater display available on loan. Wecan also help you find handouts appropri-ate for your theme and audience. Inaddition, when you need backgroundinformation on an environmental topicfor a press release you’re writing, ourResource Center is ready and willing tohelp. You can reach us at (973)539-7547or email us at [email protected].

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New JerseyEnvironmentalJustice Tour

By Kerry Butch, ANJEC Urban Environment Project Director

“Living in Waterfront South ishurting the health of my family andthe 2,000 residents who live here. Webreathe dirty air, drink the contami-nated water, and the kids play on thelead and arsenic contaminated soil.Trucks rumble through and shake ourhouses to the very foundation. It’s timefor our elected officials and the NJDEPand USEPA to clean up this neighbor-hood for once and for all and make thepolluters responsible for what theyhave done to people here,” said LulaWilliams, Waterfront South residentand president of South CamdenCitizens in Action. Ms. Williams and 40others, including NJDEP CommissionerLisa Jackson and staff, participated in a“toxic tour” of Camden in September2006 as part of a nationwide eventcalling attention to the disproportion-ate amount of pollution in poor andminority communities.

Featured New JerseyVisit Areas

A national coalition of over 70environmental justice, social justice,public health, human rights, andworker’s rights groups, including theNew Jersey Environmental JusticeAlliance organized eight-day 2006Environmental Justice for All Tours ofenvironmental injustice areas in thenortheast, south and west coast. Activists,

health researchers, environmentalscientists, and public policy expertsparticipated, covering 12 stops in thenortheast section including Buffalo,Boston, New York City, Newark,Camden and Linden, with a final stop inWashington, D.C.

During the Newark (Essex) leg of thetour, Commissioner Jackson addressedschoolchildren, residents and commu-nity organizations in Newark’sIronbound area at the Diamond Alkalisuperfund site (the largest dioxincontaminated site in the world). TheCommissioner promised to go after theresponsible parties aggressively andforce them to pay for clean up. Tourparticipant Essex County ExecutiveJoseph DiVincenzo committed tocontinuing to advocate for waterfrontredevelopment that creates activeparks and open public space along thePassaic River. Most Newark populationis foreign born, has moderate to lowincome, and approximately three-quarters have less than a high schooleducation.

Linden (Union) spotlighted PSEG’snew power station that significantlyreduces polluting emissions. “It speaksto the ongoing relationships with localactivists and the company trying to be agood neighbor,” remarked ValorieCaffee, member of the tour’s nationalcoordinating committee and Organiz-ing Director of New Jersey’s WorkEnvironment Council. Also discussedwas Linden’s Environmental JusticePetition with the NJDEP to charter astudy of the health effects on childrenas a result of the large volume of dieselpollution in the city.

What New Jersey Needs to Do“We are not going to sit in the back orride out the injustices any longer. Today,we are driving the bus for justice,” statedKim Gaddy, a Newark native, New JerseyEnvironmental Federation Environmen-tal Justice organizer, and state spokesper-son for the tour. The organizations onthe tour called for Governor Corzineand elected officials to● Say “NO MORE” to new sources of

pollution in affected communities,and reduce the cumulative impact ofmultiple sources of pollution now;

● Eliminate harmful diesel emissions byissuing an executive order requiringpublic contracts to utilize vehicles thathave been retrofitted or meet cleanstandards;

● Fix the site-remediation program toinsure that schools, day care centersand residential housing are built onpermanently cleaned up (not merelycapped) sites;

● Provide more urban green spaces andmaintain them for public use;

● Pass chemical security legislation thatrequires inherently safer technologies,worker and community participationand right to know about hazards intheir community/workplace;

● Place a moratorium on eminentdomain until legislation is adoptedthat stops abuse and displacement ofpoor people for the benefit of privatedevelopment.

For Further Information● Environmental Justice for All,

www.ej4all.org● New Jersey Environmental Justice

Alliance, www.njeja.org

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Acting LocallyBy Julie Lange, ANJEC Resource Center Staff

Keeping Off-RoadVehicles (ORVs) inTheir Place

In response to an aggressive informa-tion campaign by the Pinelands Preser-vation Alliance (PPA), a number of SouthJersey municipalities have passed off-road vehicle (ORV) ordinances or are inthe process of doing so. To reduce theenvironmental damage these vehiclescause to the Pinelands ecosystem, manyof the ordinances require registrationand tagging of ORVs as well as stifferpenalties for operating them in unautho-rized areas. Some towns’ ordinances callfor fines of $1,000 for a first offense andup to $2,000 for subsequent offenses.

Mayor Mark Dykoff of Lacey Town-ship (Ocean) and Buena Vista Township(Atlantic) Mayor Chuck Chiarello wereamong the municipal officials and envi-ronmental organizations represented attwo press conferences that kicked off theinitiative in June. PPA also hosted threepublic information sessions inHammonton (Atlantic), Buena Vista(Atlantic) and Southampton(Burlington), which attracted manyORV enthusiasts.

agrees to assume that responsibility.Anticipating possible legal chal-

lenges to this groundbreaking regula-tion, the ordinance states that if anypart is ruled unconstitutional, thatdecision won’t affect remainingportions of the ordinance.The Ringwood (Passaic) Environ-

mental Commission joined forces withSkylands Clean and the WatershedAmbassador for NJDEP WatershedManagement Area 3 to get sixth gradersinvolved in recycling. The Martin J.Ryerson Middle School educationalprogram also made the students awareof the unrecyclable waste from excessivepackaging and the load it creates onscarce landfill space.

Checking the recycling codes on avariety of plastic materials, studentslearned how many of them end up in

Kids Campaign for Earth-friendly Packaginglandfills, either because they don’t beara recycling mark or because plastics incategories 3 through 7 are less market-able. Based on analysis, studentsbrainstormed actions to encourageresponsible rather than over-packagingby manufacturers. Among their ideas wasa letter-writing campaign encouragingcompanies to switch to more earth-friendly packaging.

The sponsors made their educationalrecycling facts kit, a sample letter-writingcampaign and press releases availablefor use by neighboring towns.

NRI Plays Role in Emergency PreparednessHarmony Township (Warren)

officials have discovered an unexpecteduse for their new Natural ResourcesInventory (NRI). In August 2005,Pennsylvania Power and Light (PPL)had a fly ash spill at its Martins Creekpower plant along the Delaware Rivernot far from Harmony. Because of thespill’s potential effects on area drinkingwater, the cleanup effort includedtesting all wells within 500 feet of theriver. Former environmental commis-sion chair Karen Buckley had the Geo-graphic Information System (GIS) mapsfrom the town’s newly updated NRI onher laptop and, within 10 minutes, wasable to produce a list of homeowners tobe notified about the spill.

The town used NRI data in a similarway in September 2004 when floodwa-ters inundated many floodplain proper-ties. Harmony’s Emergency Manage-ment Coordinator was able to quicklywarn residents living in threatened areasabout the anticipated deluge.

Current environmental commissionchair Brett Bragin stresses that thefloodplain information on FederalEmergency Management Agency

(FEMA) maps doesn’t always match upperfectly with conditions on theground, and tax maps are alwayschanging. While the GIS maps providean excellent tool for emergencypreparedness, they shouldn’t be reliedon as a sole source of information.

Developers to ProvideOpen Space

Upper Deerfield Township (Cumber-land) enacted a new ordinance in July2006 requiring that developers set asideat least 3,000 square feet of recreationalopen space for every residential unit builtwithin developments exceeding sevenunits; alternatively, with approval by thetownship planning board or zoningboard of adjustment, they may donate$3,000 for every home built to a recre-ation trust fund.

Developers must clear and seed therecreation spaces to make them suitablefor informal playground games. Thedevelopment’s homeowners associationwill be responsible for maintenance ofthe recreation space unless the township

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By Barbara Palmer, ANJEC Land Use Planning Coordinator

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The Cross-Acceptance negotiationprocess between counties and the StatePlanning Commission, dormant formore than a year, has begun again.Ben Spinelli, the new chief counsel incharge of policy at the Office of Smart

Growth (OSG) has posted a scheduleof negotiation meetings on the OSGweb site (www.nj.gov/dca/osg/docs/

caschedule072006.pdf). Theinitial meetings with each

county are internal staff-to-staff sessions. Publicmeetings will generallyfollow in each county aslisted below.

● October 16 to November 27: Bergen, Hudson, Passaic, Essex, Union, Middlesex,Monmouth;

● December 4 to January 29: Burlington, Camden,

Gloucester, Atlantic,Salem, Cumberland,Cape May;

● February 5 to March 5:Mercer, Ocean, Sussex,Warren, Morris,Somerset, Hunterdon.

NJDEP producedupdated maps afterCross-Acceptance hadbegun. The new mapssupersede the 2004Preliminary State Planmaps that municipali-

ties and counties used to prepare theirCross-Acceptance reports. Inter-agencydiscussions about when and how tointroduce the NJDEP environmentalmap updates caused in part the longdelay in Cross-Acceptance. The revisedmaps' new environmental data hasresulted in Planning Area changes insome municipalities. The new maps

resulted in the following Planning Areaacreage changes between the 2004Preliminary State Plan and the 2006environmental update.● PA1 Metropolitan - minus 9,045 acres● PA2 Suburban - minus 44,300 acres● PA3 Fringe - minus 21,213 acres● PPA4 Agricultural - plus 394 acres● PA4b Agricultural/Env. Sensitive -

plus 2,424 acres● PA5 Environmentally Sensitive - plus

71,775 acresOverall, the environmental update

resulted in more land designated as PA5— Environmentally Sensitive. The newmaps, plus charts of changes, summa-ries of changes and supporting materialcan be found on the OSG web site:www.nj.gov/dca/osg/docs/newcagis.shtml.

At its July 19th meeting, the StatePlanning Commission (SPC) acknowl-edged the hardship that the introduc-tion of revised maps this far into theCross-Acceptance process causes thecounty planners and municipalities.Several county planners protested theintroduction of the new maps, becausemunicipalities have long-ago finishedtheir Cross-Acceptance reports, andthey feared a loss of credibility for theprocess. The State Planning Commis-sion decided to introduce the new mapsanyway. Overwhelmingly, the SPCmembers agreed that if State Plan mapsdid not reflect current on-the-groundrealities, they would mislead anyproperty owner who would need NJDEPpermitting in the future. The membersalso hailed the successful negotiationsand cooperation between the NJDEPand the Department of CommunityAffairs, parent agency of OSG.

For additional information, contactBarbara Palmer at [email protected].

State Plan Cross-Acceptance Negotiations Begin,New Maps Introduced

Free PublicationExplains Smart Growth

We are seeing the term everywherethese days. The State Plan’s major goalis that all New Jersey growth willadhere to “Smart Growth.” Althoughit’s a fashionable label for develop-ment, center-based and protective ofthe environs, what “Smart Growth”actually looks like is somewhat abstractto many of us. Looking around NewJersey, most new development doesn’tlook particularly smart.

The Smart Growth Network’s recentlarge-format 32-page colorbrochure, This Is Smart Growthexplains and illustrates theprinciples with developmentexamples that successfullyemploy them. Producedunder a cooperativeagreement between theInternational City/CountyManagement Associationand the USEPA, thebrochure shows howdevelopment, when well-planned, can improve thelivability of a community,preserve the character of atown and protect theenvironment. Chaptersinclude: “Safe, Conve-nient NeighborhoodsWith Homes thatPeople Can Afford,”“Development Decisionsthat Are Fair to Everyone,”“Protecting and PreservingOur Natural Heritage andWorking Lands,” and“Healthy Communities forAll Ages.” Some 40examples from all aroundthe country illustratewell-planned development. Theyinclude village centers in rural towns,neighborhoods in suburban munici-palities and redeveloped hubs in cities.

Well-worth making available to everyplanning board and municipal govern-ment, This Is Smart Growth is free ofcharge at www.smartgrowth.org to order,download or view.


By Kerry Miller, ANJEC Assistant Director

ANJEC’s SmartGrowth PlanningGrant Awards

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or the past five years, New Jerseymunicipalities with environmentalcommissions have had sole access to aspecial pool of planning moneythrough ANJEC. Since 2002, the SmartGrowth Planning Grant Program,funded by the Geraldine R. DodgeFoundation and administered byANJEC, has contributed nearly$900,000 in matching grants to 90towns around the state for a wide rangeof planning projects that facilitatecapacity-based land use, resourceconservation and “smart” growth.

The 2006 pool of approximately$213,000 will support grants to 32municipalities in 16 counties throughthe state for projects over the comingyear ranging from $1,600 to $15,000.ANJEC notified successful applicants oftheir grants in late May, and mostprojects are well underway.

Because NJDEP, due to state budgetcuts, did not offer EnvironmentalServices grants to commissions in 2006,the ANJEC grants were more in de-mand than ever this year. We received$780,000 in requests from 74 applicanttowns. A large number of proposals

were for environmental/naturalresource inventories (ERIs/NRIs)),which Environmental Services grantshave supported since the enablinglegislation passed in 1972.

In addition to ERIs/NRIs, the SmartGrowth Planning Grant Program fundsinitiatives such as groundwater carryingcapacity studies and environmentalreviews of municipal master plans,zoning and ordinances. Some grantshelp towns cover the cost of revisingzoning codes, developing open space orfarmland preservation plans, or craftingnew ordinances to protect naturalresources, discourage sprawl, and createlivable, pedestrian-friendly communi-ties. The grants are reserved for plansand studies, and do not cover imple-mentation or capital projects.

To be eligible for a grant, a town

must have a functioning environmen-tal commission that will manage orparticipate in the project. In addition toworking with consultants and otherboards on the projects, environmentalcommissions involve and informresidents about the projects throughsurveys, press releases, newsletter andweb site articles and informationbooths at public events, as well aspublic meetings and hearings.

2006 GrantsThe Smart Growth grant program

gives commissions, who donate untoldhours of time and expertise to helpprotect local environmental resourcesand enhance the quality of life forresidents, one more opportunity to addvalue to the land use planning processwhere they live. This year’s covered arange of environmental initiatives.● For ENVIRONMENTAL/NATURAL

RESOURCE INVENTORIES: Andover(Sussex), Cape May City (Cape May),Franklin (Warren), Hope (Warren),Hopewell (Cumberland), Lawrence(Mercer), Little Silver (Monmouth),Mannington (Salem), Mansfield(Warren ), Milltown (Middlesex),North Brunswick (Middlesex), SouthBrunswick (Middlesex), Tuckerton(Atlantic) and Woodbridge(Middlesex)

● For OPEN SPACE OR GREENWAYPLANS: Bayonne (Union),Livingston (Essex), Hammonton(Atlantic), Southampton(Burlington), Teaneck (Bergen),Tenafly (Bergen), Upper Deerfield(Cumberland) and Voorhees(Camden)

● For MASTER PLAN OR ZONINGREVISIONS: Boonton (Morris),Bordentown City (Burlington), EastWindsor (Mercer), Montclair (Essex),


is proud to be a memberof Earth Share of New Jersey

Talk to us about how you can includeEarth Share of New Jersey and thisorganization as a giving option in yourworkplace.

609-989-1160

Pollutant-gobbling Plants HelpClean Up New Jersey

By Julie Lange, ANJEC Resource Center Staff

Moorestown (Burlington) andPittsgrove (Salem)

● For BUILDOUT STUDIES: Andover(Sussex), Red Bank (Monmouth) andUpper Freehold (Monmouth)

● For a BROWNFIELD INVENTORYAND ASSESSMENT OF THE MORRISCANAL AREA: Jersey City (Hudson)

Future ANJEC GrantsANJEC hopes to receive notification

from the Dodge Foundation in late2006 regarding funding for a 2007round of Smart Growth Grants. In themeantime, we strongly encourageenvironmental commissions to discusspotential projects with their electedofficials, planning boards and potentialconsultant partner now, to assurebudgeting for the municipal match ifthey plan to apply for a Smart GrowthGrant in 2007. If ANJEC receivesfunding, grant application packets willbe mailed out to commissions andmunicipalities in mid-January, 2007.

The ANJEC Report has featured manySmart Growth grant projects over thepast few years, including articles on● ERI/NRI projects (Summer 2006),● Groundwater studies (Fall 2005),● Master plan updates (Spring 2006),

and● Grant-writing (Winter 2006).To see these articles, go towww.anjec.org/html/report.htm.

For additional information, [email protected]

Plants have become the new alche-mists of New Jersey’s contaminatedplaces, transmuting heavy metals andtoxic pollutants into lush green foliagethat helps improve soil and waterquality while producing oxygen andproviding wildlife habitat. Withtechnology known as phytoremedia-tion, scientists are planting andharvesting vegetation to remove ordegrade lead, cadmium, arsenic, zinc,depleted uranium, radionuclides,strontium and other chemicals fromsoil, groundwater and surface water atvarious sites around the country.

Phytoremediation is far less expen-sive than traditional soil cleanup sinceit requires minimal soil disturbanceand reduces the burden on toxic wastesites. Ilya Raskin, professor at theAgBiotech Center, Rutgers Universityestimates that at least 30,000 contami-nated properties in the US may becandidates for phytoremediation.

The Magic Marker SiteOne of the New Jersey’s

groundbreaking phytoremediationexperiments was at the former MagicMarker site in Trenton. Planting andharvesting sunflowers, Indian mustardand Sudan grass over three years isachieving about a 75 percent clean upwith only a few hot spots requiringfurther remediation. Project managerMichael Blaylock said EdenspaceSystems has also used sunflower andIndian mustard plants at other sites toremove radionuclides, depleteduranium, strontium, copper, zinc,cadmium and other soil contaminants.

Picatinny ArsenalIn an initiative to clean up several

military installations, NJDEP, USEPA,

Department of Defense and theInterstate Technology & RegulatoryCouncil (ITRC) partnered to remediatea site at Picatinny Arsenal in MorrisCounty in northern New Jersey. One ofthe first full-scale projects using brakeferns to remove arsenic from soil, theproject resulted in one of the mostefficient arsenic hyper-accumulatorsever discovered. The brake fernsabsorbed about 2,000 milligrams ofarsenic per kilogram of soil in a singlegrowing season. Given New Jersey’swidespread contamination due toextensive arsenic use in agriculturalpesticides and wood preservatives,brake fern remediation could havepromising applications. According toBob Mueller, ITRC phytoremediationteam leader, brake ferns are excep-tional hyper-accumulators because,unlike sunflowers and Indian mustard,they require no soil amendment, suchas chelating agents, to work.

Switch grass is one of several plantsbeing used in a Meadowlands cleanup.

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Information commissions can duplicate to use in their communities

What You Need to Know About Mercury

New Jersey MeadowlandsA variety of trees, shrubs and peren-

nial plants will soon be hard at workon two phytoremediation areas in amajor wetlands restoration effort in the7,700-acre Hackensack Meadowlands(Bergen and Hudson). Many decades ofsuburban development, dredging,draining, mosquito control, numerouslandfills and industrial pollution havedestroyed or degraded wetland habitatsin this unique coastal ecosystem.

According to project director AlexFelson, EDAW, the effort’s environ-mental landscape design firm, bridgingaesthetics and ecology are the twinconcerns and Rutgers’ Universityscientists are helping to developrigorous monitoring and controlstudies. On a two-acre site, fast-growing, water-loving trees of variousages with flowering shrub plots inbetween will be planted this fall for alayered effect. And to create a dramatic,welcoming year-round appearance onthe mile-long main entrance to a golfresort, a variety of designed areas, suchas meadows and woodlands, willintersperse with phytoremediationzones, where vegetation will beperiodically harvested and removed.

With complete road improvements,pollutant-eating native trees and anunder story of shrubs and grasses willbe planted in 2007 to● Remove and sequester heavy metal

contaminants in the soil and water;● Form a vegetation buffer to reduce

possible migration of pollutants fromadjacent landfills; and

● Prevent soil erosion along the steeplysloped banks of the road.Project leaders chose native New

Jersey plants for their hardiness andability to absorb contamination inshallow water through their rootsystems, including bald Cyprus, redmaple, poplar, birch, ironwood, sweetgum, willow, switch grass, spike grass,cord grass and bull rush.

For additional information, contactJulie Lange at [email protected]

Toxics are a component of manyordinary consumer products we use inour homes and at work every day.Some products may present a healthrisk during normal use, but others are aproblem when we fail to dispose ofthem properly. It is important to knowwhat is in the products we use, andhow best to dispose of them to reduceenvironmental health risks.

One common toxic is mercury, foundin older glass thermometers, certainautomotive switches, thermostats andfluorescent light bulbs, including thenew energy-conserving compact fluores-cent bulbs. Exposure to mercury,particularly through inhalation, cancause neurological and organ damagein humans and animals, and is particu-larly hazardous to children anddeveloping fetuses.

Mercury is unique in that it is aliquid at room temperature. If un-contained, such as when a fluorescentbulb or a glass thermometer breaks, theliquid metal vaporizes readily, present-ing a serious risk of inhalation.

Over the years, mercury-containingtrash burned in incinerators and buriedin landfills has dispersed this toxicmetal far and wide. Many of theNJDEP’s fish advisories alert residents

on high levels of mercury in game fish,a result of incinerators emanatingairborne mercury that ultimately fallsinto water bodies.

Mercury in fluorescent light bulbs isa significant environmental problem.A typical long fluorescent bulb containsabout 5 - 10 mg. of mercury. But withonly about one-quarter recycled of theUS annual discard of over 700 millionfluorescent bulbs, hundreds of thou-sands of pounds of the toxic metal aremaking their way into landfills orincinerators, and thus into our airand water.

Recycling and CleanupAlthough not mandated by New

Jersey law, it is in everyone’s bestinterest to help keep mercury out of theenvironment through proper disposalof all fluorescent light bulbs and othermercury items. For example when amercury thermometer breaks, cleanupis tricky. Just trying to collect spilledmercury can spread and increase itsdispersal into the air. The best way to

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Glass thermometer containing mercury

Mercury switches are found in thermostats.

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avoid accidental exposure is to acquire“mercury free” alternatives, such asdigital or tape.

Business owners, who use the lion’sshare of fluorescents, can protect thehealth of their employees and thegeneral public by engaging “universalwaste handlers” to collect spent bulbsand recycle them at a qualified facility.Non-commercial individuals can takeboth compact and regular fluorescentbulbs, as well as thermostats, thermom-eters and other mercury-containingitems, to the county household hazard-ous waste collections. Call your countyrecycling center for details.

New Jersey recently adopted legisla-tion that initiated a successful effort toreduce another source of airbornemercury, mercury-containing automo-tive switches. By requiring the removalof these switches from cars before theyare crushed and melted down, the lawwill keep several tons of mercury out ofthe air.

If you do experience a spill, do notuse a broom or vacuum to clean it up,and never wash mercury down a drain.Evacuate the spill area, turn off aircirculation systems, shut the door, andconsult your local environmentalhealth agency for advice on cleanupand disposal. For small quantities (1 - 2Tbsp.), you can do the job yourself ifyou get proper instruction.

Mercury enters the environmentfrom many sources including coal-burning power plants, combustion offuel and solid waste, industrial and

Recycling fluorescent tubes

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medical uses, refineries, batteries andpaints. As with most environmentalproblems, the “answer” will involvemany different efforts by many differ-ent parties. By keeping informed andtaking responsibility for properdisposal of household products con-taining mercury, we can each pitch into help reduce mercury in the environ-ment, and to protect ourselves and ourfamilies in the bargain.

For Further Information● NJDEP Is Your Life Mercury Free

brochure at www.nj.gov/dep/dshw/lrm/mercury_brochure.pdf

● NJDEP Compliance Advisory onrecent law mandating removal ofmercury switches from end-of-lifevehicles at www.state.nj.us//dep/enforcement/advisories/2006-01.pdf

● USEPA fact sheet on mercury spills atwww.epa.gov/mercury/disposal.htm

ANJEC in New JerseyConstructed and printing using digital

files from the state and the computerapplication, ARC View, this map ofenvironmental commissions isGeographic InformationSystem (GIS) now in wideuse at all levels of govern-ment and industry.

GIS is a perfect systemfor demonstrating therelationships of appropri-ate or useful combina-tions of environmentalfeatures. For example, oneor more layers of additionaldigital information —including streams, wetlands,forests and land uses — canoverlay a base map of roads andmunicipal boundaries.

In New Jersey GIS software andtraining are available to environmentalcommissions from the Office ofInformation Technology, via theInitiative for CommunityAccess to Technology(ICAT) program. Fordetails andapplicationsgo to http://njgin.nj.gov,or contactDouglas M.Schleifer,ICAT ProgramCoordinator, [email protected] 609-984-7544.

Municipalities with environmental commissions

Legend


Check out the Directory at www.anjec.organd click on “Environmental Consultants”

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Information on environmental professionalsand businesses operating in New Jerseyand surrounding regions. You can searchby keyword (including company name) orservice area.

Information on environmental professionalsand businesses operating in New Jerseyand surrounding regions. You can searchby keyword (including company name) orservice area.

ANJEC’s Directory ofEnvironmental ConsultantsANJEC’s Directory ofEnvironmental Consultants

About 80 people attended a Celebrationof the Bayshore on Thursday, Oct. 12,hosted by the newly formed South JerseyBayshore Coalition,* made up of 17nonprofit organizations working to pre-serve the cultural heritage and environ-mental integrity of the Bayshore.

Guests heard remarks from US Congress-man Frank LoBiondo and AssemblymenJeff Van Drew, Nelson Albano, and DougFisher. Coalition members reported onsome of their ongoing projects, includingworking to get the region designated as aNational Heritage area, working withRutgers Center for Remote Sensing andSpatial Analysis to inventory Bayshorenatural and cultural resources, performing abuild-out analysis for the city of Millville,and helping various municipalities withOpen Space. ANJEC coordinates theCoalition's activities through a grant fromthe William Penn Foundation.

CelebrationFocuses onBayshore

South Jersey Bayshore Coalition• American Littoral Society • Association of NJ Environmental Commissions • Bayshore Discovery Project •

• Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River and Its Tributaries • Cohansey Area River Preservation • Delaware Riverkeeper Network •• Environment New Jersey • Natural Lands Trust • NJ Audubon Society • NJ Chapter Sierra Club • NJ Conservation Foundation •

• NJ Environmental Federation • Partnership for the Delaware Estuary • Pinelands Preservation Alliance •• Regional Planning Partnership • Salem County Watershed Task Force • South Jersey Land and Water Trust •

Members of South Jersey Bayshore Coalitionshare interesting facts about the region.

Photos by Jody Carrara


ANJEC depends on advertisers to help pay for the cost of printing the ANJEC Report.Please let them know that you saw their ad here. Remember, however, that ANJEC does not necessarily endorse any of these firms.

Environmental Impacts • Resource Inventories • Grants • Wetlands

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• Endangered Species Surveys• Wildlife Inventories/Studies• Habitat Mitigation Proposals

• Wetland Delineations• Ecological Impact Assessments• Photography • Expert Testimony

Jill Stein DoddsPresident

ENVIRONMENTAL [email protected]

(908) 234-0870 (908) 996-3214

ANJEC’s Pathways for the Garden StateA Local Government Guide to Planning Walkable, Bikeable Communities

Just $8 plus $4 shipping.Order by phone (973-539-7547) or e-mail ([email protected])

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ANJEC depends on advertisers to help pay for the cost of printing the ANJEC Report.Please let them know that you saw their ad here. Remember, however, that ANJEC does not necessarily endorse any of these firms.

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ANJEC’s Twilight Picnic andSilent AuctionANJEC held a program at Rutgers Gardens on September29th to strengthen our education program. A group of ourfriends took a fascinating tour, offered contributions andbid on 43 Silent Auction items including tours, deliciousfood, pictures, concerts and historical home items, raisingmore than $6,000.

Special Thanks to Our Silent Auction DonorsBen and Jerry’sBlanche & Ralph KrubnerBordentown City Environmental CommissionCafé MetroMarshall BurnsCampmorCharlie Brown’s RestaurantCitizens United to Protect the Maurice RiverClarke Caton HintzJane Collingwood, The Happy GardenerColonial SymphonyCommerce BankHorace K. CorbinPeter Craig & Suzanne SmithCurvesAlison DeebDrew UniversityDuke Farms FoundationE/The Environmental MagazineDede EsenlohrF.A. Bartlett Tree ExpertsFamished Frog RestaurantFrame Experts of MendhamSarah GoslingGuerriero’s RistoranteGreen Mountain Coffee RoastersThe Health ShoppeJuliet Johnson Arbonne InternationalKing’s Super MarketsJulie LangeLaboratory Hair StudioLagunitas Brewing CompanyMartha LieblichMarcello’s RestaurantGertrude MedoffMendham BooksMendham CameraMendham Hardware & PaintMendham UPS StoreMichael Hogan PhotographyKerry MillerMuirhead of Ringoes, NJ Inc.National Wildlife FederationCarolann Nexon

NJ Audubon SocietyNJ Symphony OrchestraNJN Public Television & RadioPaper Mill PlayhousePinelands Preservation AllianceMara PowellHelene Resky, CMTRutgers GardensScott EmoryScotti’s Record ShopsJean St. GermainSquare Luggage

Gary W. SzelcTrader Joe’sTrump National Golf ClubTuckerton Seaport MuseumDave & Debbie TombUnionville Vineyards, Inc.US Equestrian Team FoundationPeg Van PattonWhole Foods MarketWightman’s FarmsFran WoodWyeth

Photos by Peter Craig

ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEYENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS

P.O. Box 157Mendham, NJ 07945

Non Profit Org.U.S. Postage

P A I DEast Hanover, NJ

Permit No. 5

What Can ANJEC DoFor You?

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ANJEC members areeligible for an array ofservices to help protectyour community’senvironment.● Free subscriptions to

our quarterly ANJEC Reportmagazine and our monthlye-newsletters, the Green City Gazette andthe Highlands Herald;

● Access to our Resource Center’s extensive collection ofpublications, reports and ordinances as well as theexpertise of our experienced staff;

● Reduced rates for ANJEC publications, workshops andour annual statewide Environmental Congress whichbrings public officials and environmental organizationstogether for an information-packed, day-long programconference;

● Topics and speakers for tailored local workshopsthrough ANJEC’s Road Show program.

Join ANJEC!Call 973-539-7547 or email us at [email protected].

Thanks to ANJEC’sCorporate and Business Donors

Corporate Gold Members — $7,500 and upBristol-Myers Squibb Company

PSE&G Service Corporation

Corporate Members and SupportersHewlett-Packard Company

Johnson & JohnsonPepco Holdings, Inc.

New Jersey-American Water Company

Professional Business MembersBENEFACTOR MEMBER

Thonet Associates

SUSTAINING MEMBERSCultural Resource Consulting Group

Environmental Compliance, Inc.Princeton Hydro, LLC

Tetra Tech EM, Inc.

SUPPORTING MEMBERSBanisch AssociatesBiostar Associates

Mary Lou Delahanty, Esq.ECO Systems Environmental Consultants

Environmental ConnectionF.X. Browne

Cultural Resource Consulting GroupGoldshore, Cash & Kalac PC

Lewis S. Goodfriend & AssociateAmy S. Greene Environmental Consultants

Hatch Mott MacDonaldHeyer, Gruel & Associates

Leggette, Brashears & GrahamNJN Public Television

RTP Environmental AssociatesSzaferman, Lakind, Blumstein, Blader, et al

TRC Omni Environmental CorporationVan Note-Harvey Associates

Thanks to ANJECMember Municipalities

Local officials from more than 260 municipalities are nowpart of ANJEC, including municipal and regional environmen-tal commissions, open space committees, planning boards,and governing bodies in all 21 New Jersey counties.

For a complete list of our members go towww.anjec.org/html/eclist.htm/.

in this issue - anjec-association of new jersey ... this issue: 2 anjec report - autumn 2006...

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