http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/newsrel.rss New Jersey Department of Envrionmental Protection News Releases en-us mirabyte Feed Writer Tue, 21 May 2013 12:14:00 -0400 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:14:00 -0400 Environment New Jersey News category category To celebrate May as National Preservation Month in New Jersey, the Department of Environmental Protection's Historic Preservation Office and the New Jersey Historic Sites Council today are announcing the recipients of 23rd Annual Historic Preservation Awards to honor projects and groups or persons dedicated to preserving the state's history. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0056.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0056.htm Tue, 21 May 2013 12:14:00 -0400 To celebrate May as National Preservation Month in New Jersey, the Department of Environmental Protection's Historic Preservation Office and the New Jersey Historic Sites Council today are announcing the recipients of 23rd Annual Historic Preservation Awards to honor projects and groups or persons dedicated to preserving the state's history. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0055.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0055.htm Thu, 16 May 2013 13:51:00 -0400 The Christie Administration has secured an agreement that will result in the permanent cessation of the use of coal at GenOn REMA's Portland, Pennsylvania power plant, resulting in cleaner air for New Jersey, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0054.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0054.htm Wed, 15 May 2013 16:14:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Department of Treasury and Mercer County today unveiled the Petty's Run interpretive archaeological site located between the State House and the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0053.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0053.htm Tue, 14 May 2013 13:53:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin today joined thousands of local schoolchildren, residents and businesses in the fourth installment of the Christie Administration's Barnegat Bay Blitz watershed-wide cleanup. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0052.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0052.htm Fri, 10 May 2013 11:10:00 -0400 In its continuing commitment to efficiency and customer service, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has launched a series of new online services that will allow the public to electronically apply for various permits and licenses or to electronically post certain public notices, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0051.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0051.htm Thu, 9 May 2013 13:29:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection today announced the grand opening of the new Centenary College Environmental Science Center at the DEP's Charles O. Hayford Fish Hatchery in Hackettstown, which will serve as an experimental learning facility for the school's environmental studies curriculum. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0050.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0050.htm Thu, 9 May 2013 13:15:00 -0400 Black bears have emerged from winter dens and are entering their most active period of the year in search of food and mates, which makes encounters with humans in populated areas more likely. Even though overall bear sightings and encounters are declining again this year, New Jersey residents, particularly those living in 'bear country' in northwest New Jersey, are advised to take a few simple precautions this spring to reduce the risk of potential encounters. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0049.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0049.htm Wed, 8 May 2013 16:29:00 -0400 The Christie Administration today announced the award of $18.3 million in Clean Communities grants to help municipalities and counties fund litter cleanup efforts that help beautify New Jersey's communities and roadsides. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0048.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0048.htm Wed, 8 May 2013 14:31:00 -0400 To prevent mosquitoes this summer, the Departments of Health and Environmental Protection are asking homeowners, businesses and contractors working on rebuilding to drain sources of standing water outdoors and routinely check property for containers collecting water where mosquitoes can breed. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0047.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0047.htm Tue, 7 May 2013 11:03:00 -0400 The "Spirit of the Jerseys" State History Fair is celebrating New Jersey's agricultural heritage in a daylong event to be held at Washington Crossing State Park in Hopewell Township on May 11, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin and Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0046.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0046.htm Thu, 2 May 2013 11:04:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today marked a significant milestone in the Christie Administration's work to remove debris from New Jersey's waterways by overseeing the demolition of a Mantoloking home that was swept virtually intact into Barnegat Bay by Superstorm Sandy's record storm surge. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0045.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0045.htm Thu, 2 May 2013 10:38:00 -0400 The prestigious Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic will return to Liberty State Park in Jersey City on June 1, bringing the sport's top stars to a star-studded and stylish sporting and social event with the spectacular backdrop of the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0043.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0043.htm Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:18:00 -0400 With the summer tourism season on the horizon, more areas of Island Beach State Park have reopened in the past few days and hours are expanding this week thanks to continued Superstorm Sandy cleanup and restoration efforts, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0042.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0042.htm Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:07:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin today marked the start of Air Quality Awareness Week, from April 29 to May 3, by highlighting successes of the Christie Administration in battling air pollution and also stressing the importance of a joint effort by government and the public to improve our air quality. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0041.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0041.htm Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:30:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection's Community Forestry Program, the New Jersey Community Forestry Council and the New Jersey Tree Foundation celebrated Arbor Day today by planting three dozen trees in Library Square Park in Asbury Park, Monmouth County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0040.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0040.htm Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:52:00 -0400 The Christie Administration is celebrating the 43rd anniversary of Earth Day by hosting a variety of green events across New Jersey this week to highlight the importance of preservation and protection of the state's critical natural resources that enhance our quality of life. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0039.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0039.htm Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:56:00 -0400 The Christie Administration's law aimed at reducing pollution from lawn fertilizers is now being fully implemented this lawn care season, with reformulated products designed to reduce environmental impacts now available through stores and suppliers across New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0038.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0038.htm Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:29:00 -0400 As part of its ongoing commitment to helping New Jersey’s communities recover and rebuild from the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy, the Christie Administration today took action to streamline state permits for various types of vital rebuilding projects, a move that will aid reconstruction of impacted homes and businesses, assist the recovery of marinas and shellfish industries, help make coastal areas more resilient in future storms, and expedite dredging of storm-impacted private lagoons and marinas. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0037.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0037.htm Thu, 18 Apr 2013 9:04:00 -0400 Keeping pace with the Christie Administration's goal of having Island Beach State Park fully operational for the peak summer season, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin has announced that more areas of the popular destination will reopen with enhanced amenities starting today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0036.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0036.htm Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:21:00 -0400 Keeping pace with the Christie Administration's goal of having Island Beach State Park fully operational for the peak summer season, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin has announced that more areas of the popular destination will reopen with enhanced amenities starting today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0035.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0035.htm Fri, 12 Apr 2013 9:25:00 -0400 With recreational fishing and boating season getting into gear, the Christie Administration today released a "Jersey Shore Open for Boating" fact sheet and flier to educate the public on having a safe time on the water. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0034.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0034.htm Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:32:00 -0400 With spring wildfire season getting under way, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service today urged the public to exercise extra caution when outdoors. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0033.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0033.htm Mon, 8 Apr 2013 4:36:00 -0400 More than 180,000 freshly stocked trout will be awaiting anglers when they cast their lines on the opening day of trout season this weekend thanks to the efforts of the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Division of Fish and Wildlife, which for the past two weeks has been stocking nearly 200 streams, lakes and ponds across the state. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0032.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0032.htm Fri, 5 Apr 2013 9:15:00 -0400 The Barnegat Bay Rain Barrel Challenge, an online poll in which voters can choose their favorite of 10 rain barrels designed by Ocean County students as part of next month's Barnegat Bay Blitz festivities, has garnered more than 253,000 votes from 41 states in just over one week. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0031.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0031.htm Wed, 3 Apr 2013 16:20:00 -0400 Firefighter Jeffrey Scheuerer, who died last week in the line of duty while working on a forest fire line in Hunterdon County, was honored today by the Christie Administration for his long-time commitment, dedication and service to ensuring the safety of the residents of New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0030.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0030.htm Tue, 2 Apr 2013 15:38:00 -0400 Supported by grants from conservation groups, the Department of Environmental Protection and partners are working to re-establish Delaware Bay beaches that were eroded by Superstorm Sandy in an effort to restore critical feeding habitat for migrating shorebirds, in particular the state-endangered red knot. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0029.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0029.htm Mon, 1 Apr 2013 11:02:00 -0400 As part of the Christie Administration's continued efforts to restore New Jersey's state parks, the Department of Environmental Protection will host a beach grass planting and cleanup event at Island Beach State Park on Saturday. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0028.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0028.htm Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:50:00 -0400 As part of the Christie Administration's continued efforts to restore New Jersey's state parks, the Department of Environmental Protection will host a beach grass planting and cleanup event at Island Beach State Park on Saturday. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0027.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0027.htm Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:46:00 -0400 The Christie Administration has filed with the Office of Administrative Law an adoption package supporting final rules that will make permanent new statewide elevation standards based on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood maps. This action, taken Monday, provides clear direction for residents as they rebuild from the devastating effects of Superstorm Sandy. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0026.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0026.htm Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:33:00 -0400 The Christie Administration has developed a compromise between recreational and commercial fishing interests regarding access to artificial reefs off the coast of New Jersey, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0025.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0025.htm Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:04:00 -0400 The Christie Administration announced today that up to 78 unemployed state residents can be hired by the Department of Environmental Protection to help clean up and restore Sandy storm-damaged state parks through a National Emergency Grant obtained by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL). http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0024.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0024.htm Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:18:00 -0400 Conservation officers with the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Division of Fish and Wildlife have arrested and charged three men from Maine with illegally harvesting more than 24,000 juvenile eels from an Atlantic County creek, Division Director David Chanda announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0023.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0023.htm Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:23:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Division of Fish and Wildlife will hold its annual Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center Open House on Saturday and Sunday March 23 and 24, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the state's only trout production facility, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0022.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0022.htm Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:13:00 -0400 Federal and state agriculture and environmental officials today delivered some welcome news for New Jersey residents in the state's long running battle against the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0021.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0021.htm Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:08:00 -0400 As part of its commitment to improving services for visitors, the State Park Service within the Department of Environmental Protection has launched a new centralized online and telephone reservation system for campsites and cabins in New Jersey's state parks and forests. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0020.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0020.htm Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:12:00 -0400 As part of its commitment to improving services for visitors, the State Park Service within the Department of Environmental Protection has launched a new centralized online and telephone reservation system for campsites and cabins in New Jersey's state parks and forests. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0019.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0019.htm Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:13:00 -0400 The second annual Dash for the Trash, a large-scale, volunteer cleanup of sections of the Delaware River and Bay from Sussex to Cape May counties, will be held from March 9-17, with the cleanup effort expanding this year to portions of the Raritan River Basin, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0018.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0018.htm Fri, 8 Mar 2013 11:56:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection has issued two Administrative Orders that include penalties of $402,000 against the East Orange Water Commission (EOWC), alleging the water purveyor in 2010, 2011 and 2012 manipulated water samples and test results so that required reports sent to the state minimized the levels of contaminants in the water supply, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0017.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0017.htm Wed, 5 Mar 2013 15:02:00 -0500 Staff at Island Beach State Park are taking popular nature programs on the road while work continues to restore the partially reopened park following Hurricane Sandy, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0016.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0016.htm Wed, 5 Mar 2013 12:10:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife today released a rehabilitated bald eagle at a Morris County golf course to draw attention to the 40th anniversary of the state's endangered species protection law. The annual state income tax check-off provides critical support to efforts such as this. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0015.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0015.htm Mon, 4 Mar 2013 13:44:00 -0500 Winter prescribed burns, an integral part of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service’s wildfire risk reduction strategy, are under way throughout the state, with an additional need this year due to felled trees and forest debris caused by Superstorm Sandy, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin said today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0014.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0014.htm Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:14:00 -0500 New Jersey anglers used to travel north and west, to Minnesota and the Canadian provinces of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, to find good northern pike fishing opportunities. Today, thanks to the efforts of the Department of Environmental Protection's Hackettstown Fish Hatchery, run by the Division of Fish and Wildlife, anglers can enjoy superb pike fishing close to home. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0013.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0013.htm Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:56:00 -0500 In conjunction with six other northeastern states, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection today announced New Jersey's participation in the newly launched Reuse Marketplace, a web-based resource aimed at exchanging reusable items, reducing waste, saving money and capturing value of excess or unwanted items by finding new owners for these products, equipment or materials. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0012.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0012.htm Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:17:00 -0500 Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced the indictment of two top officials of the East Orange Water Commission (EOWC) – the executive director and the assistant executive director – for allegedly conspiring to manipulate the agency's water supply by shutting down contaminated wells prior to monthly water tests so as to falsify results and report lower levels of a regulated contaminant in the drinking water supplied to customers. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0011.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0011.htm Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:00:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection is issuing $110,000 in grants to nine counties for an Anti-Idling Overtime Project that will help in efforts to educate the public on the negative environmental impacts from excessive idling of motor vehicles, encourage residents to help improve the state's air quality and better enforce anti-idling rules, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0010.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0010.htm Tue, 5 Feb 2013 13:16:00 -0500 The Christie Administration has approved nearly $2.2 million in grants for projects that will develop and improve passive and motorized trails across the state, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0009.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0009.htm Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:25:00 -0500 Shellfish beds in Barnegat Bay south of the Route 37 bridge to Oyster Creek reopened at sunrise today as a result of an order signed by Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0008.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0008.htm Tue, 29 Jan 2013 14:35:00 -0500 The Christie Administration is recognizing environmental, academic, business, science, and civic leaders from across New Jersey for their efforts and commitment to protecting and enhancing the states environment. These leaders are being honored with the Governors Environmental Excellence Awards at a ceremony tonight at the New Jersey State Museum. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0007.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0007.htm Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:56:00 -0500 Taking action to give New Jersey families, businesses and local governments the best available guidance to quickly and more durably rebuild from Hurricane Sandy, Governor Chris Christie today signed emergency regulations to adopt the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) updated Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFEs) maps as the rebuilding standard for the entire state. These regulations establish requirements and more efficient procedures for residents and businesses to construct, reconstruct, relocate and elevate buildings and other structures in flood hazard areas. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0006.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0006.htm Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:00:00 -0500 The Christie Administration announced today that the Department of Environmental Protection in partnership with the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, The Nature Conservancy, and Conservation Resources, Inc., has preserved 5,079 acres of woodlands and wetlands in Atlantic County’s Great Egg Harbor River watershed at a cost of $9.7 million. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0005.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0005.htm Thu, 17 Jan 2013 12:32:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today announced that approximately 50,000 cubic yards of fill dirt that was placed illegally within the flood zone of the Raritan River in Bound Brook, Somerset County, has been fully removed as the result of work spearheaded by the DEP's Compliance and Enforcement Program and the Attorney General's Office. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0004.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0004.htm Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:29:00 -0500 The Christie Administration on Sunday Jan. 13 will hold a special public preview to mark the opening of the first state-owned all-terrain vehicle park, a mostly wooded tract in Woodbine, Cape May County, that once served as a sand mine and later as a private motocross track. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0003.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0003.htm Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:15:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection has launched a new mobile phone application designed to provide information and technology to guide and enhance users' hunting, fishing and wildlife watching experiences, and to provide added safety and enjoyment for outdoor enthusiasts at all of New Jersey's wildlife management areas, state parks and forests, and other public open spaces. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0002.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0002.htm Mon, 7 Jan 2013 15:55:00 -0500 Southern pine beetle infestation remains a significant threat in New Jersey, especially within the million-acre Pinelands National Reserve, but was not as severe last year as initially feared, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin said today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0001.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0001.htm Mon, 7 Jan 2013 12:00:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today reminded residents that televisions, computers, electronic tablets, e-book readers, and monitors that have been replaced by new electronic holiday gifts cannot be thrown out with the trash but must be taken to designated recycling collection points as required by state law. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0159.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0159.htm Mon, 31 Dec 2012 12:18:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin has signed an order reopening shellfish beds in the northern end of Barnegat Bay, which became effective at sunrise today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0158.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0158.htm Thu, 27 Dec 2012 13:31:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin has signed an order reopening shellfish beds in the northern end of Barnegat Bay, which became effective at sunrise today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0157.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0157.htm Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:31:00 -0500 A statewide water emergency ordered by Governor Christie following Hurricane Sandy is being lifted today, though voluntary water conservation is still being requested in sections of four New Jersey counties, Department of Environmental Protection Bob Martin announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0156.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0156.htm Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:18:00 -0500 Furthering the Christie Administration's Season of Service initiative, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today visited the Volunteers of America Delaware Valley's (VOADV) Anna Sample Complex here to announce a $184,096 grant to make improvements to two of the agency's facilities. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0155.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0155.htm Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:58:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today signed an order reopening shellfish beds in Sandy Hook Bay, effective at sunrise on Saturday, December 15, 2012. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0154.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0154.htm Fri, 14 Dec 2012 18:09:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today signed an order reopening shellfish beds in the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers, effective at sunrise on Saturday, December 8, 2012. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0153.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0153.htm Fri, 7 Dec 2012 15:45:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection is lifting the public health advisory for recreational use of the Hudson River, Passaic River, Hackensack River, Newark Bay, Kill Van Kull and Arthur Kill, and Sandy Hook Bay, as well as upper Barnegat Bay. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0152.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0152.htm Fri, 7 Dec 2012 15:00:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection today announced the state's black bear hunting season opened this morning just prior to sunrise and will continue through sunset on Saturday, December 8. The season runs concurrently with the six-day firearm deer hunting season. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0151.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0151.htm Mon, 3 Dec 2012 16:11:00 -0500 The initial results of a five-year Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy (CBBMP) initiated by the Department of Environmental Protection in 2010, offering a mix of education, research and trash management, combined with an annual bear hunt, shows a reduction in the number of black bears living in 'bear country' in Northern New Jersey and a major decline in bear-human incidents, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0150.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0150.htm Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:00:00 -0500 The Christie Administration is making the safe removal of debris a top priority, working hard with communities to remove these materials to landfills, incinerators and recycling facilities as quickly as possible so that residents can begin to rebuild, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin said today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0149.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0149.htm Fri, 23 Nov 2012 12:13:00 -0500 The U.S. Department of Commerce today approved Governor Christie's request for a declaration of a federal fishery resource disaster as a result of the devastation to the commercial and recreational fishing industries caused by Hurricane Sandy. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0148.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0148.htm Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:42:00 -0500 Liberty State Park, New Jersey's most popular state park that draws more than five million visitors a year, will partially re-open by Thanksgiving Day after being shut down and seriously damaged by Hurricane Sandy, the Christie Administration announced at a news conference at the park today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0147.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0147.htm Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:57:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today signed an order reopening shellfish beds in Atlantic coastal waters from Little Egg Inlet south to Cape May Point, effective at sunrise on Thursday. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0146.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0146.htm Wed, 14 Nov 2012 18:52:00 -0500 The Christie Administration today requested a federal disaster declaration for New Jersey's commercial and fishing industries, which sustained significant revenue losses and damages to its fleet and infrastructure as a result of Hurricane Sandy. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0145.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0145.htm Tue, 13 Nov 2012 18:55:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today praised the well-coordinated response by a dedicated team of public and private groups to a major diesel fuel spill in the Arthur Kill caused by Hurricane Sandy, saying it limited what could have been major environmental damage to the waterway and surrounding areas. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0144.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0144.htm Mon, 12 Nov 2012 17:44:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection will reopen shellfish beds in Delaware Bay that have been closed as a precaution since Oct. 30 as a result of Hurricane Sandy, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. Commissioner Martin is signing an order reopening the beds in Delaware Bay from Cape May Point to Lower Alloways Creek at sunrise on Monday following water monitoring and tissue sampling that found no issues with bacteria contamination as a result of the storm. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0143.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0143.htm Sun, 11 Nov 2012 23:16:00 -0500 The Christie Administration and the Department of Environmental Protection are taking a series of actions to ensure that the massive volume of debris and trash resulting from Hurricane Sandy is removed from storm-affected areas efficiently so affected communities can begin to recover from the storm's unprecedented and widespread devastation. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0142.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0142.htm Fri, 9 Nov 2012 23:16:00 -0500 Residents and businesses in the 48 North Jersey cities and towns served by the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission wastewater treatment system are strongly encouraged to minimize water use to reduce stress on the storm-damaged sewage treatment system and help limit partially treated effluent flowing into Newark and New York Harbor. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0141.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0141.htm Wed, 8 Nov 2012 12:37:00 -0500 The boil-water advisory for 233,000 customers of the Middlesex Water Company in eight municipalities in Middlesex and Union counties has been lifted this afternoon after the system's power was fully restored, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0140.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0140.htm Wed, 7 Nov 2012 17:53:00 -0500 Residents and businesses in the 38 towns served by the Middlesex County Utilities Authority's wastewater treatment system are advised to further minimize water use to reduce stress on the storm-damaged sewage treatment system and help limit polluting effluent now flowing into the Raritan River and Raritan Bay. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0139.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0139.htm Tue, 6 Nov 2012 14:54:00 -0500 As a result of the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin has signed an Administrative Order allowing approvals of DEP permit requirements for in-kind repairs or replacement of critical public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, bulkheads and culverts. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0138.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0138.htm Tue, 6 Nov 2012 12:23:00 -0500 As a public health and safety precaution, the Department of Environmental Protection is advising recreational boaters, anglers and crabbers to temporarily avoid the waters of northern Barnegat Bay, from Barnegat Light to Point Pleasant, and is advising residents not to eat any fish, crustaceans or shellfish from these waters due to potential contamination from pathogens – bacteria and viruses. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0137.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0137.htm Mon, 5 Nov 2012 17:50:00 -0500 Many state parks and historic sites that were shut down due to Hurricane Sandy have reopened, with more parks across the state to open in the next several days as safety assessments and cleanups are completed, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0136.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0136.htm Sat, 3 Nov 2012 14:36:00 -0400 Due to damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, several waste water treatment facilities in the state are off-line, resulting in the temporary runoff of effluents into certain waterways. As a public health and safety precaution, the Department of Environmental Protection is advising recreational boaters, anglers and crabbers to temporarily avoid these waterways and is advising residents not to eat any fish, crustaceans or shellfish from these waters due to contamination from pathogens – bacteria and viruses. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0135.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0135.htm Fri, 2 Nov 2012 14:36:00 -0400 The boil-water advisory in place in Atlantic City as a result of Hurricane Sandy has been lifted, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0134.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0134.htm Fri, 2 Nov 2012 12:20:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection is advising gasoline suppliers and distributors that they may accept shipments of gasoline from other regions of the country that have less stringent air pollution standards for fuel. This step is being taken to make more gasoline available in New Jersey and ease shortages occurring in many parts of the state as a result of supply disruptions caused by Hurricane Sandy. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0133.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0133.htm Fri, 2 Nov 2012 11:17:00 -0400 Several New Jersey municipalities have issued boil water advisories to ensure the public health and safety of state residents as a result of the effects of Hurricane Sandy. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0132.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0132.htm Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:51:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection is strongly advising residents statewide to conserve water in the wake of Hurricane Sandy because widespread power outages have forced many public and private water utilities to use emergency generators to treat and pump water. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0130.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0130.htm Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:38:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection today advised facilities that operate in the public interest that it is acceptable to use home heating oil in emergency generators instead of diesel fuel as the state recovers from Hurricane Sandy. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0131.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0131.htm Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:26:00 -0400 The formal "alert" status at the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey Township was terminated at 3:52 a.m. today after the water levels at the plant's intake system decreased to normal levels, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has confirmed this morning. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0129.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0129.htm Wed, 31 Oct 2012 13:06:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission are carefully monitoring the impacts Hurricane Sandy on operations at the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey Township, which last night suffered power outages, declared an "alert" due to rising water levels, and lost a portion of its warning alarm system. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0128.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0128.htm Tue, 30 Oct 2012 9:29:00 -0400 All state parks and historic sites will shut down at noon on Sunday for safety reasons due to oncoming Hurricane Sandy, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0127.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0127.htm Sat, 27 Oct 2012 15:56:00 -0400 Governor Chris Christie today is announcing actions to help mitigate potential flooding from Hurricane Sandy, including directing four reservoir systems in northern New Jersey to be drawn down beginning this evening and for releases to be made from Pompton Lake and Lake Hopatcong on Saturday. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_1026sandy.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_1026sandy.htm Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:12:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today issued an Administrative Order temporarily closing state waters to shellfish harvesting effective sunrise Monday as a precaution due to expected heavy rainfall from Hurricane Sandy. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0124.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0124.htm Fri, 26 Oct 2012 17:20:00 -0400 New Jersey’s municipalities will receive $13.1 million in state grants to help implement and enhance local recycling efforts, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0123.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0123.htm Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:34:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today joined thousands of local volunteers and DEP staff who fanned out across Barnegat Bay's watershed today to pick up litter and debris in the third installment of the Barnegat Bay Blitz. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0122.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0122.htm Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:19:00 -0400 A Woodcliff Lake student who worked to recycle plastic bottles at his middle school, a Passaic County firm that made a major investment in developing single-stream recycling facilities, and a statewide organization that is the state's leading recycling advocate are among the businesses, organizations and individuals honored today at the state's annual Recycling Symposium and Awards Luncheon. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0121.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0121.htm Wed, 17 Oct 2012 14:18:00 -0400 The $5 million second phase of the redevelopment of Jesse Allen Park in Newark's Central Ward was celebrated today with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the park, which is getting a major recreational and landscaping makeover that will benefit the local community, especially youths who live and attend school nearby, said Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0120.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0120.htm Wed, 17 Oct 2012 12:39:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin will join thousands of volunteers on Thursday for the third installment of the Barnegat Bay Blitz, the popular watershed-wide trash and debris cleanup effort that is raising awareness of the ecological stresses the estuary faces http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0119.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0119.htm Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:54:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection is advising residents and outdoor enthusiasts in New Jersey's "bear country'' that black bears are preparing for winter and are now actively foraging for food as they prepare for the denning season. The DEP urges residents to strictly adhere to guidelines for eliminating or securing potential black bear food sources to reduce potential problem encounters with bears this fall, said Commissioner Bob Martin. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0118.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0118.htm Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:08:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife is urging motorists to be alert for white-tailed deer on roads across the state with the arrival of the fall breeding season, especially during morning and evening commutes when visibility may be poor and deer are more active. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0117.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0117.htm Fri, 12 Oct 2012 10:49:00 -0400 More than 20,000 trout are being released by the state Division of Fish and Wildlife to streams and ponds in 17 New Jersey counties over the next two weeks, providing anglers with some good autumn fishing across the state, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0116.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0116.htm Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:48:00 -0400 The first workshop of the DEP's new Garden State Green Hotels Project will be held on Oct. 19, providing an opportunity for hotel owners and operators to learn of State programs which pay for energy efficiency improvements, worker training and environmental reviews. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0115.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0115.htm Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:10:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin has signed the Public Access Rule, a Christie Administration initiative that provides the state with common sense mechanisms for working cooperatively with local governments to enhance public access to New Jersey's beaches, bays and tidal waterways. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0114.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0114.htm Thu, 4 Oct 2012 16:38:00 -0400 Parvin State Park will fully reopen on Friday following a major cleanup effort that was required after a violent windstorm swept through the park in Pittsgrove Township, Salem County in late June, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0113.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0113.htm Wed, 3 Oct 2012 15:56:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection's 18th Annual Fall Forestry Festival – a celebration of the changing of the seasons, nature, and New Jersey heritage – will be held this Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Division of Parks and Forestry's Forest Resource Education Center in Jackson, Ocean County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0112.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0112.htm Wed, 3 Oct 2012 11:23:00 -0400 Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin announced today that Durand Glass Manufacturing Company, Inc., will pay the State a civil penalty of $150,000 under a joint state-federal settlement that resolves allegations the company violated air pollution control standards at its Millville manufacturing plant. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0111.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0111.htm Mon, 1 Oct 2012 16:13:00 -0400 New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials today visited an oyster production area in the Delaware Bay, made possible by a joint effort by the Departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0110.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0110.htm Mon, 1 Oct 2012 13:11:00 -0400 New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials today visited an oyster production area in the Delaware Bay, made possible by a joint effort by the Departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0109.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0109.htm Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:34:00 -0400 Consistent with the Christie Administration's commitment to providing New Jersey residents with a more efficient government, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin has signed an Administrative Order that eliminates unnecessary red tape and will allow local governments to receive money from FEMA for repairs or replacements of public infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Irene last year. Local governments will also save on unnecessary permit application and fee costs, thus saving taxpayers money. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0108.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0108.htm Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:42:00 -0400 Located at the southern edge of Wharton State Forest near Hammonton, Batsto Village is a portal into the history and ecology of the Pine Barrens, and is a gateway to one the wildest expanses of New Jersey, a landscape of pristine rivers and lakes prime for paddling, sandy trails for hiking, and pine woods for exploring. The annual Country Living Fair celebrating the region's past will take place at Batsto Village on Sunday, October 21. http://www.nj.gov/dep/daw/batsto/ http://www.nj.gov/dep/daw/batsto/ Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:09:00 -0400 The Garden State Preservation Trust today approved the Christie Administration's recommended list of more than $123 million in Green Acres open space acquisition and recreational development projects, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0106.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0106.htm Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:05:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife is advising hunters and other outdoors enthusiasts to be alert for white-tailed deer that may be experiencing symptoms of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), a virus that spreads among deer though the bites of midge flies but cannot be transmitted to people. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0105.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0105.htm Tue, 18 Sep 2012 10:56:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today issued the following statement regarding a final agreement among Covanta Energy Corporation, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and New York City that will result in installation of new air-emissions reduction technology to Covanta's Essex County Resource Recovery Facility in Newark. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0104.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0104.htm Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:50:00 -0400 Get connected to New Jersey's outdoors this weekend at the Department of Environmental Protection's third annual New Jersey WILD Outdoor Expo, a celebration of the state's bountiful natural resources and rich outdoor heritage. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0103.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0103.htm Tue, 11 Sep 2012 16:49:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection has issued a required land use permit to DGMB Casino LLC, allowing for the development of a new Margaritaville-themed restaurant and recreation center, plus retail space on the reconstructed Steeplechase Pier in Atlantic City, paving the way for job creation and economic growth in the region. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0102.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0102.htm Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:16:00 -0400 As the West Nile Virus season heads into its peak, state and local officials have stepped up efforts to combat the mosquito-borne virus with increased surveillance and control efforts. The number of West Nile Virus cases has increased to 15, including New Jersey's first death, an elderly Burlington County man. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0101.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0101.htm Fri, 7 Sep 2012 14:19:00 -0400 A new picnic area featuring eco-friendly amenities and dramatic views of the Statue of Liberty and the New York City skyline is being unveiled at a ribbon-cutting ceremony today at Liberty State Park. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0100.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0100.htm Thu, 6 Sep 2012 11:30:00 -0400 It takes just a quick turn off busy Route 206, only a few miles from the Sussex County seat in downtown Newton, onto aptly named Goodale Road, to be transported from the rigors of everyday life into a largely unknown oasis of nature and solitude. http://www.nj.gov/dep/daw/kittatinny/ http://www.nj.gov/dep/daw/kittatinny/ Wed, 5 Sep 2012 11:03:00 -0400 Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today that legal efforts by the Division of Law resulted in recovery by the state of more than $29 million in environmental clean-up costs during the past fiscal year. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0098.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0098.htm Wed, 5 Sep 2012 10:42:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Health are urging state residents to take precautions to protect themselves from mosquito-borne West Nile Virus by taking some simple steps to reduce populations of the insect on their own properties. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0097.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0097.htm Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:54:00 -0400 A state pilot program to locate and identify hazardous materials left behind or discarded in abandoned urban buildings, and which may pose a threat to firefighters, emergency responders and residents, has been established by the Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Emergency Response, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0096.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0096.htm Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:36:00 -0400 An agreement that will permanently preserve a 544-acre tract in the Barnegat Bay watershed in Ocean County was completed today when the Department of Environmental Protection acquired a conservation easement from the Jersey Shore Boy Scout Council and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0095.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0095.htm Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:37:00 -0400 Ever thought about rock climbing, bass or fly fishing, or maybe trap shooting, kayaking, archery, birding or camping, but not quite sure where to start? The DEP's WILD Outdoor Expo is a place to begin. This third annual Expo, to be held on Sept. 15-16 at the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area in Jackson Township, will offer classes, lessons, demonstrations and exhibits on a host of outdoor activities. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0094.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0094.htm Tue, 28 Aug 2012 12:42:00 -0400 The Christie Administration has finalized the preservation of a nearly 1,900-acre nursery property in the heart of central New Jersey as wildlife habitat, preserved farmland, and additions to county parks and greenways along historic Crosswicks Creek, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin and Agriculture Secretary Douglas H. Fisher announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0093.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0093.htm Fri, 17 Aug 2012 10:08:00 -0400 A pristine 835-acre tract located in the heart of the North Jersey Highlands in Jefferson Township, and once slated for residential development, will be permanently preserved through a $4.6 million agreement announced today by project partners, the Department of Environmental Protection, the federal government, the Trust for Public Land, Morris County, and Jefferson Township. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0092.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0092.htm Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:41:00 -0400 A light breeze rustles tall saltmarsh grasses on Cheesequake Creek as kayakers peer at marsh wrens through binoculars. Diamondback terrapins sun themselves on logs and rocks, while tiny fiddler crabs peek out from the muddy banks. http://www.nj.gov/dep/daw/cheesequake/ http://www.nj.gov/dep/daw/cheesequake/ Wed, 15 Aug 2012 12:54:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection today joined with its partners – U.S. Representative Frank LoBiondo, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, the oyster industry, Rutgers University and The Nature Conservancy – to launch a project to restore oyster beds that were severely damaged by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee last year. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0090.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0090.htm Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:21:00 -0400 Boaters across New Jersey will have easier access to information about best boating practices, fishing regulations and other vital and helpful facts through NJBoating.org, a new website launched by members of the New Jersey's Clean Vessel Act Program, which includes the Department of Environmental Protection. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0089.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0089.htm Thu, 1 Aug 2012 16:56:00 -0400 As part of a coordinated multi-language community education effort taking place this week, the Department of Environmental Protection is reminding residents that harvesting blue claw crabs from the waters of the Lower Passaic River and Newark Bay is dangerous and prohibited. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0088.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0088.htm Wed, 1 Aug 2012 15:05:00 -0400 The swimming area and adjacent day use area, including the food concession, at Parvin State Park in Salem County have reopened following cleanup of trees knocked down during a violent windstorm on June 30. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0087.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0087.htm Wed, 25 Jul 2012 14:01:00 -0400 Island Beach State Park is one of New Jersey's most popular parks, a picturesque strand of coastline visited by a million people each year. A vast majority visit in the summer, drawn to beaches that offer a more natural experience than can be experienced anywhere in New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/dep/daw/islandbeach/ http://www.nj.gov/dep/daw/islandbeach/ Wed, 25 Jul 2012 11:24:00 -0400 Removal of the second and largest of three dams from the Raritan River in Somerset County, which will help open up a 10-mile stretch of the middle and upper portions of the river to fish migration for the first time in more than a century, has started this morning, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0085.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0085.htm Mon, 23 Jul 2012 15:03:00 -0400 Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today that Chevron U.S.A. Inc. will pay the state a civil penalty of $231,875 under a joint state-federal settlement that resolves allegations the company violated air pollution control laws at its asphalt refinery in Perth Amboy. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0084.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0084.htm Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:44:00 -0400 For the first time, updated sewer maps have been proposed for all 21 counties statewide to provide clear direction on where sewer service and potential development is appropriate, while protecting nearly 210,000 acres of environmentally sensitive lands and better safeguarding the state's water quality, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0083.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0083.htm Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:38:00 -0400 Nestled in the rolling hills of Hunterdon County, the Round Valley Recreation Area protects New Jersey's second deepest lake – and a world of natural beauty. http://www.nj.gov/dep/daw/roundvalley/ http://www.nj.gov/dep/daw/roundvalley/ Wed, 11 Jul 2012 14:13:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection, Rutgers University and the federal Environmental Protection Agency today launched a research submersible known as the Slocum glider off Sandy Hook that will roam the waters off New Jersey for the next two weeks as it gathers important clues about the health of the ocean. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0081.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0081.htm Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:19:00 -0400 Students of the Christie Administration's first environmental jobs training program in Camden celebrated their graduation today at a ceremony at the Camden County Regional Emergency Training Center in Blackwood. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0080.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0080.htm Mon, 9 Jul 2012 17:10:00 -0400 Tests conducted this weekend on the air cooling and ventilation system at the Department of Environmental Protection's 401 East State Street building in Trenton came back negative for signs of legionella bacteria, which had been discovered in a cooling tower atop the building. The cooling tower was 'shocked' with biocides on Friday to kill the bacteria and continues to be chemically treated to eliminate any potential remnants of legionella. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0079.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0079.htm Sun, 8 Jul 2012 17:10:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection today announced that contractors are testing and chemically treating a recently installed cooling tower atop the Department's 401 East State Street building in Trenton to address traces of the legionella bacteria. The mere presence of the bacteria does not present a health or safety hazard to employees at this time and, in fact, is not uncommon in building cooling systems, according to the state Department of Health. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0078.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0078.htm Fri, 6 Jul 2012 17:06:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today praised the efforts of six members of the Island Beach State Beach Patrol who participated in a Fourth of July rescue of four people who got caught in a rip current. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0077.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0077.htm Thu, 5 Jul 2012 15:06:00 -0400 New Jersey is looking for its next generation of environmental leaders, young people with a hands-on desire to improve their state and the quality of life for all of our residents. Some of those future leaders are likely to be found in the Department of Environmental Protection's AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassadors Program, which is now seeking recruits for its 2013 class. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0076.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0076.htm Thu, 5 Jul 2012 11:22:00 -0400 The Christie Administration today expressed disappointment in a federal appeals court ruling upholding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' project to deepen the Delaware River's shipping channel from the mouth of the bay to Camden. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0075.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0075.htm Tue, 3 Jul 2012 16:58:00 -0400 Parvin State Park in Salem County will remain closed indefinitely for safety reasons as work crews continue a massive cleanup effort to deal with devastation caused by a storm with vicious winds that tore through the park early Saturday morning, killing two young campers. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0074.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0074.htm Tue, 3 Jul 2012 12:46:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection Solid Waste Program and New Jersey Solid Waste Advisory Council are jointly hosting an Urban Recycling Summit today in the DEP's effort to help municipalities develop improved recycling practices designed to boost to local economies, while also helping the state reach its goal of 50 percent recycling. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0073.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0073.htm Thu, 28 Jun 2012 10:48:00 -0400 As part of the Christie Administration's continuing effort to protect and restore ecologically important Barnegat Bay, the Department of Environmental Protection, along with State Police, Ocean County and local authorities, will initiate a series of intensive education and compliance sweeps this summer to promote greener and safer boating practices on the bay, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0072.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0072.htm Mon, 25 Jun 2012 16:44:00 -0400 As part of the Christie Administration's continuing effort to protect and restore ecologically important Barnegat Bay, the Department of Environmental Protection, along with State Police, Ocean County and local authorities, will initiate a series of intensive education and compliance sweeps this summer to promote greener and safer boating practices on the bay, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0071.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0071.htm Thu, 21 Jun 2012 14:21:00 -0400 One of the New Jersey's oldest power plants, B.L. England in Cape May County, will significantly reduce air pollutants by shutting down one of its coal-fired units and converting two others to clean-burning natural gas, steps that will significantly improve air quality while ensuring continued energy reliability for the southern shore region, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0070.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0070.htm Thu, 21 Jun 2012 11:46:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corps of Engineers have signed a $2.4 million cost-sharing agreement to finance the first phase of a detailed review of potential flood control engineering measures for flood-prone areas of the Passaic River Basin, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin and Army Corps New York District Commander Col. John R. Boulé announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0069.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0069.htm Thu, 14 Jun 2012 11:11:00 -0400 The Christie Administration's commitment to the long-term ecological recovery of Barnegat Bay reached a milestone today with ceremonies marking the opening of three state-of-the-art stormwater basins at Ocean County College that will help address nutrient pollution in the watershed. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0068.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0068.htm Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:56:00 -0400 A federal appeals court today upheld a challenge by the Christie Administration, in a joint legal action with New York, Vermont, and Connecticut, to a federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission rule that extended the time allowed for storing spent nuclear fuel at nuclear power plants from 30 years to a new standard of 60 years past the licensed life of a reactor. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0067.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0067.htm Fri, 8 Jun 2012 17:27:00 -0400 Atsion Mansion, the restored historic manor nestled in the Shamong Township section of Wharton State Forest, and which underwent a $1.3 million renovation, will be open for guided tours every Saturday this summer, starting this weekend. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0066.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0066.htm Fri, 8 Jun 2012 11:21:00 -0400 Peregrine Falcons are a recovering species in New Jersey and along the eastern seaboard, coming back from eradication in the 1960s and 70s. So when the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife's "Peregrine cam'' revealed the hatching of three Peregrine chicks atop the Mack-Cali Realty building in Jersey City last month, there was considerable cause for celebration. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0065.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0065.htm Thu, 7 Jun 2012 10:55:00 -0400 Liberty State Park in Jersey City has been selected as the site for the Girl Scouts Council of New Jersey's 100th anniversary celebration – a planned all-day event, concert and fireworks show with the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline serving as the backdrop. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0064.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0064.htm Wed, 6 Jun 2012 13:46:00 -0400 Although the dry conditions that led to wildfires that burned more than 1,000 acres in New Jersey last month have lessened, wildfires remain a pervasive threat to residents living in rural and heavily wooded areas. The number of wildfires so far in 2012 has already exceeded all of last year's total, and despite recent rainfall, precipitation levels so far this year remain below those of 2011. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0063.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0063.htm Wed, 30 May 2012 16:12:00 -0400 Hawk Rise Sanctuary, a 95-acre ecological preserve and wetland complex in Linden, which was carved out of a former landfill through the combined efforts of the Department of Environmental Protection, the city of Linden, and the New Jersey Audubon Society, opened this morning following a special ribbon-cutting ceremony. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0062.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0062.htm Wed, 30 May 2012 12:35:00 -0400 The Christie Administration has won another round in the state's legal fight to hold those responsible for intentionally polluting the lower Passaic River with pesticides, including an extremely toxic form of dioxin, liable for cleanup, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0061.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0061.htm Thu, 24 May 2012 13:38:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection, NJ TRANSIT, Washington Township Mayor Barbara Wallace and the Gloucester County Health Department are jointly announcing that Grenloch Lake will re-open Saturday for fishing and other water-related recreational activities following completion of the clean-up of a fuel spill that occurred on Jan. 12. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0060.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0060.htm Thu, 24 May 2012 10:36:00 -0400 The 100th anniversary of the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery in Warren County will be celebrated with an open house for the public on June 2-3, with visitors to get a behind-the-scenes look at the storied facility that for the past century has raised a wide variety of species to benefit anglers across the state. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0059.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0059.htm Wed, 23 May 2012 11:01:00 -0400 Volunteers from scores of schools and organizations braved off-and-on downpours today as they fanned out across the Barnegat Bay watershed in the second installment of the watershed-wide trash and debris cleanup. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0058.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0058.htm Wed, 9 May 2012 13:13:00 -0400 Today marks a milestone in the state's transition to a new, clear and streamlined approach to the cleanup of contaminated sites – the deadline for those responsible to clean up these sites to enroll in the Licensed Site Remediation Professional Program. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0057.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0057.htm Mon, 7 May 2012 13:13:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin and nearly 1,000 DEP staff members will join as many as 4,000 volunteers from numerous local groups – including students from dozens of schools, environmentalists, businesses, and local government leaders – in the second Barnegat Bay Blitz watershed trash and debris cleanup Wednesday, May 9. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0056.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0056.htm Mon, 7 May 2012 10:06:00 -0400 The prestigious Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic will be moving to Liberty State Park in Jersey City this June, bringing the sport's top stars to a stylish sporting and social event that will feature inspiring backdrops of the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0055.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0055.htm Thu, 3 May 2012 12:59:00 -0400 To mark May as National Preservation Month in New Jersey, the Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Historic Sites Council today are announcing the recipients of 22nd Annual Historic Preservation Awards to honor projects and groups or persons dedicated to preserving the state's history. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0054.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0054.htm Tue, 1 May 2012 12:46:00 -0400 The Christie Administration today announced the award of nearly $16 million in Clean Communities grants to help municipalities and counties fund litter cleanup efforts that help beautify New Jersey's communities and roadsides. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0053.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0053.htm Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:49:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today marked the beginning of Air Quality Awareness Week, from April 30-May 5, by stressing the importance of a combined effort by government and the public to improve air quality in our state. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0052.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0052.htm Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:50:00 -0400 Due to ongoing concerns about below normal precipitation, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today encouraged residents across New Jersey to take steps to conserve water, both inside the home and outside. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0051.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0051.htm Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:09:00 -0400 The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Community Forestry Program, the New Jersey Community Forestry Council, and the New Jersey Tree Foundation celebrated Arbor Day today by planting more than 100 trees along the streets of Haddon Township and in Crystal Lake Park in Camden County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0050.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0050.htm Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:10:00 -0400 Under the terms of a legal settlement announced today, the Hess Corporation is expected to make about $45 million in pollution control upgrades at its Port Reading oil refinery near Woodbridge, dramatically reducing polluting emissions and leading to a marked improvement in air quality for the region, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin said today.  http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0049.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0049.htm Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:34:00 -0400 The "Spirit of the Jerseys" State History Fair is returning to its roots at Washington Crossing State Park in Hopewell Township on May 12, with a daylong series of free educational and hands-on activities aimed at highlighting the long, rich and diverse history of our state, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0048.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0048.htm Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:10:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection announced that the second phase of a Paterson air quality study found no evidence of elevated levels of a targeted chemical and no evidence that Paterson's air quality differs from that of other urban communities in the state. This second phase study was necessary to target a chemical pollutant discovered at elevated levels during air sampling in 2006. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0047.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0047.htm Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:11:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection, in concert with several other state and federal agencies, is launching a program designed to assist New Jersey hotel owners and operators increase energy efficiency and cost savings through the utilization of green practices. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0046.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0046.htm Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:59:00 -0400 As a public service, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Health and Senior Services today reminded anglers to be aware of routine fish advisories that are in place for fish caught recreationally in New Jersey. These advisories allow members of the public to make informed choices about the fish they catch and eat. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0045.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0045.htm Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:12:00 -0400 Reaffirming that dealing with flooding is a top priority of the Christie Administration, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin met today with mayors and other elected officials to provide them with an update on the state's efforts to mitigate the impacts of flooding in the Passaic River Basin. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0044.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0044.htm Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:19:00 -0400 The New Jersey Forest Fire Service today continues to respond to scattered wildfires as fire conditions across the state remain extremely high because of persistent dry and windy conditions. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0043.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0043.htm Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:20:00 -0400 The forest fire currently burning in Tabernacle and Woodland Township in the heart of the Pinelands has extended to approximately 1,000 acres, but the New Jersey Forest Fire Service and Burlington County firefighters say the blaze was 50 percent contained as of this afternoon. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0042.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0042.htm Mon, 9 Apr 2012 15:58:00 -0400 The New Jersey Forest Fire Service and Burlington County firefighters are working to contain a 600-acre wildfire that was discovered in a rural area early this morning and is currently burning in Tabernacle and Woodland Townships in the heart of the Pinelands. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0041.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0041.htm Mon, 9 Apr 2012 10:43:00 -0400 Black bears have emerged from winter dens throughout the state and are entering their most active period of the year in search of food and mates, which makes encounters with humans in populated areas more likely. To reduce the risk of potential encounters, New Jersey residents, particularly those living in "bear country''' in northwestern New Jersey, are advised to take a few simple precautions. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0040.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0040.htm Thu, 5 Apr 2012 14:42:00 -0400 The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has issued fire danger alerts and implemented stage one campfire restrictions throughout New Jersey today as prolonged dry and windy conditions continue in the state. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0039.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0039.htm Wed, 4 Apr 2012 16:24:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection has awarded contracts through a public bidding process to two private companies to operate the state-owned Cream Ridge Golf Course and White Oaks Golf Course. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0038.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0038.htm Wed, 4 Apr 2012 16:01:00 -0400 With the official start of trout season just around the corner, the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife is hosting its 25th annual Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center Open House this weekend. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0037.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0037.htm Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:17:00 -0400 In recognition of their efforts to bring sustainability to the classroom, four New Jersey schools have been selected to take part in the inaugural federal Green Ribbons Schools Program, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin has announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0036.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0036.htm Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:48:00 -0400 With the return of the spring fishing season, the Department of Environmental Protection is reminding all saltwater anglers and owners of for-hire vessels in New Jersey to register or re-register online with the state's free saltwater fishing registry. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0035.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0035.htm Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:49:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today urged the public to exercise caution as wildfire dangers increase due to dry and windy conditions. Fire danger is currently rated as high throughout most of the state, meaning wildfires, once started, can spread rapidly. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0034.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0034.htm Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:04:00 -0400 Governor Chris Christie today announced that the Newark community can soon breathe cleaner air as a result of a tentative multi-party agreement that when completed would yield a major commitment by Covanta Energy to install a state-of-the-art particulate emissions control system, called a baghouse, at the Essex County Resource Recovery Facility located in Newark. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0033.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0033.htm Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:15:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection today formally dedicated the Cox Hall Creek Wildlife Management Area, made possible by a Green Acres Program purchase of the former Ponderlodge Golf Course in Lower Township on the ecologically important tip of the Cape May peninsula. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0032.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0032.htm Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:40:00 -0400 With temperatures across the state expected to drop well below freezing tonight and tomorrow night, the Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Agriculture are working cooperatively to enable farmers to do controlled open burning or use specialized torches known as smudge pots to protect flowering crops from being damaged. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0031.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0031.htm Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:35:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection, NJ TRANSIT, Washington Township and the Gloucester County Health Department are advising the public that fishing and all other water-related activities on Grenloch Lake are suspended until further notice while monitoring and cleanup activities related to a Jan. 12 fuel spill from a nearby NJ TRANSIT bus garage continue. Grenloch Lake Park will remain open for all other recreational activities. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0030.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0030.htm Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:34:00 -0400 The first stage of a two-phase project to remove dioxin-contaminated and cancer-causing sediments from the lower Passaic River, adjacent to the Diamond Alkali Superfund site in the Ironbound section of Newark, has begun today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0029.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0029.htm Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:37:00 -0400 After considering numerous public comments, the Department of Environmental Protection today formally proposed amended common sense rules to improve and enhance public access to New Jersey's beaches, bays and waterways, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0028.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0028.htm Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:48:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection's Green Acres Program has purchased 385 acres of forests in the Barnegat Bay watershed, keeping the Christie Administration on pace to preserve some 3,000 acres in the watershed by the end of the year, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0027.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0027.htm Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:01:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Parks and Forestry has decided to permanently close the upper river campground at Bull's Island Recreational Area along the Delaware River in Hunterdon County. The division will remove weakened trees in restoring the campground to a natural state. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0026.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0026.htm Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:44:00 -0400 Visitors to Liberty State Park in Jersey City will be transported back in time and 3,000 miles west when they walk through the doors of the historic Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal Building. Once inside, they will find two travelling exhibits: Alcatraz: Life on the Rock and Gateway to Gold Mountain, The Asian Immigration Experience: Angel Island 1910-1940, which will be on display for free at the park through June 30. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0025.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0025.htm Tue, 13 Mar 2012 9:50:00 -0400 A major beach replenishment project is expected to start this weekend in Atlantic City and Ventnor that will protect these vital tourist communities from the effects of extreme weather while restoring storm-damaged beaches in time for the coming summer season, providing an environmental and economic boost to the state's leading resort, Commissioner Bob Martin said today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0024.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0024.htm Fri, 9 Mar 2012 11:23:00 -0500 In response to Governor Christie's Executive Order No 2, which directs state agencies to implement common sense principles of government reform, the Department of Environmental Protection has adopted a new rule that gives the DEP flexibility to modify compliance with rules in certain limited circumstances that do not compromise protections for the environment or public health. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0023.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0023.htm Thu, 8 Mar 2012 13:28:00 -0500 Volunteers from a host of organizations such as scout troops, schools, businesses, and environmental and nonprofit groups, as well as local residents will fan out across portions of the Delaware River and Bay from Sussex to Cape May counties on March 10-18 to clean up litter and debris as part of the first-ever Dash for the Trash. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0022.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0022.htm Thu, 8 Mar 2012 10:09:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today announced that work has begun to remove approximately 40,000 cubic yards of fill dirt that was placed illegally within the flood zone of the Raritan River in Bound Brook, Somerset County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0021.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0021.htm Mon, 5 Mar 2012 15:08:00 -0500 GenOnEnergy's announcement today that it plans to shut down the coal-fired units at its Portland, Pa. power plant, which spews thousands of tons of pollutants across the Delaware River into New Jersey, is a win for cleaner air and better health for New Jersey residents, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin said today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0020.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0020.htm Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:27:00 -0500 Another 212 acres in the Barnegat Bay watershed will be permanently preserved under the terms of a settlement between the Department of Environmental Protection and a Bridgewater quarry owner to settle a seven-year-old dispute over alleged disturbance of more than six acres of wetlands and buffer areas in Somerset County, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0019.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0019.htm Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:42:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection today announced $5.5 million in grants to all 21 of New Jersey's counties to help them enhance local recycling efforts, a key environmental priority of the Christie Administration. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0018.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0018.htm Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:06:00 -0500 The DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife is inviting schools and teachers statewide to incorporate an exciting outdoors program into their classrooms, as part of a multi-faceted curriculum offering that can help develop a respect and better understanding of New Jersey's expansive natural offerings and the importance of conservation. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0017.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0017.htm Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:18:00 -0500 A large spill from an oil tank at the Paulsboro Refining Company facility in Gloucester County is not expected to impact the Delaware River or local water supplies. Air monitoring also indicates there should be no health effects from odors caused by the spill. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0016.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0016.htm Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:24:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection this week adopted revisions to its list of threatened and endangered species, upgrading the status of several species such as the bald eagle and the Cooper's hawk to reflect improvements in their populations and adding new species to the list such as the red knot and American kestrel to reflect concerns about declines. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0015.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0015.htm Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:56:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection is taking aggressive actions to stop the spread of the southern pine beetle through the Pinelands and adjacent regions of southern New Jersey by gearing up earlier than ever to combat the pest, which is showing disconcerting signs of early activity due to warmer than normal winter temperatures, and by making suppression grants available to private landowners, municipalities, counties and local groups. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0014.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0014.htm Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:16:00 -0500 New Jersey's populations of eagles, ospreys and falcons continue to soar, a testament to work by the DEP's Endangered and Nongame Species Program that has been funded largely by those who opt to return their state income tax refunds to wildlife protection. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0013.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0013.htm Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:53:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today announced changes in DEP senior management, redeploying effective Administration leaders to critical posts to most effectively carry out the Department's five priority goals and continue transformation. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0012.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0012.htm Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:31:00 -0500 New Jersey's nuclear power plants are operating safely and have effective response plans in place to deal with potential emergency situations, according to the final report of the Governor's Nuclear Review Task Force, which examined lessons learned from the nuclear emergency that occurred in Japan last year in the wake of an earthquake and tsunami. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0011.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0011.htm Thu, 9 Feb 2012 15:21:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection has filed a motion today in federal court to intervene in a Pennsylvania power plant's challenge to a federal Clean Air Act permit that requires it to substantially reduce air emissions that are harming New Jersey's air quality. The power plant, located in Portland, Pa., releases thousands of tons of pollutants a day into several North Jersey counties, said Commissioner Bob Martin. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0010.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0010.htm Mon, 6 Feb 2012 14:57:00 -0500 Ringwood Manor, the historic country house at the heart of Ringwood State Park, will be closed for the remainder of the winter to allow for cleanup of soot released by a malfunctioning furnace. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0009.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0009.htm Fri, 3 Feb 2012 12:54:00 -0500 Washington Crossing State Park in Hopewell Township provides a relaxing setting for many thousands of people each year to learn about the American Revolution, take a hike, enjoy nature, or simply watch the passing flows of the Delaware River. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0008.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0008.htm Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:31:00 -0500 NJ TRANSIT and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in cooperation with Emergency Management officials in Gloucester and Camden counties, today continued to make progress on the cleanup of diesel fuel that spilled into area water bodies. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0007.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0007.htm Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:30:00 -0500 New Jersey is nearing a major milestone in its continuing multi-prong effort to reduce harmful emissions from diesel engines, virtually completing the retrofit of nearly 800 NJ TRANSIT older style diesel-engine buses with technology that will control harmful diesel exhausts, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin and NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0006.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0006.htm Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:10:00 -0500 Homeowners in New Jersey are being advised by the Department of Environmental Protection to check this month for an unwanted visitor to your premises: namely colorless, odorless, and tasteless radon, a naturally occurring gas that could seep into your home without a warning, and which could cause cancer. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0005.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0005.htm Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:15:00 -0500 As part of its continuing commitment to customer service and transformation, the Department of Environmental Protection has launched a new service that will allow property owners and their contractors to apply online for certain types of freshwater wetlands permits, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0004.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0004.htm Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:21:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection has received a $1 million federal grant that will be used to protect ecologically sensitive wetlands parcels in Cape May County that provide habitat to migratory birds. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0003.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0003.htm Fri, 6 Jan 2012 10:33:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection today launched a new mobile phone application to help visitors plan for and make the most out of their trips to New Jersey's state parks, forests and historic sites. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0002.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0002.htm Thu, 5 Jan 2012 15:43:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection today launched a new mobile phone application to help visitors plan for and make the most out of their trips to New Jersey’s state parks, forests and historic sites. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0001.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0001.htm Tue, 3 Jan 2012 13:20:00 -0500 Working in partnership with the Township of Weehawken, Union City, the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust, and the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, the Department of Environmental Protection today secured the preservation of a unique 14.4-acre reservoir near the Lincoln Tunnel, Commissioner Bob Martin announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0147.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0147.htm Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:16:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection will sponsor eight free guided hikes and a horseback ride in state parks and trails in New Jersey on New Year's Day as part of a nationwide America's State Parks First Day Hikes initiative. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0146.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0146.htm Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:26:00 -0500 Authorities today released a composite drawing of a man believed to be responsible for shooting a father and son, and then leaving the scene, in a hunting incident on Dec. 17 in the Colliers Mill Wildlife Management Area in Jackson Township. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0145.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0145.htm Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:20:00 -0500 A couple enjoying a beautiful afternoon at Mercer County Park. Fog lifting at Morris County's Black River Wildlife Management Area. A white-tailed deer flicking its tongue at the South Branch Reservation in Hunterdon County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0144.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0144.htm Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:03:00 -0500 Nearly $1.3 million in federal recreational trails grants have been allocated to 49 projects in New Jersey this year, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0143.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0143.htm Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:54:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection today issued a New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) permit renewal to the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in accordance with the agreement negotiated by the state and Exelon Corp. to close the plant a decade ahead of its federal license expiration. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0142.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0142.htm Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:10:00 -0500 The dramatic recovery of the American bald eagle has reached a milestone in New Jersey, with more than 100 pairs now nesting in the Garden State, according to a newly released analysis of the species' population. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0141.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0141.htm Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:08:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today marked the first anniversary of Governor Christie's comprehensive plan to restore Barnegat Bay by announcing an agreement to preserve the 436-acre Joseph A. Citta Boy Scout Reservation Camp in Ocean County and by providing a progress report on the state's efforts to bring the bay back from decades of ecological decline. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0140.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0140.htm Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:02:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection has reached an agreement with E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Co. that requires the company to pay a fine of $725,000 and upgrade procedures for handling hazardous materials, and for routine and preventative maintenance at its Chambers Works facility in Salem County, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0139.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0139.htm Thu, 8 Dec 2011 14:50:00 -0500 A host of environmental, student, business, science, and civic leaders from across New Jersery are being recognized for their ideas and commitment to protecting and enhancing our state's environment, as they will be named winners of the 2011 Governor's Environmental Excellence Awards at a ceremony to be held tonight at the State Museum. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0138.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0138.htm Thu, 8 Dec 2011 11:32:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection today announced the state's black bear hunting season opened this morning just prior to sunrise and will continue through sunset on Saturday, Dec. 10. The season runs concurrently with the six-day firearm deer hunting season. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0137.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0137.htm Mon, 5 Dec 2011 13:10:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today said he was pleased by a state court ruling that upheld the validity of the state's Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy (CBBMP). The ruling today by the Appellate Division of state Superior Court clears the way for a week-long bear hunt that will take place in northwestern New Jersey starting on Monday, Dec. 5. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0135.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0135.htm Thu, 1 Dec 2011 13:22:00 -0500 Dr. Adam Cohen, a veteran expert on nuclear power and safety issues, has been appointed as the independent expert to the Oyster Creek Safety Advisory Panel, which was created earlier this year to supplement oversight of the safe operation of the nuclear power plant in Lacey Township leading up to its closure by the end of 2019. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0134.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0134.htm Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:48:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection has awarded a $350,000 grant to four towns in Morris and Passaic counties for Passaic River Basin stream and river desnagging and clearing efforts to improve the flow of water and help alleviate future flooding problems, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0133.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0133.htm Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:20:00 -0500 In keeping with the Christie Administration's commitment to keeping state parks open and viable, the Department of Environmental Protection has launched a new website providing information on spending of voter-approved funds for capital maintenance and improvement projects at New Jersey's parks, forests, historic sites and wildlife management areas. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0132.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0132.htm Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:55:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection is teaming up with several of the region's leading research institutions to perform scientific studies that will help the department make critical decisions on how to restore and enhance ecologically stressed Barnegat Bay, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. Taken together, the series of ten studies coupled with other work the DEP is undertaking will result in the most comprehensive scientific analysis ever for the bay. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0131.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0131.htm Wed, 9 Nov 2011 12:21:00 -0400 The Rockport Pheasant Farm in Warren County, which is operated by the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife, sustained severe damage from the snow that blanketed the northern third of the state on October 29. The 35 acres of range pens where pheasants were being held were heavily damaged by the weight of the snow despite efforts by game farm staff to prepare for the storm. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0130.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0130.htm Wed, 2 Nov 2011 15:54:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today announced that New Jersey has signed on as a member of a network of states in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic region that will collaborate on a plan to promote electric vehicles and vehicles that use alternative fuels such as natural gas and bio-fuels to help improve air quality throughout the region. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0129.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0129.htm Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:47:00 -0400 A company that rewards residents for recycling, a firm started by a Princeton University student that is finding unusual ways to reduce wastes, and a company that is bringing lessons on recycling and renewable energy into New Jersey's classrooms were among the businesses, organizations and individuals honored today at the state's annual Recycling Symposium and Awards Luncheon. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0128.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0128.htm Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:41:00 -0400 Volunteers from dozens of organizations braved rainy weather today, fanning out to marshlands, creeks, marinas and the bay itself to clean up trash and debris as part of the Department of Environmental Protection's Barnegat Bay Blitz. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0127.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0127.htm Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:51:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection this Wednesday will be joined by volunteers from dozens of local groups - including students, senior citizens, environmentalists, business and local government leaders, and even military personnel from Fort Dix - in a massive day-long trash and debris cleanup for the Barnegat Bay watershed. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0126.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0126.htm Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:08:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife is urging motorists to be on the alert for white-tailed deer on the roadways with the arrival of the fall breeding season, especially during the morning and evening commutes when visibility may be poor and deer activity is likely to be higher. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0125.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0125.htm Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:39:00 -0400 As part of its commitment to a cleaner and more diverse energy future for New Jersey as well as common sense regulations, the Department of Environmental Protection has developed a new general permit to make it faster and easier for a wide range of facilities such as small- to moderate-size manufacturers, office complexes, apartment complexes, hospitals, schools and other institutions to turn energy used for heating into electricity. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0124.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0124.htm Wed, 5 Oct 2011 14:19:00 -0400 All shellfish beds in New Jersey are now open as a result of the reopening of shellfish beds in northern Delaware Bay today. The Department of Environmental Protection has also extended the oyster harvesting season in Delaware Bay until at least Nov. 30 - or until the annual quota is reached - to help the industry make up for lost time and revenues resulting from the closure of beds due to Hurricane Irene. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0123.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0123.htm Tue, 4 Oct 2011 17:32:00 -0400 To further protect the 1,250 acres of wetlands and additional 1,700 acres of publicly owned uplands to the Hamilton-Trenton-Bordentown Marsh, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has entered into a Cooperating Stewardship Agreement Plan with eight agencies to enhance protection and preservation of the marsh. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0122.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0122.htm Mon, 3 Oct 2011 12:29:00 -0400 Commercial shellfish beds in all but the northern portion of Delaware Bay are now open to harvesting, the Department of Environmental Protection announced today. Shellfish beds from Beadon Point north to Ben Davis Point in the upper Delaware Bay were reopened today following tissue sample results that meet federal health standards. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0121.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0121.htm Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:57:00 -0400 Use your detective skills to search for clues to the cause of a wildfire. See foresters turn logs into lumber. Marvel as carvers transform ordinary pieces of wood into fascinating works of art. Take a hike deep into the woods. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0120.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0120.htm Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:25:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today announced that a coalition of Northeastern states, including New Jersey, has received a nearly $1 million federal grant to jump start planning for a network of electrical vehicle charging stations, an initiative that will spur job creation and use of electric vehicles. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0119.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0119.htm Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:37:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Health and Senior Services are urging State residents to take precautions to protect themselves from mosquito-borne West Nile virus by taking some simple steps to reduce populations of the insect on their own properties. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0118.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0118.htm Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:18:00 -0400 The DEP is advising residents and outdoor enthusiasts in North Jersey, especially in areas regularly frequented by black bears, to strictly adhere to guidelines for eliminating or securing potential black bear food sources during the fall period when bears feed extensively to build fat layers for hibernation. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0117.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0117.htm Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:59:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection and Mercer County have agreed to a joint, cost-shared project to preserve and restore the Petty's Run archeological site in Trenton and to create a historical interpretive center at the site, which is located adjacent to the Statehouse, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin and Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0116.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0116.htm Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:04:00 -0400 Less than 18 percent of the CO2 allowances offered for the current compliance period and none of the allowances for the next compliance period were sold at last week's Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auction, continuing the downward trend for demand. In four of the last five quarterly auctions, not all of the allowances offered were sold; in June, less than 30% sold. The poor results confirm the Christie Administration's reasons for withdrawing New Jersey from the regional program effective December 31, 2011. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0115.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0115.htm Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:57:00 -0400 Have you been longing to camp, hike, hunt, or fish but just didn't quite know how to get started? Or are you looking for ways to hone your skills to get even more out of your outdoors experiences? http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0114.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0114.htm Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:18:00 -0400 The Christie Administration has won another round in the state's legal fight to hold companies that polluted the lower Passaic River with pesticides and herbicides, including the Vietnam War-era defoliant Agent Orange, responsible for cleaning up the river, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0113.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0113.htm Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:45:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection has released a Request for Proposals for the management and operation of concession, catering and events services at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0112.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0112.htm Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:43:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection has agreed to allow the NY/NJ Baykeeper to set up an oyster research project in contaminated waters in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary in a security zone under the protection of U.S. Navy security personnel, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0111.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0111.htm Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:03:00 -0400 Most shellfish beds in New Jersey have been reopened, with the exception of beds in the upper Delaware Bay which remain closed due to lingering water quality concerns, the Department of Environmental Protection announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0110.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0110.htm Fri, 9 Sep 2011 16:02:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection today reopened the vast majority of shellfish beds in the state after tissue samples collected over the weekend met federal health standards. The beds were closed Aug. 27 as Hurricane Irene approached New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0109.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0109.htm Tue, 6 Sep 2011 16:19:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection expects a large volume of trash to be generated in areas affected by the recent flooding, which could result in disruptions to normal trash collection schedules. The DEP offers the following tips to help residents manage trash and expedite trash collection http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0108.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0108.htm Fri, 2 Sep 2011 16:46:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection today reminded commercial and recreational harvesters that all shellfish beds in the state remain closed as a result of the passage of Hurricane Irene. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0107.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0107.htm Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:51:00 -0400 Rivers and streams across New Jersey that were inundated by rains and subsequent runoff caused by Hurricane Irene have now dropped below peak flood levels, though it will another few days before all rivers are completely below flood stage and flood waters totally recede. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0106.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0106.htm Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:21:00 -0400 Many State Parks across New Jersey reopened today following a thorough and continuing review and inspection of dozens of State-owned natural, recreational and historic sites from High Point to Cape May in the aftermath of damage caused by Hurricane Irene. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0105.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0105.htm Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:09:00 -0400 Etan Hindin was seeking a job last year after completing his college studies abroad when he came across information about the Department of Environmental Protection's AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador Program. The environmentally conscious West Orange resident filled out an application and joined the program, hoping to use the opportunity to raise public awareness about water issues in New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0104.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0104.htm Wed, 25 Aug 2011 15:45:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife is advising hunters and other outdoors enthusiasts in the East Amwell, Hopewell and Hillsborough areas of west-central New Jersey to be alert for white-tailed deer that wildlife biologists believe are experiencing symptoms of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), a localized virus that spreads among deer though the bites of midge flies. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0103.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0103.htm Wed, 25 Aug 2011 15:23:00 -0400 A large, naturally occurring algae bloom floating off the Jersey coast is not expected to affect public health, water quality and beaches along the Shore. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0102.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0102.htm Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:52:00 -0400 New Jersey is getting a $300,000 federal grant for a green jobs training program in Camden that will target unemployed or underemployed residents for jobs in assessing and cleaning up brownfields and other contaminated sites in their city, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin and State Labor Commissioner Harold "Hal'' Wirths announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0101.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0101.htm Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:45:00 -0400 DEP Commissioner Bob Martin and DOT Commissioner James Simpson today unveiled a comprehensive set of guidelines that revamps and modernizes New Jersey's policies regarding the leasing of State lands. It creates a fairer, simpler and consistent process that will minimize environmental impacts while ensuring the State is fairly compensated for leases, particularly from private utilities that run pipelines, cables, transmission lines and telecommunications towers across or under hundreds of miles of State-owned land and water. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0100.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0100.htm Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:15:00 -0400 As part of the Christie Administration's commitment to the protection of public safety and property, the Department of Environmental Protection is preparing orders directing owners of 30 dams in four southern New Jersey counties to make repairs or conduct more detailed inspections following the weekend rainstorm that caused the failure of four dams in the region. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0099.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0099.htm Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:05:00 -0400 The Christie Administration today announced the award of nearly $16 million in grants to municipalities and counties to keep New Jersey clean through community litter cleanup efforts. Schools, community groups, local governments and local businesses frequently participate in the cleanups funded by these grants, fostering community spirit and civic pride. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0098.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0098.htm Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:39:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection today released a Request for Proposals for the private management and operation of two DEP-owned, 18-hole public courses, Commissioner Bob Martin announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0097.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0097.htm Thu, 4 Aug 2011 11:54:00 -0400 Visitors to the State's Forest Resource Education Center (FREC) in Jackson Township can learn about five insects that kill trees and what to do if they see these pests through a new, interactive exhibit, part of the Center's interpretive trail. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0096.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0096.htm Wed, 3 Aug 2011 15:05:00 -0400 Two young campers suffered minor injuries early this morning after being attacked by a yearling black bear that entered their campsite in Stokes State Forest in northern Sussex County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0095.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0095.htm Wed, 3 Aug 2011 13:42:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection today announced that New Jersey's municipalities and counties are receiving $12.8 million in grants to help them implement and enhance local recycling efforts. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0094.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0094.htm Mon, 1 Aug 2011 13:48:00 -0400 As a result of water tests showing that bacteria levels in the Hudson River have fallen to within health safety standards and well below levels of concern, the Department of Environmental Protection today advised residents that boating, kayaking, fishing and other normal recreational uses of the river may now resume. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0093.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0093.htm Thu, 28 Jul 2011 18:47:00 -0400 The DEP has issued a Request for Proposals (RFPs) from qualified experts who wish to serve as the independent expert to the Oyster Creek Safety Advisory Panel, which was created in May to supplement oversight of the safe operation of the nuclear power plant in Lacey Township leading up to its closure by the end of 2019. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0092.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0092.htm Thu, 28 Jul 2011 9:19:00 -0400 The DEP's Bureaus of Marine Water Monitoring, Emergency Response, and Water Compliance and Enforcement continue to closely monitor waters of the Hudson River and New York Harbor to assess potential impacts of recent raw sewage discharges from a New York City wastewater treatment plant, and continue to find no impacts to the Jersey Shore or the State's shellfish beds. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0091.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0091.htm Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:52:00 -0400 A Superior Court ruling holding a major chemical company liable for costs associated with the cleanup of sediments in the lower Passaic River contaminated decades ago by a Newark pesticide manufacturing plant marks an important victory for taxpayers of New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie said today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0090.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0090.htm Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:44:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Assistant Commissioner Wolf Skacel joined Camden Mayor Dana L. Redd and other local officials today in dedicating a new rain garden at the site of an abandoned gas station, transforming the unsightly land into an attractive and ecologically functional asset at a key gateway to the Waterfront South neighborhood. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0089.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0089.htm Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:33:00 -0400 Advancing the Governor's commitment to develop renewable sources of energy that protect the environment, promote economic development and spur job creation, the Christie Administration today announced that New Jersey set new single-month records for installed solar capacity and number of installations in June. This brings the State's installed solar capacity to more than 380 MW generated from over 10,000 solar arrays statewide, a new milestone. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0088.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0088.htm Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:40:00 -0400 New Jersey is continuing to closely monitor any potential impacts of two days of raw sewage discharges into the Hudson River caused by a disabled New York City wastewater treatment plant, even as New York officials say the plant will go back on line tonight. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0087.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0087.htm Fri, 22 Jul 2011 19:18:00 -0400 The New Jersey DEP is currently assessing potential impacts of a Wednesday fire at a New York City wastewater treatment plant that caused a shutdown of that facility and a continuing discharge of raw sewage into the Hudson River. The Department has reached out to officials of New Jersey municipalities and counties located along the Hudson River to make sure they are aware of the situation and are part of a coordinated response effort along with the State Department of Health and Senior Services and the State Office of Emergency Management. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0086.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0086.htm Wed, 21 Jul 2011 16:21:00 -0400 Spearheaded by the Department of Environmental Protection, a new ecosystem-based water quality monitoring network is gathering critical information about Barnegat Bay that will greatly enhance the Christie Administration's comprehensive plan to restore this ecologically sensitive and economically important estuary. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0085.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0085.htm Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:04:00 -0400 The removal of the first of three dams from the Raritan River in Somerset County that will open up a 10-mile stretch of the middle and upper portions of the river to fish migration for the first time in more than a century has begun this week, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0084.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0084.htm Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:25:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection is reminding State residents that harvesting blue claw crabs from the waters of the Lower Passaic River and Newark Bay is prohibited, as scientists have found that crabs from those waters continue to show harmful levels of cancer-causing dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), as well as other contaminants, including mercury. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0083.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0083.htm Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:29:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection continues to battle the southern pine beetle in the Pinelands this summer, forming partnerships with local governments to identify and attack outbreaks, conducting weekly aerial surveys to assess damage and pinpoint suppression efforts, and using a federal grant to develop a plan for further suppression efforts that may include controlled burning of infested woodlands. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0082.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0082.htm Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:13:00 -0400 A new park in Kingwood Township that offers sweeping vistas of the Delaware River Valley in an area of Hunterdon County that is filled with rolling hills, forested ravines and pristine streams, and which offers habitat to many wildlife species, was dedicated today, culminating a decade-long preservation effort with local and nonprofit partners, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0081.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0081.htm Wed, 6 Jul 2011 12:18:00 -0400 The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management and Department of Environmental Protection announced today that $48.3 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds have been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for state, county and local flood protection projects. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0080.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0080.htm Tue, 5 Jul 2011 11:46:00 -0400 New Jersey State Park Police responded early this morning to an emergency 911 call at the Bulls Island Recreation Area at D&R Canal State Park in Hunterdon County to find that a large tree had fallen on an occupied campsite. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0079.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0079.htm Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:26:00 -0400 Established in late March by the Christie Administration to assess operations and emergency preparedness for New Jersey's nuclear power plants following Japan's nuclear tragedy, the State's Nuclear Review Task Force has issued an interim report based upon early lessons learned from that ongoing nuclear emergency. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0078.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0078.htm Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:05:00 -0400 The Christie Administration continues to advance its commitment to restore Barnegat Bay, taking clear and effective steps to bring this important resource back from decades of ecological decline, Commissioner Bob Martin said today at a news conference on the progress of the Governor's comprehensive action plan to restore and protect Barnegat Bay. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0077.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0077.htm Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:24:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin and New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow announced today the State has reached a settlement with Honeywell International Inc., Occidental Chemical Corp., and PPG Industries, Inc. to reimburse the State for the cleanup of numerous chromium contaminated sites in Hudson County, and also to establish responsibility for continued cleanup work. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0076.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0076.htm Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:37:00 -0400 Demonstrating its continued commitment to a clean energy future for New Jersey that will drive economic growth, the Christie Administration today announced that 11 companies have expressed an interest in developing wind turbine projects off the New Jersey coast as part of a federal process that will ultimately determine the development of offshore leases for these projects. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0075.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0075.htm Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:51:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection has released a new film documentary and companion school curriculum as part of its continuing effort to educate New Jersey residents about co-existing with black bears as numbers of the animals have increased, resulting in more bear-human encounters. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0074.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0074.htm Thu, 9 Jun 2011 13:59:00 -0400 An 89-acre natural grassland tract in Hunterdon County, with views of Amwell Valley and bordering the forested ridges of Sourland Mountain, will be permanently protected through a $2.1 million preservation deal, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0073.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0073.htm Wed, 8 Jun 2011 16:38:00 -0400 A picture may be worth a thousand words, but how many pictures would it take to capture the amazing diversity and beauty of 650,000 acres of open space and parks protected in New Jersey over the past 50 years with the help of the state's Green Acres Program? http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0072.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0072.htm Fri, 3 Jun 2011 10:25:00 -0400 New Jersey delivers a great diversity of outdoors experiences in a small package - camping, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hunting, and even rock-hunting, to name a few. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0071.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0071.htm Thu, 2 Jun 2011 13:13:00 -0400 In accordance with the agreement negotiated by the State with Exelon Corp. to close the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station 10 years ahead of its license expiration, the Department of Environmental Protection today has issued a New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) draft permit renewal to the plant, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0070.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0070.htm Wed, 1 Jun 2011 14:17:00 -0400 Statewide greenhouse gas emissions decreased by more than 8 percent in 2008, bringing New Jersey under 2020 emissions levels targeted by the State's Global Warming Response Act, according to a legislatively mandated report issued by the DEP today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0069.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0069.htm Thu, 26 May 2011 12:44:00 -0400 A new weapon is being unleashed this spring by the State in the ongoing battle against mosquitoes: Macrocyclops albidus. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0068.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0068.htm Thu, 26 May 2011 10:31:00 -0400 In recognition of Historic Preservation Month, the Department of Environmental Protection's Historic Preservation Office and the New Jersey Historic Sites Council today honored projects and groups that are working to preserve the state's history. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0067.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0067.htm Tue, 24 May 2011 14:59:00 -0400 In continued demonstration of its commitment to protecting New Jersey's environment, the Christie Administration this week filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals seeking to overturn lower court rulings that would allow the deepening of the Delaware River to move forward despite a lack of updated environmental impact studies. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0066.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0066.htm Fri, 20 May 2011 13:50:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection employees are busy this spring stocking many of New Jersey's lakes and ponds with thousands of unique species of fish. But it's not with anglers in mind. It's all about the impending annual battle with the State's pesky crop of mosquitoes. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0065.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0065.htm Mon, 9 May 2011 10:00:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today signed an Administrative Order creating an Oyster Creek Safety Advisory Panel to further enhance oversight of the safe operation of the nuclear power plant leading up to its closure by the end of 2019. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0064.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0064.htm Fri, 6 May 2011 14:21:00 -0400 Get ready to take a step back in time with the return this Saturday of the New Jersey State History Fair at Allaire State Park in Farmingdale, Monmouth County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0063.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0063.htm Wed, 4 May 2011 14:13:00 -0400 The Christie Administration on Wednesday will launch the state's free web-based saltwater fishing registry, keeping recreational saltwater fishing in New Jersey a sport that anyone can enjoy without having to pay fees. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0062.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0062.htm Tue, 3 May 2011 9:57:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today marked the beginning of Air Quality Awareness Week in New Jersey, from May 2-6, by urging New Jersey residents to make simple choices in their everyday lives that can help improve air quality for everyone. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0061.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0061.htm Mon, 2 May 2011 12:59:00 -0400 The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Community Forestry Program, the New Jersey Community Forestry Council, the New Jersey Tree Foundation and Agriculture Secretary Douglas H. Fisher today celebrated Arbor Day by planting more than 100 trees at Durand Park Arboretum in Freehold Township, including a special 10-foot white pine grown from seed that traveled aboard a 1997 Space Shuttle Columbia mission. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0060.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0060.htm Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:46:00 -0400 The Christie Administration today announced the award of nearly $16 million in grants to municipalities and counties to keep New Jersey clean through community litter cleanup efforts. Schools, community groups, local governments and local businesses frequently participate in the cleanups funded by these grants, fostering community spirit and civic pride. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0059.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0059.htm Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:53:00 -0400 Through a joint effort, a $2.4 million contract has been awarded for the long-awaited restoration of Edison Memorial Tower, a historic structure at Edison State Park in Middlesex County honoring the work of inventor Thomas Alva Edison, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin and Edison Memorial Tower Corporation President Nancy Zerbe announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0058.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0058.htm Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:32:00 -0400 DEP Commissioner Bob Martin, at a public hearing in Warren County today, urged the federal Environmental Protection Agency to force a Pennsylvania coal-fired power plant to dramatically reduce huge volumes of harmful air pollutants it emits, and which have long caused public health concerns for thousands of North Jersey residents. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0057.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0057.htm Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:58:00 -0400 State foresters this week are beginning suppression activities to address infestations of the southern pine beetle, which destroyed a record number of acres of South Jersey pine forests last year, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0056.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0056.htm Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:10:00 -0400 Black bears have exited their winter dens throughout New Jersey and are entering their most active period of the year as they search for food and mates, making encounters with humans in populated areas more likely. To reduce the risk of such encounters, State residents-especially those living in 'bear country' in Northwest Jersey-- are urged to take some simple precautions. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0055.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0055.htm Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:12:00 -0400 With many people turning their thoughts to spring gardening, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today reminded residents to be mindful of the environment when applying lawn fertilizers and to obey a new law Governor Christie recently signed to protect New Jersey's waterways from misapplication of these products. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0054.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0054.htm Thu, 21 Apr 2011 10:05:00 -0400 Marking a milestone in the development of offshore wind power, the Christie Administration is issuing a formal request for firms interested in acquiring leases through the federal government for the construction of wind farms off the coast of New Jersey, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0053.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0053.htm Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:47:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin and Agriculture Secretary Douglas H. Fisher today marked Earth Week by announcing agreements to preserve 1,900 acres in the heart of central New Jersey as wildlife habitat, preserved farmland, and additions to county parks and greenways along historic Crosswicks Creek. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0052.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0052.htm Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:31:00 -0400 New Jersey wants tough regulations enacted to protect the water supply and natural resources of the Delaware River Basin from any potential negative impacts of natural gas development projects in neighboring states, and is seeking a strict limit to the initial number of production wells to be drilled, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said in formal comments sent today to the Delaware River Basin Commission. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0051.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0051.htm Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:47:00 -0400 The DEP has been awarded a $267,000 grant from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to study the problem of ground instability and subsidence, or surface depressions, associated with abandoned mines in the northern part of the State, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0050.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0050.htm Thu, 7 Apr 2011 14:28:00 -0400 New York City has agreed to modifications of releases of water from its reservoir system in the Catskill Mountains to better protect the ecology of the Delaware River in New Jersey and other downriver states, and help provide drought relief and flood protection, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0049.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0049.htm Thu, 7 Apr 2011 10:42:00 -0400 The Garden State Preservation Trust today approved the Department of Environmental Protection’s recommended list of $157 million for Green Acres open space acquisition and recreational development projects in all 21 New Jersey counties, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0048.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0048.htm Wed, 6 Apr 2011 15:10:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting tomorrow, April 6, to discuss the DEP's draft sewer service area map for Warren County as part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0047.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0047.htm Tue, 5 Apr 2011 14:03:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Cape May County's draft sewer service area map on Wednesday, April 6, as part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan for the county. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0046.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0046.htm Mon, 4 Apr 2011 14:27:00 -0400 More than 180,000 freshly stocked trout will be awaiting anglers when they cast their lines on the opening day of trout season this weekend thanks to the efforts of the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife, which for the past two weeks has been stocking nearly 200 streams, lakes and ponds across the state. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0045.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0045.htm Mon, 4 Apr 2011 13:32:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection today formally proposed new common sense rules to improve and enhance public access to New Jersey's beaches, bays and waterways through plans to be developed and implemented by municipalities and ultimately approved by the DEP, Commissioner Bob Martin announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0044.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0044.htm Mon, 4 Apr 2011 10:21:00 -0400 The federal Environmental Protection Agency accepted New Jersey’s Clean Air Act petition that seeks to force a Pennsylvania coal-fired power plant to dramatically reduce harmful air pollutants that drift over the Delaware River and into North Jersey, and which has caused longstanding public health concerns for residents living in that region, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0043.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0043.htm Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:24:00 -0400 As part of its commitment to customer service and transformation, the Department of Environmental Protection has launched a new program that will allow property owners to apply on-line for certain coastal permits, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0042.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0042.htm Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:44:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Ocean County's draft sewer service area map on Thursday, April 21, as part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan for the county. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0041.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0041.htm Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:11:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced the creation of a task force that will conduct a thorough assessment of operations and emergency preparedness plans for the State's four nuclear generating facilities. The review will determine whether any early lessons from the ongoing nuclear emergency in Japan could enhance New Jersey's current comprehensive nuclear response protocols. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0040.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0040.htm Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:37:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Burlington County's draft sewer service area map on Tuesday, March 29, as part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan for Burlington County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0039.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0039.htm Fri, 25 Mar 2011 11:36:00 -0400 Commissioner Bob Martin announced today that a joint venture of Linx Golf Management of Shrewsbury and H&L Golf Course Maintenance Co. of Brick will assume management and operation next month of the Spring Meadow Golf Course, an 18-hole DEP-owned public course located in Wall Township in Monmouth County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0038.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0038.htm Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:48:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection, in partnership with the New Jersey Clean Communities Council, is seeking organizations and individuals to help keep New Jersey's beaches clean through the Adopt a Beach Program. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0037.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0037.htm Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:05:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Warren County's draft sewer service area map on Wednesday, April 6, as part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan for the county. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0036.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0036.htm Tue, 22 Mar 2011 11:33:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold two public meetings in Union County to discuss proposed draft sewer service area maps in three municipalities. The Linden-Roselle meeting will take place Tuesday, March 22 and the Berkley Heights meeting on, Wednesday, March 23. These meetings are part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan for these municipalities. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0034.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0034.htm Tue, 16 Mar 2011 14:08:00 -0400 New Jersey today sought permission from a federal appeals court to join a legal action with New York, Vermont, and Connecticut that challenges a federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission rule that extends the time allowed for storing spent nuclear fuel at nuclear power plants from 30 years to a new standard of 60 years past the licensed life of a reactor, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin has announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0033.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0033.htm Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:57:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Gloucester County's draft sewer service area map on Monday, March 21, as part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan for this county. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0032.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0032.htm Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:16:00 -0400 In furtherance of Governor Chris Christie's Executive Order No. 2 that seeks to establish "Common Sense Principles" to govern New Jersey, the Department of Environmental Protection has proposed a rule to enable it to remove unreasonable impediments to economic growth while ensuring net environmental benefit for the state. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0031.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0031.htm Wed, 9 Mar 2011 11:00:00 -0500 State Park Police are investigating a break-in and theft at historic Ringwood Manor at Ringwood State Park in northern Passaic County that occurred in the early morning hours on Thursday, when thieves stole various historic items, including antique weapons, clocks, vases, silverware and paintings, New Jersey State Park Police Director Rick Arroyo has announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0030.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0030.htm Fri, 4 Mar 2011 16:34:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today reminded New Jersey residents they can help secure the future of the State's threatened and endangered wildlife by making a dedicated donation when they file their State income tax returns this year. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0029.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0029.htm Thu, 3 Mar 2011 14:39:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Camden County's draft sewer service area map on Tuesday, April 5, as part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan for this county. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0028.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0028.htm Wed, 2 Mar 2011 16:07:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Cumberland County's draft sewer service area map on Thursday, March 31, as part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan for this county. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0027.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0027.htm Tue, 1 Mar 2011 9:00:00 -0500 New Jersey's Green Acres Program, which began in 1961 as a result of a bond referendum aimed at doubling New Jersey's open space and recreational lands, is now celebrating its 50th anniversary as one of the most successful land conservation efforts in the nation. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0026.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0026.htm Mon, 28 Feb 2011 11:51:00 -0500 Commissioner Bob Martin today announced that DEP has uncovered a failure by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey to conduct required quality control tests on its medical x-ray equipment for at least the past seven months at The University Hospital, in direct violation of State law and which could have jeopardized the health of patients. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0025.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0025.htm Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:41:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Atlantic County's draft sewer service area map on Wednesday, March 23, as part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan for this county. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0024.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0024.htm Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:00:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Sussex County's draft sewer service area map on Tuesday, March 15, as part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan for the county. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0023.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0023.htm Thu, 24 Feb 2011 9:02:00 -0500 The driving force behind the idea of environmental stewardship is that businesses and other organizations will go beyond what's required of them by laws and regulations to protect the environment - if given a chance to think innovatively and proactively. And that's exactly what a program spearheaded by the Department of Environmental Protection is doing. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0022.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0022.htm Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:13:00 -0500 Governor Christie signed a bill into law today that creates a free State saltwater fishing registry in New Jersey, one that will comply with federal requirements and will not financially impact the State's saltwater anglers. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0021.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0021.htm Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:07:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Salem County's draft sewer service area map on Tuesday, March 22, as part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan for this county. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0020.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0020.htm Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:50:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Ocean County's draft sewer service area map on Thursday, March 10, as part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan for this county. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0019.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0019.htm Fri, 18 Feb 2011 9:05:00 -0500 Demonstrating its unwavering commitment to protecting South Jersey's environment, the Christie Administration today filed notices with the Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia informing the court it will appeal rulings that will allow the deepening of the Delaware River's shipping channel to proceed despite the lack of updated environmental studies. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0018.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0018.htm Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:43:00 -0500 New Jersey has taken legal action against another out-of-state coal-fired power plant that is spewing thousands of tons of pollutants into the air and impacting our State, yet another step in the continued commitment by the Christie Administration to improve air quality and protect public health in the Garden State. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0017.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0017.htm Thu, 11 Feb 2011 10:27:00 -0500 A comprehensive plan to deal with floods in the Passaic River Basin was unveiled today by Governor Christie's Passaic River Flood Advisory Commission, targeting steps to reduce flooding, minimize the impacts of floods, better prepare for the periodic flooding and improve efforts to help flood victims. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0016.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0016.htm Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:49:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife has issued summonses charging the owner and the captain of a commercial fishing trawler with illegally harvesting thousands of pounds of flounder and black sea bass. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0015.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0015.htm Fri, 4 Feb 2011 14:48:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Hunterdon County’s draft sewer service area map on Wednesday, March. 9, as part of planning efforts to update the Water Quality Management Plans for the Upper Delaware and Upper Raritan regions. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0014.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0014.htm Fri, 4 Feb 2011 10:30:00 -0500 An $860,000 penalty was imposed today by the Department of Environmental Protection on TVF Pest Control of Newark for misapplication of hazardous pesticides in residences to control bedbugs, Commissioner Bob Martin announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0013.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0013.htm Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:53:00 -0500 The Christie Administration today announced the award of $3.2 million in grants to fund 6 nonpoint source (NPS) pollution control projects throughout the State, including $1 million targeting polluting runoff into Barnegat Bay. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0012.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0012.htm Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:37:00 -0500 With more snow expected to fall this week in New Jersey, the Department of Environmental Protection has advised cities, towns and counties that in the absence of adequate snow storage, the disposal of snow into the surface waters of the State is not a routinely acceptable management option. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0011.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0011.htm Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:57:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection has secured a landmark agreement that will open up a large stretch of the Raritan River for fish spawning as compensation to the public for harm to natural resources caused by past pollution at a refinery and three polymer plants that were operated by or affiliated with the El Paso Corp., Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0010.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0010.htm Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:57:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection today released a Request for Proposal for the private management and operation of Spring Meadow Golf Course, an 18-hole DEP-owned public course located in Wall Township in Monmouth County, Commissioner Bob Martin announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0009.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0009.htm Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:30:00 -0500 A first-in-the-nation grant program targeting air pollution caused by dry cleaning has been an initial success in New Jersey, with nearly 300 applications received statewide to finance new and upgraded dry cleaning equipment, and with thousands of pounds of pollutants already removed from the air, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0008.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0008.htm Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:43:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection's Homeowners Firewood Program, which provides low-cost wood to the public and improves forest health, will expand this winter to Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in Woodland Township and Parvin State Park in Pittsgrove, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0007.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0007.htm Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:38:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection filed a legal motion today to intervene with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in the case of a natural gas pipeline expansion proposed by Spectra Energy to run through Hudson and Union counties, including Jersey City, the Christie Administration announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0006.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0006.htm Fri, 14 Jan 2011 19:05:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection is providing New Jersey’s municipalities and counties $13 million in grants to assist local recycling efforts, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0005.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0005.htm Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:15:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today expressed his disappointment with a federal court ruling that dismisses New Jersey’s demands that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers update environmental studies and take other steps to ensure its Delaware River deepening project does not harm the river. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0004.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0004.htm Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:00:00 -0500 The Conserve Wildlife Foundation is partnering this year with the DEP to conduct interpretive programs at three State Parks, with a goal of enhancing visitors' awareness of the State's natural resources and offering educational program for students, while providing more meaningful experiences for all park users, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0003.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0003.htm Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:42:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection has reached a tentative agreement that would permanently preserve 212 acres of forest and enhance pine snake habitat on land in Ocean County while allowing development of a Walmart store to move forward. The agreement also calls for minimizing impacts to the local snake population and requires construction to avoid a pine snake den area at the development area straddling Toms River and Manchester. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0002.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0002.htm Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:19:00 -0500 Radon is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas -- one that might enter your home without your knowledge and which could cause cancer. During January, which is National Radon Action Month, the Department of Environmental Protection is encouraging all homeowners in New Jersey to check for radon exposure via a simple test. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0001.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0001.htm Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:15:00 -0500 Although the Department of Environmental Protection is not expecting significant flooding from the melting of snow as the weather warms up this weekend, Commissioner Bob Martin today advised mayors and other local officials to make sure storm drains are clear of snow in order to prevent localized street flooding. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0150.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0150.htm Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:43:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Morris County’s draft sewer service area map on Feb. 9, part of planning efforts to update Water Quality Management Plans for the Northeast, Sussex, Upper Delaware and Upper Raritan regions. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0149.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0149.htm Tue, 28 Dec 2010 12:27:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today reminded New Jersey residents that old TVs, computers and computer monitors - items known collectively as electronic waste, or e-waste - must be recycled as of the beginning of the new year, as required by the Electronic Waste Management Act. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0148.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0148.htm Tue, 28 Dec 2010 11:09:00 -0500 A program that keeps New Jersey's coastal waters clean by providing pumpout stations for sewage from recreational boats has garnered national recognition from a boaters' group, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0147.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0147.htm Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:19:00 -0500 With colder weather taking hold and the official start of winter less than a week away, the Department of Environmental Protection is urging New Jersey’s residents to be thoughtful of their neighbors when burning wood for heat. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0146.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0146.htm Thu, 16 Dec 2010 11:11:00 -0500 They worked countless hours pulling car tires from the Passaic River, managing open space, spreading the word about environmental well-being, and now they're being honored this evening for their commitment to protecting the environment in New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0144.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0144.htm Wed, 15 Dec 2010 14:11:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Somerset County's draft sewer service area map on Jan. 20, 2011, as part of planning efforts to update the Northeast, Upper Raritan and Lower Raritan/ Middlesex County, Water Quality Management Plans. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0145.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0145.htm Wed, 15 Dec 2010 10:55:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection today released its recommended plan for the management of water levels in Lake Hopatcong, one of New Jersey's largest lakes and an important ecological and economic resource in the northwestern part of the state. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0143.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0143.htm Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:25:00 -0500 Commissioner Martin today joined Camden and Salvation Army officials in ceremonies launching the capping of the former Harrison Avenue Landfill, marking a milestone in the development of a multimillion-dollar Salvation Army community center that will provide social, cultural and recreational services in one of the nation’s poorest cities. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0142.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0142.htm Thu, 9 Dec 2010 11:00:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today reaffirmed the state's position that clear and stringent standards must be put in place to protect the resources of the Delaware River before natural-gas drilling in a geologic formation known as Marcellus Shale is allowed to move ahead. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0141.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0141.htm Tue, 7 Dec 2010 17:29:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection today announced that the State's first black bear hunting season since 2005 opened this morning just prior to sunrise and will continue through sunset on Saturday, Dec. 11. The season runs concurrently with the six-day firearm deer season. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0140.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0140.htm Mon, 6 Dec 2010 14:28:00 -0500 A state Appellate Division Court today dismissed a legal challenge to the Department of Environmental Protection's Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy (CBBMP), clearing the way for a week-long bear hunt that will take place in Northwest New Jersey starting on Monday. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0139.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0139.htm Fri, 3 Dec 2010 15:03:00 -0500 At the Department of Environmental Protection's request, DuPont has agreed to sample for additional contaminants in soil beneath homes in a neighborhood adjacent to its Pompton Lakes Works site, giving residents there an added level of information about environmental conditions at their properties, Commissioner Bob Martin said today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0138.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0138.htm Thu, 2 Dec 2010 17:11:00 -0500 How old are the oldest rocks in New Jersey and where are they located? Perhaps these questions haven't exactly kept you up at night, but geologists have been wondering about them for a long time. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0137.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0137.htm Wed, 1 Dec 2010 15:07:00 -0500 Have you ever participated in a Revolutionary War military drill? Or had the chance to plow a furrow? What about spinning wool on a real spinning wheel? These are just a few of dozens of historical exhibits and activities that will be featured when the "Spirit of the Jerseys State History Fair" returns from a one-year hiatus in May 2011. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0136.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0136.htm Wed, 1 Dec 2010 14:27:00 -0500 A health assessment by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services and Department of Environmental Protection found no evidence that Jersey City residents who lived near chromium-contaminated sites from 1979 to 2006 were at increased risk of three types of cancer -- oral, esophageal or stomach. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0135.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0135.htm Wed, 1 Dec 2010 13:10:00 -0500 Concentrations of radioactive tritium in the aquifers directly below the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey Township, Ocean County, have decreased substantially in recent weeks, according to samples of groundwater taken from test wells on the site, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0134.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0134.htm Wed, 1 Dec 2010 12:51:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection and Jersey City have secured a commitment from Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries to excavate and remove hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic chromium-processing wastes and contaminated soil from the site of a former chrome-production facility on Garfield Avenue, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0133.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0133.htm Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:58:00 -0500 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today rejected a request for a stay of a scheduled Northwest New Jersey bear hunt, which is authorized under the State's recently adopted Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy (CBBMP). http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0132.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0132.htm Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:39:00 -0500 Commissioner Bob Martin today commended DuPont for withdrawing an application for a permit-by-rule for operation of a groundwater treatment system at its Pompton Lakes Works site. The DEP suggested DuPont withdraw the application because of residents’ concerns about permit requirements. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0131.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0131.htm Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:16:00 -0500 Acting on the Governor's commitment to oppose a potentially damaging onshore pipeline that would traverse the Garden State and connect to a proposed natural gas facility 16 miles off the Jersey coast, the Christie Administration has filed a motion to intervene in opposition to an application from Liberty Natural Gas, LLC to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the approvals necessary to proceed with the project. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0130.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0130.htm Wed, 17 Nov 2010 15:02:00 -0500 DEP Commissioner Bob Martin today commended the federal government for pledging to act by February on the State's petitions to force a coal-powered Pennsylvania power plant to dramatically reduce harmful emissions that are causing a public health concern in North Jersey, and to hold a public hearing in the most impacted area. But the Commissioner also vowed to ensure that federal officials keep their promise to move quickly on the matter. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0129.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0129.htm Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:07:00 -0500 Commissioner Bob Martin has approved an application by Stafford Township to remove a 48-acre landfill from the Green Acres inventory of open space so the land can be used for a solar energy project that is an important component of a major redevelopment project. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0128.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0128.htm Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:03:00 -0500 Commissioner Bob Martin has approved an application by Stafford Township to remove a 48-acre landfill from the Green Acres inventory of open space so the land can be used for a solar energy project that is an important component of a major redevelopment project. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0126.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0126.htm Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:02:00 -0500 The first meeting of the Licensed Site Remediation Professional Board is scheduled for this Monday, setting the stage for the board to begin its important work in improving the efficiency of contaminated site cleanups, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0125.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0125.htm Tue, 9 Nov 2010 15:22:00 -0500 DEP Commissioner Bob Martin today announced the lifting of the drought watch for the coastal north region of the state, including nearly all of Monmouth County and northern Ocean County. Evidence of a return to more normal rainfall, cooler temperatures, and diminished water supply demands led to the decision to rescind the drought watch designation in this region, said the Commissioner. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0124.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0124.htm Tue, 9 Nov 2010 15:06:00 -0500 The board of trustees for the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust today unanimously approved David E. Zimmer, managing partner of a Princeton-based financial-management consulting firm, as its new executive director. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0123.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0123.htm Mon, 8 Nov 2010 16:36:00 -0500 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a Dec. 8 public meeting on Essex County’s draft sewer service area map as part of planning efforts to update the Northeast Water Quality Management Plan for the county. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0122.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0122.htm Fri, 5 Nov 2010 15:18:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today officially dedicated a newly expanded pheasant rearing complex at the State owned Rockport Pheasant Farm in Mansfield Township, Warren County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0121.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0121.htm Thu, 4 Nov 2010 12:37:00 -0400 More than $800,000 in federal recreational trails grants have been allocated to 48 projects in New Jersey this year, and another $1 million may soon be available for 2011 projects, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0120.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0120.htm Wed, 3 Nov 2010 15:01:00 -0400 An array of solar panels that will generate 46 kilowatts of electricity is being installed at a West Deptford elementary school as part of a settlement of air pollution violations at the Sunoco Eagle Point refinery located in the township. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0119.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0119.htm Wed, 3 Nov 2010 10:29:00 -0400 In the interest of transparency and engaging public involvement on important environmental issues, the Department of Environmental Protection is soliciting preliminary comments on rules the department has drafted for development of a statewide system of recycling of computers and TVs generated as waste by consumers. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0118.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0118.htm Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:47:00 -0400 DEP Commissioner Bob Martin today announced the lifting of a statewide drought watch for most of New Jersey, with the exception of the Coastal North region that includes nearly all of Monmouth County and northern Ocean County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0117.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0117.htm Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:24:00 -0400 Working closely with its partners at the county level, the Department of Environmental Protection is spearheading the removal of hundreds of thousands of tires from the largest tire dumps remaining in the state, all of them in South Jersey, Commissioner Bob Martin said today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0116.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0116.htm Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:47:00 -0400 DEP Commissioner Bob Martin has announced that $24.7 million in financing for the environmental cleanups of two contaminated former General Motors auto plant sites in Clark and Ewing has been approved as part of a $773 million legal settlement filed today in federal bankruptcy court in a case involving 89 former GM properties nationwide. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0115.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0115.htm Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:43:00 -0400 Getting your car or truck ready for the harsh winter months ahead can make your vehicle safer and save you money. But proper maintenance also can help protect the State's environment, according to DEP Commissioner Bob Martin. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0114.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0114.htm Wed, 20 Oct 2010 9:34:00 -0400 With the days getting shorter and white-tail deer entering their annual rut, officials with the Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife are cautioning motorists to be especially alert while driving to avoid collisions with the animals. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0113.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0113.htm Tue, 19 Oct 2010 10:55:00 -0400 The pumping of radioactive tritium from the aquifers beneath the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Ocean County has been expanded to a third and larger well that was specially created to provide access to more groundwater and increase pumping capacity, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0112.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0112.htm Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:39:00 -0400 In keeping with its commitment to transparency and reform, the Department of Environmental Protection today posted a compilation of the suggestions received from hundreds of employees offering ideas on meeting Commissioner Bob Martin's goals of making the department a more effective agency that better serves the public. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0111.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0111.htm Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:49:00 -0400 Using $20.3 million in funds from a federal trust fund, the Department of Environmental Protection will restore nearly 200 acres of Salem County wetlands and grasslands, create an oyster reef, and build a public boat ramp to compensate the public for ecological harm caused to the Delaware River estuary by the massive oil spill from the tanker Athos I in 2004, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0109.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0109.htm Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:37:00 -0400 Throughout New Jersey, civic groups and businesses are thinking outside the box by taking steps to expand recycling efforts at home and in their communities. The Department of Environmental Protection today honored some of the most notable during the state's annual Recycling Symposium and Awards Luncheon. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0110.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0110.htm Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:06:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection, three Mercer County municipalities and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority have reached a settlement agreement that will enable the towns to replace trees that were removed to accommodate the Turnpike widening project, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0108.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0108.htm Wed, 13 Oct 2010 16:30:00 -0400 DEP Commissioner Bob Martin, Trenton Mayor Tony Mack and Trenton Water Works officials met yesterday afternoon at the DEP to discuss how to best tackle challenges faced by Trenton Water Works, as well as to examine events which led to last week's precautionary boil water advisory for much of the utility's service area, all in an effort to prevent future occurrences. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0107.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0107.htm Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:55:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium have added 11 marinas to the state's Clean Marina program. The number of these facilities certified as using best management practices to protect New Jersey's marine resources now stands at 40. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0106.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0106.htm Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:31:00 -0400 In order to avoid future events like the severe loss of pressure that resulted in a precautionary boil water advisory for much of Trenton Water Works’ service area this week, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced that he and Trenton Mayor Tony Mack have pledged to work closely together to investigate this week’s events and to address the challenges facing the aging water utility. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0105.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0105.htm Thu, 7 Oct 2010 16:34:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection today released its Transformation Plan, another significant step in the Department's continuing efforts to operate more efficiently while ensuring effective protection of New Jersey's environment. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0104.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0104.htm Thu, 7 Oct 2010 11:41:00 -0400 As part of its commitment to customer service, the Department of Environmental Protection has launched an Office of Dispute Resolution to help find common ground between the Department and the regulated community to prevent differences from becoming full-blown legal battles. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0103.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0103.htm Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:24:00 -0400 With the Delaware River Basin Commission's decision today to issue a drought warning for much of the Delaware River basin, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin again asked residents statewide to voluntarily reduce water use. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0102.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0102.htm Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:05:00 -0400 New Jersey's black bears are starting to fatten up for winter hibernation and will more actively forage for food in the coming weeks. So, state residents, especially those living in bear country, are reminded by DEP fish and wildlife biologists to remove food sources from around their homes to prevent difficult encounters with bears this fall. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0101.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0101.htm Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:47:00 -0400 An alarming resurgence in bed bugs is causing many New Jersey residents to seek quick and deadly means to eradicate the pesky and persistent creatures. Towards that goal, and with an eye on safety, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin is urging residents and pest control experts to use only registered pesticides and utilize good housekeeping practices to control the troubling insects. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0100.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0100.htm Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:15:00 -0400 A broken net on a fishing vessel caused the wash-up of thousands of dead menhaden in the North Wildwood area over the weekend, according to an investigation by the Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0099.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0099.htm Mon, 20 Sep 2010 13:02:00 -0400 A broken net on a fishing vessel caused the wash-up of thousands of dead menhaden in the North Wildwood area over the weekend, according to an investigation by the Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0099.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0099.htm Mon, 20 Sep 2010 13:02:00 -0400 One of the best ways to protect the environment is to stop creating pollution in the first place, a concept many industries have been using for years. You can apply the same principle at home to make your living environment much healthier. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0098.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0098.htm Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:56:00 -0400 DEP Commissioner Bob Martin has again formally asked the federal government to force the owners of a coal-powered Pennsylvania power plant to dramatically reduce harmful air emissions that are causing an even greater public health concern in North Jersey than originally known, he announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0097.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0097.htm Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:51:00 -0400 Although summer is coming to a close, state mosquito experts today cautioned the mosquito season has not ended, and warned that late summer and early fall are the most critical times of the year to be aware of the potential for the dangers of contracting West Nile virus and other viruses from mosquito bites. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0096.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0096.htm Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:10:00 -0400 A federal trial has begun in a lawsuit filed by New Jersey and four other states to force coal-fired power plants in western Pennsylvania to take steps to clean up emissions of pollutants that degrade air quality in downwind states, including New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0095.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0095.htm Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:53:00 -0400 The first phase of a cleanup of radioactive tritium that leaked from the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant last year and into two aquifers below the facility will begin immediately, with a goal of pumping the tritium contaminated water out of the ground to avoid any potential contamination of potable water supplies, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0094.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0094.htm Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:55:00 -0400 Perhaps you've always wanted to learn how to fish or hunt but weren't sure how to get started. Or maybe you've been longing to strap on a backpack and venture onto the Appalachian Trail for a long weekend but were afraid you lacked the skills. Or perhaps you're simply looking for some tips on making your family camping trips more enjoyable. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0093.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0093.htm Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:30:00 -0400 Despite assurances from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that it had stopped a discharge from a Delaware River dredge disposal facility in Salem County, DEP inspectors today found water flowing uncontrolled from the site, raising the department's concerns about potential harmful impacts from contaminants on ecologically sensitive wetlands. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0092.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0092.htm Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:50:00 -0400 Governor Chris Christie and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today blasted the Army Corps of Engineers for dumping sediments from its Delaware River deepening project last month in New Jersey in disregard of a federal court order. A dike within the disposal facility later failed, causing a discharge into wetlands. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0091.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0091.htm Thu, 9 Sep 2010 18:02:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection's new Science Advisory Board (SAB) met for the first time this week, and its scientists, educators and experts were immediately challenged with a 17-item priority list of key statewide environmental issues to consider. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0090.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0090.htm Thu, 9 Sep 2010 14:38:00 -0400 The reddish water stretching from the Statue of Liberty into Raritan Bay is being caused by a nontoxic species of phytoplankton, samples collected today by the Department of Environmental Protection determined. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0089.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0089.htm Wed, 8 Sep 2010 17:59:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today issued an expanded, statewide drought watch, asking all state residents to voluntarily conserve water due to continued hot and dry conditions that have persisted all summer, and are taxing reservoir, stream and groundwater levels. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0088.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0088.htm Wed, 8 Sep 2010 13:57:00 -0400 Island Beach State Park in Ocean County will remain open but its waters will be off limits for the next two days to swimmers and surfers due to concerns about the effects of Hurricane Earl, the Department of Environmental Protection announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0087.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0087.htm Wed, 1 Sep 2010 17:59:00 -0400 Governor Chris Christie today continued his commitment to environmental protection and a strong and secure clean water infrastructure by signing legislation to appropriate $821 million in no-cost and low-cost loans for crucial water and sewer infrastructure projects across the state. The financing, administered through the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Financing Program, will make available approximately $549 million for clean water project loans and $272 million for drinking water project loans, with the federal government picking up at least half of the cost. http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/552010/approved/20100831a.html http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/552010/approved/20100831a.html Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:00:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection has taken an important step toward improving air quality and protecting public health in New Jersey by adopting rules requiring significant reductions in sulfur content for home heating oil and other types of fuel oil used in the state, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0086.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0086.htm Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:32:00 -0400 Commissioner Bob Martin today said the DEP has received the first data set from testing additional wells at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station required under the current action plan, and plant operator Exelon Corporation is preparing to take remedial action. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0085.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0085.htm Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:31:00 -0400 The DEP has brokered an agreement that enables the Camden Redevelopment Agency to use dredged materials from a State-owned facility along the Delaware River in Palmyra to redevelop a Camden landfill as a multimillion-dollar Salvation Army community center, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0084.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0084.htm Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:04:00 -0400 Commissioner Bob Martin today announced that David E. Sweeney will serve as the Department of Environmental Protection’s new Assistant Commissioner for Site Remediation. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0083.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0083.htm Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:00:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection today unveiled draft proposed rules for enhanced public access to the state’s coastal and other tidal waters, suggesting reasonable regulations but also employing additional, common sense measures to enhance public access. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0081.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0081.htm Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:55:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection this afternoon received new water sampling results that strongly suggest low oxygen levels were behind the massive die-off of menhaden in Delaware Bay. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0082.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0082.htm Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:59:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection plans to take more water samples today as part of its investigation into the massive die-off of menhaden in Delaware Bay. In addition, fish tissue samples will be collected and sent to a laboratory for analysis. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0080.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0080.htm Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:56:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection is investigation a major wash-up of dead fish along the Delaware Bay in Cape May County. The cause of the die-off is not known and is under investigation. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0079.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0079.htm Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:31:00 -0400 The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is alerting motorists that smoke persisting along a stretch of the Atlantic City Expressway in Winslow, Camden County, is the smoldering remnants of an old wildfire and is not a cause for alarm. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0078.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0078.htm Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:30:00 -0400 The NY/NJ Baykeeper today complied with the state’s ban on research-related gardening of commercially viable oysters in contaminated waters by removing its oysters from New York Harbor. DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said that action helps meet two key goals: safeguarding public health and protecting the health and viability of the State’s $790 million-a-year shellfish industry. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0077.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0077.htm Mon, 9 Aug 2010 15:52:00 -0400 State Conservation Officers and State Park Police are launching expanded patrols of the Splitrock Reservoir in Rockaway Township to assist local police in combating swimming, diving, littering and other illegal activities in the area. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0076.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0076.htm Thu, 5 Aug 2010 15:17:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today issued a drought watch for the Northeast region of the State, asking residents of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris and Passaic counties to voluntarily conserve water due to continued hot and dry conditions and increasing concerns about reservoir levels. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0075.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0075.htm Thu, 5 Aug 2010 13:23:00 -0400 DEP Commissioner Bob Martin today announced the creation of a special panel to recommend ways to overhaul the State's process of leasing property to private companies that run pipelines, cables, electric lines and towers across many thousands of acres of state-owned land and water. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0074.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0074.htm Wed, 4 Aug 2010 15:26:00 -0400 Kris Schantz understands the power of fear. It’s what drives many of us to scream or run at the mere sight of a snake in the yard. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0073.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0073.htm Tue, 3 Aug 2010 15:01:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today approved a Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy, a common sense mix of bear management tools that would include the state’s first black bear hunt since 2005 to deal with an overpopulation of bears and problems they are causing, especially in northern parts of the State. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0072.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0072.htm Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:17:00 -0400 Commissioner Bob Martin this week delivered on his promise to reform the Department of Environmental Protection by unveiling a vision statement and environmental policy priorities that will guide the DEP in the coming years as it becomes more effective and consumer-friendly. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0071.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0071.htm Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:17:00 -0400 Two men have been hospitalized as a result of a lightning strike that occurred while they were while camping illegally at Rancocas State Park in Burlington County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0070.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0070.htm Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:49:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection today issued a notice of violation to the NY/NJ Baykeeper, directing the nonprofit group to remove its research-related shellfish project from contaminated state waters to protect the public health and the state’s $790-million-a-year shellfish industry. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0069.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0069.htm Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:27:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin released the following statement after today's vote by the New Jersey Fish and Game Council to adopt a Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy that includes a potential hunting season in northern New Jersey for the first time since 2005. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0068.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0068.htm Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:56:00 -0400 Commissioner Bob Martin today called on the federal government to expedite action to reduce the amount of air pollutants spewing from a power plant in Pennsylvania, located just across the Delaware River from Knowlton Township in Warren County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0067.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0067.htm Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:17:00 -0400 A Superior Court judge has ruled in favor of the state, ordering a beach club in Sea Bright to provide public access to the beach in front of the club, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0066.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0066.htm Fri, 9 Jul 2010 15:41:00 -0400 An investigation by the Department of Environmental Protection has revealed that a Newark-based company, TVF Pest Control, used chemicals not appropriate for indoor use in 70 residences and apartments, mostly in Essex, Hudson and Union counties, since October in spraying for bedbugs and other insects, the Department announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0065.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0065.htm Fri, 9 Jul 2010 15:15:00 -0400 Hazy, acrid smoke from wildfires that continue to smolder at Fort Dix in Burlington County may continue to drift over a large swath of central New Jersey and may continue to cause odors over large areas of the state until the next significant rainfall, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0064.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0064.htm Thu, 8 Jul 2010 13:36:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today asked residents to voluntarily conserve water due to a persistent dry spell and extremely hot weather, key factors that are beginning to affect water supplies statewide. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0063.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0063.htm Tue, 6 Jul 2010 15:05:00 -0400 An aggressive black bear that was the focus of a weeklong search since attacking a West Milford man and his dog last week was captured Thursday night by officers of the DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife and has been euthanized. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0062.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0062.htm Fri, 2 Jul 2010 15:11:00 -0400 With dry conditions expected to persist across the state heading into the Fourth of July weekend, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today urged residents and visitors to exercise common sense and caution to prevent wildfires. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0061.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0061.htm Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:58:00 -0400 A team of DEP researchers and scientists has documented that the world’s largest population of the rare and state endangered “Spreading Globeflower” is located on a state nature preserve in Sussex County, the Department announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0060.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0060.htm Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:44:00 -0400 Some of the DEP's greenest places - its state parks - will become even greener when it comes to energy efficiency, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0059.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0059.htm Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:19:00 -0400 A groundbreaking, two-year research project led by the DEP shows minimal environmental impact would occur at sites proposed for several wind energy projects off the coast of New Jersey, which is a national leader in an effort to develop offshore wind-to-energy power, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0058.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0058.htm Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:22:00 -0400 DEP Commissioner Bob Martin today announced New Jersey is one of 11 states and the District of Columbia that has created the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), a regional group that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through transportation improvements and efficiencies. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0057.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0057.htm Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:32:00 -0400 Michele N. Siekerka, President and CEO of the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, has accepted a position as the Department of Environmental Protection’s Assistant Commissioner for Economic Growth and Green Energy, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0056.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0056.htm Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:42:00 -0400 Commissioner Bob Martin today announced the DEP will create reasonable new rules on public access to the state’s tidal waters, which include the ocean and rivers, with the goal of enhancing access while eliminating burdensome and costly access rules for local governments, businesses and property owners. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0055.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0055.htm Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:05:00 -0400 New Jersey’s multi-billion dollar tourism and fishing industries will not be affected by the Gulf oil spill this summer, but are being threatened by misinformation, Commissioner Bob Martin said in testimony before the state Assembly today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0054.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0054.htm Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:45:00 -0400 Governor Chris Christie has signed on to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the federal government and fellow East Coast governors to promote the development of offshore wind power. The agreement, which establishes an Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium, will help to facilitate federal-state cooperation for commercial wind development on the Outer Continental Shelf off of the Atlantic coast. http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/552010/approved/20100608b.html http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/552010/approved/20100608b.html Tue, 8 Jun 2010 17:00:00 -0400 Commissioner Bob Martin today banned research-related gardening of commercial shellfish species in coastal and inner harbor waters classified as contaminated, and also is seeking immediate removal of species now being grown in such waters. The goal is to protect the public health and the economic health of the state’s nationally significant shellfish industry. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0053.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0053.htm Mon, 7 Jun 2010 15:27:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection is offering dry cleaners a first-in-the-nation grant program to help them protect the air by replacing dry cleaning machines that use harmful chemicals with new, environmentally friendly models. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0052.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0052.htm Fri, 4 Jun 2010 10:21:00 -0400 DEP Commissioner Bob Martin today issued an action plan requiring the owner of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant to take a series of steps to further investigate the 2009 leak of radioactive tritium into aquifers below the plant and ensure the radioactive substance does not endanger public health and safety. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0051.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0051.htm Thu, 3 Jun 2010 13:52:00 -0400 Whether you enjoy canoeing down a cedar stream in the Pine Barrens, combing a quiet beach for the perfect seashell, or simply taking in breathtaking views from a rocky mountaintop, New Jersey offers an amazing diversity of outdoors experiences that are second to none. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0050.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0050.htm Tue, 1 Jun 2010 15:22:00 -0400 With the unofficial start of the summer season this Memorial Day weekend, the Department of Environmental Protection is again leading comprehensive, multi-agency efforts to ensure the highest standards of water quality for New Jersey’s beaches. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0049.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0049.htm Thu, 27 May 2010 14:27:00 -0400 In recognition of Historic Preservation Month, the Department of Environmental Protection’s Historic Preservation Office and the New Jersey Historic Sites Council today honored historic sites and those who are committed to preserving them during ceremonies at the State House Annex. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0048.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0048.htm Tue, 25 May 2010 17:45:00 -0400 The Passaic River Flood Advisory Commission will hold its first meeting Wednesday, in a public session at Montclair State University, with a goal of finding solutions to chronic flood problems that have long-plagued the river basin in Morris, Passaic and Bergen counties. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0046.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0046.htm Tue, 25 May 2010 12:12:00 -0400 While it is improbable the BP oil spill off the coast of Louisiana will have any effect on the Jersey Shore or the State’s fishing industry this summer, the Department of Environmental Protection is not taking any chances. Commissioner Bob Martin today announced formation of a special Gulf Spill Team to closely monitor the situation, to create a unique scientific model of the likely path of the contaminated waters, and to develop a plan of action if the oil should reach New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0047.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0047.htm Tue, 25 May 2010 10:23:00 -0400 Construction of a cap for the Global Landfill in Old Bridge is under way to provide final containment of a Superfund site that has been an environmental concern in the area for many years, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0045.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0045.htm Thu, 20 May 2010 10:46:00 -0400 Archeologists are working with the Department of Environmental Protection to uncover two centuries of the industrial past of the city of Paterson, as envisioned by Alexander Hamilton, one of the most influential of the nation’s Founding Fathers and the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0044.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0044.htm Thu, 20 May 2010 12:46:00 -0400 A legal agreement has been reached between the Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority that should end a long-standing water pollution problem caused by runoff from the Monmouth Park thoroughbred horse racing track in Oceanport. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0043.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0043.htm Thu, 20 May 2010 10:06:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today expressed disappointment with Exelon Nuclear’s response to a state order requiring the company to take more proactive steps to protect the public from a 2009 leak of radioactive tritium into aquifers beneath the Oyster Creek nuclear plant in Lacey. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0042.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0042.htm Tue, 18 May 2010 13:07:00 -0400 Commissioner Bob Martin today appointed the members of a new state DEP Science Advisory Board to help guide the department, providing an independent and highly qualified voice to ensure accurate science is the guiding principal in making decisions on key environmental issues. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0041.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0041.htm Thu, 13 May 2010 16:33:00 -0400 The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection today petitioned the federal government to mandate a reduction in air pollution spewing from RRI Energy’s power plant in Pennsylvania, located just across the Delaware River from Knowlton Township in Warren County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0040.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0040.htm Wed, 12 May 2010 12:02:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today announced the appointment of the seven-member Passaic River Flood Advisory Commission, to develop and recommend solutions to chronic flooding problems in the river basin. The commission is expected to issue a final report by the end of the year. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0039.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0039.htm Tue, 11 May 2010 14:31:00 -0400 A public hearing on the Department of Environmental Protection’s proposed black bear management policy, a scientifically designed, common sense mix of hunting, education, research and non-lethal bear management tools, is set for tomorrow night at the State Museum in Trenton. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0038.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0038.htm Mon, 10 May 2010 16:25:00 -0400 As requested by homeowners, a contractor for the Department of Environmental Protection this week will begin testing for vapors trapped in soil beneath houses in a Pompton Lakes neighborhood affected by groundwater contamination from a former DuPont munitions plant. Commissioner Bob Martin today again strongly urged residents of the neighborhood to get mitigation systems installed to protect the air inside their homes from potential vapor problems. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0037.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0037.htm Mon, 10 May 2010 10:20:00 -0400 DEP Commissioner Bob Martin today announced the launch of a new and thorough state investigation into the 2009 leak of radioactive tritium into the aquifers below the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, with a goal of ensuring the pollutant does not endanger public health and safety. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0036.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0036.htm Fri, 7 May 2010 12:07:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today refuted a statement by Senator Barbara Buono, who contended he has done an "about face" on setting drinking water standards for the chemical perchlorate in New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0035.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0035.htm Fri, 7 May 2010 8:16:00 -0400 The future health of Barnegat Bay, an ecological gem of New Jersey, will be the focus of a series of public stakeholder meetings to start tomorrow, using science to develop a comprehensive list of actions to be taken to protect the environmentally important region. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0034.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0034.htm Tue, 4 May 2010 12:09:00 -0400 With black bears now entering their most active period of the year as they search for food and mates, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today urged residents to follow some simple precautions to reduce the risk of bad encounters with bruins. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0033.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0033.htm Tue, 4 May 2010 12:03:00 -0400 Many products we use every day - household cleaning products, paints, air fresheners and glues, to name just a few - contain a class of pollutants known as volatile organic compounds that contribute to the formation of smog. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0032.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0032.htm Mon, 3 May 2010 16:13:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection has launched a follow-up air monitoring project to verify that a toxin found in a previous air study in Paterson was an anomaly, Commissioner Bob Martin said today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0031.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0031.htm Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:48:00 -0400 Assistant Commissioner of Climate and Environmental Management Nancy Wittenberg today told a federal panel that oil and gas explorations off the coast of New Jersey would hurt the state’s environment and economy. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0030.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0030.htm Thu, 29 Apr 2010 9:58:00 -0400 Assistant Commissioner of Climate and Environmental Management Nancy Wittenberg today told a federal panel that oil and gas explorations off the coast of New Jersey would hurt the state’s environment and economy. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0029.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0029.htm Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:24:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Commissioner Bob Martin today launched a series of bold steps designed to re-energize the DEP and transform it into an efficient and consumer-friendly agency that cuts bureaucratic red tape, while strongly ensuring the environmental health of the state. The DEP will be led by a dynamic new leadership team which will create a more responsive agency in line with Commissioner Martin’s vision and mission, including what he believes are its six initial guiding priorities http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0028.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0028.htm Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:25:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection this week will launch a full investigation into the source of gasoline odors at the Wilson Avenue School in Newark and will discuss its efforts to date and future plans with parents and school officials during a meeting tomorrow night, Commissioner Bob Martin announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0027.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0027.htm Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:06:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin kicked off a statewide celebration of this week’s 40th anniversary of Earth Day today when he joined a team of youths and adults at Trenton City Hall for the start of the annual Trenton Litter March. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0026.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0026.htm Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:51:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin welcomed today’s release of the Red Tape Review Group’s findings and recommendations as a refreshing change in the way state government operates and pledged to continue working to implement reforms that will make the agency more attentive to the needs of the people of New Jersey without compromising environmental protection. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0025.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0025.htm Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:43:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection was notified by Exelon, owner of Oyster Creek nuclear generating station, that a monitor that measures radiation emissions from the facility had been discovered to be inoperable. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0024.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0024.htm Fri, 9 Apr 2010 16:26:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection is working with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission and PSEG Nuclear to investigate a leak of radioactive water into catch basins at the Salem 2 nuclear power plant in Lower Alloways Creek Township. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0023.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0023.htm Fri, 9 Apr 2010 13:20:00 -0400 Today Governor Chris Christie issued the following statement on the recent report by the Government Accountability Office on Delaware River dredging http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/552010/approved/20100403.html http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/552010/approved/20100403.html Sat, 3 Apr 2010 12:00:00 -0400 New Jersey’s trout season officially opens on Saturday, April 10, at 8 a.m., and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today encouraged residents and visitors to enjoy time outdoors and experience the thrill of catching some fabulous fish. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0022.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0022.htm Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:20:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection is inviting businesses to operate concessions in state parks, forests and recreation areas this summer, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0021.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0021.htm Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:00:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection today lifted a temporary ban on shellfish harvesting in the waters of Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, the Navesink River and the Shrewsbury River, closed on March 17 because of pollution from a heavy rainfall during a nor’easter. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0020.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0020.htm Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:00:00 -0400 The Hudson County town of Harrison has taken a huge step toward its revitalization goals with the opening over the weekend of Red Bull Arena, a world-class soccer venue made possible in large part by the efforts of the Department of Environmental Protection. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0019.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0019.htm Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:00:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection today temporarily closed to shellfish harvesting about 27,800 acres of Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, the Navesink River and the Shrewsbury River to protect public health from the adverse water-quality effects of last weekend's nor’easter. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0018.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0018.htm Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:22:00 -0400 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Bob Martin today approved the New Jersey Fish and Game Council’s 2010 Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0016.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0016.htm Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:45:00 -0400 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Bob Martin delivered the following testimony at his confirmation hearing today before the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0015.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0015.htm Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:00:00 -0400 New Jersey raised more than $9.1 million for job-generating clean energy projects during the state’s quarterly auction of carbon allowances, Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0012.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0012.htm Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:30:00 -0400 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Bob Martin today released the following statement on the New Jersey Fish and Game Council’s vote to advance its proposed Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0011.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0011.htm Tue, 9 Mar 2010 13:30:00 -0400 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Bob Martin released the following statement on filing an appeal of a New Jersey Superior Court judge's decision on the Petty's Island eagles case http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0010.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0010.htm Mon, 1 Mar 2010 18:30:00 -0400 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today convened a summit with governors and representatives of Atlantic Coast states to explore a regional approach to wind energy development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0009.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0009.htm Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:00:00 -0400 Governor Chris Christie and Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Bob Martin today expressed outrage over the Army Corps of Engineers’ plans to start the deepening of the Delaware River’s main shipping channel without updating sediment studies, providing alternatives to disposing dredged sediments in South Jersey or implementing measures to prevent dredging equipment from polluting the air. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0008.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0008.htm Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:00:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Bob Martin today reminded residents to help protect New Jersey’s bald eagles and other endangered wildlife when they file their state income tax this year. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0006.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0006.htm Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:00:00 -0400 A Department of Environmental Protection study shows that air quality in Paterson is comparable to other areas of New Jersey and confirms that the DEP’s statewide monitoring network is effective at tracking urban air pollutants, Acting Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0007.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0007.htm Tue, 9 Feb 2010 15:00:00 -0400 DEP Acting Commissioner Bob Martin today released the following statement concerning the U.S. District Court decision from Delaware on dredging of a portion of the Delaware River shipping channel. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0005.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0005.htm Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:00:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection and federal Environmental Protection Agency have worked out an agreement with DuPont that allows residents of Pompton Lakes to choose contractors to design and install systems to prevent chemical vapors from entering their homes, DEP Acting Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0004.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0004.htm Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:00:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection is redoubling its commitment to the residents of Pompton Lakes by working with its state and federal partners to ensure a prompt and thorough cleanup of contamination from the DuPont Pompton Lakes Works site. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0003.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0003.htm Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:00:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection has proposed a draft water-discharge permit that calls for Exelon Generation Company, owner of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey Township, to build a closed-cycle cooling system to protect aquatic life in the Barnegat Bay ecosystem, Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0001.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0001.htm Thu, 7 Jan 2010 17:00:00 -0400 New Jersey can wage a successful war on invasive plants, animals and insects if its arsenal includes tougher prevention methods, early detection of harmful species, faster response to limit environmental damage, and greater public awareness, according to a strategic plan released today by Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0002.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0002.htm Thu, 7 Jan 2010 15:30:00 -0400 A project protecting Delaware Bay shorebirds, an effort launched by Monmouth County high school students to distribute compact fluorescent light bulbs to seniors and the needy, an initiative illuminating the iconic George Washington Bridge with energy-saving light fixtures, and a Somerset County photographer who has focused his artistic talents to protect the Piedmont region will be honored tonight as New Jersey’s environmental leaders. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0029.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0029.htm Thu, 3 Dec 2009 15:30:00 -0400 More than $1.8 million in federal grant money is being allocated for developing, maintaining and improving recreational trails throughout New Jersey, the Department of Environmental Protection today announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0028.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0028.htm Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:30:00 -0400 From the cities to the suburbs, New Jersey’s local governments are launching a wide array of projects to protect the environment, public health, and property by making significant improvements to water, sewerage, and stormwater-control infrastructure, Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello said today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0025.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0025.htm Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0400 The Department of Environmental Protection is providing New Jersey’s municipalities and counties a record $14.5 million in grants to boost local recycling efforts, Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0027.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0027.htm Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello today urged motorists to drive very carefully this season when deer are particularly active and more likely to be darting into roadways. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0026.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0026.htm Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:30:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello today announced the preservation of a 213-acre scenic property in West Amwell Township, Hunterdon County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0024.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0024.htm Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:30:00 -0400 A construction company using recycled steel to build Meadowlands Stadium, a pharmaceuticals firm that diverts food waste from landfills, and a woman who teaches Bergen County schoolchildren the importance of recycling are among those honored as New Jersey’s recycling leaders, Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0022.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0022.htm Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello today announced construction will begin on pathway that will complete the 70-mile trail running along the Delaware & Raritan Canal from Frenchtown to New Brunswick. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0023.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0023.htm Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello today announced that portions of Lodi, Kearny, Plainfield, Rahway, Somerville and Woodbridge have been designated as state Brownfield Development Areas. The new designations will help these municipalities work toward their redevelopment goals. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0021.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0021.htm Tue, 6 Oct 2009 17:00:00 -0400 Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello today appointed 15 members to the state’s Environmental Justice Advisory Council, fulfilling Governor Jon S. Corzine’s Executive Order to continue tackling the significant environmental challenges facing New Jersey’s low-income and minority communities. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0020.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0020.htm Tue, 6 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0400 Governor Jon S. Corzine today announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved more than $200 million in recovery act funds for approximately 60 shovel-ready clean water and drinking projects. Additional funding announcements are expected in the future. The Governor also announced the start of a $4.3 million project to update the water delivery system in Atlantic City. http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/2009/approved/20090918a.html http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/2009/approved/20090918a.html Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0600 A $21.5 million Department of Environmental Protection low-interest loan package will create green jobs by funding a project to prevent manure-tainted stormwater from fouling a creek adjacent to Monmouth Park, DEP Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0018.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0018.htm Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0600 Governor Jon S. Corzine today welcomed nearly $2 million in federal economic stimulus funding to the Department of Environmental Protection's Forest Service for projects that will improve the overall ecological health of the state’s trees while creating a diversity of jobs in fields related to tree care. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0017.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0017.htm Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:00:00 -0600 New Jersey will use a $10.6 million federal stimulus grant to restore wetlands along the Hackensack River in Jersey City, creating wildlife habitat in a highly urbanized area, recreational opportunities for area residents, and some 100 jobs in a variety of construction-related fields, Governor Jon S. Corzine announced today. http://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/news/2009/approved/20090710.html http://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/news/2009/approved/20090710.html Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0600 Attorney General Anne Milgram and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello announced today that the State has entered into a settlement agreement that will preserve most of an environmentally important, 96-acre parcel of land near the ocean in Cape May while allowing for limited development on a portion of the tract. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0701ag.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0701ag.htm Wed, 1 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0600 New Jersey, along with 13 other states, received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish greenhouse gas emissions standards for motor vehicles as part of a federal effort to stop climate change, Governor Jon S. Corzine announced today. http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/2009/approved/20090630a.html http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/2009/approved/20090630a.html Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:00:00 -0600 The Department of Environmental Protection is seeking the best and brightest scientists in New Jersey and elsewhere to serve on its Science Advisory Board being formed now to provide independent peer review and key guidance on a host of scientific and technical issues. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0016.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0016.htm Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:00:00 -0600 The Department of Environmental Protection has launched a new grant program to help local government agencies and schools identify and implement plans to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in their communities, marking a milestone in the Garden State’s fight against climate change. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0015.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0015.htm Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:00:00 -0600 Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello today said that the agency will develop final standards for the cleanup of chromium-contaminated soil, emphasizing that this will be done based on careful, scientific analysis and in accordance with state laws. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0014.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0014.htm Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:00:00 -0600 As outdoor enthusiasts across New Jersey gear up to celebrate National Trails Day on Saturday, Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello today unveiled a comprehensive plan for shaping the future of the state’s network of recreational trails. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0013.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0013.htm Fri, 5 Jun 2009 15:00:00 -0600 Residents and visitors can help themselves to free samples of the finest freshwater fishing found anywhere in the Northeast during New Jersey’s Free Fishing Days on Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0012.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0012.htm Thu, 4 Jun 2009 15:00:00 -0600 The Department of Environmental Protection today announced a new recommendation for consuming large bluefish, a popular species commonly caught in Atlantic Ocean waters. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0011.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0011.htm Wed, 3 Jun 2009 13:00:00 -0600 Under a pilot program launched today, campers can bring along their dogs and domestic cats when they book accommodations at select campgrounds in three state parks and forests, Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello announced. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0010.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0010.htm Mon, 1 Jun 2009 16:00:00 -0600 Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello and the New Jersey Historic Sites Council today honored individuals, businesses and organizations for their outstanding achievements in preserving the state’s historic resources and its remarkable heritage. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0009.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0009.htm Thu, 28 May 2009 16:00:00 -0600 As New Jerseyans prepare to celebrate the unofficial start of summer, Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello today invited residents and visitors to cool off close to home at one of 14 swimming areas opening Saturday in the state's parks, forests and recreation areas. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0008.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0008.htm Thu, 21 May 2009 13:00:00 -0600 More than 400 New Jersey clean water and drinking water projects are eligible to receive $204 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, Governor Corzine announced today. Earlier this year, the Department of Environmental Protection solicited potential project proposals in anticipation funds would become available, resulting in a list of ranked, bid-ready projects. http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/2009/approved/20090505a.html http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/2009/approved/20090505a.html Tue, 5 May 2009 14:00:00 -0600 The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Community Forestry Program, the New Jersey Community Forestry Council and the New Jersey Tree Foundation today celebrated Arbor Day by planting 187 large shade trees, evergreens and a variety of shrubs at four local parks in Tewksbury Township, Hunterdon County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0007.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0007.htm Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:00:00 -0600 Commemorating the 39th anniversary of Earth Day, Governor Jon S. Corzine, joined by Motor Vehicle Commission Chief Administrator Sharon A. Harrington and Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello, kicked off NJ Inspections: Making the Garden State Safer and Greener. The joint agency partnership aims to educate the public about the safety and environmental benefits of the state's motor vehicle inspection program. http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/2009/approved/20090422b.html http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/2009/approved/20090422b.html Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:00:00 -0600 Governor Jon S. Corzine celebrated Earth Day today by announcing the finalization of plans to accept the donation of Petty’s Island on behalf of the residents of New Jersey, fulfilling his promise to preserve one of the Delaware River’s largest islands as an urban oasis for wildlife that will be enjoyed by people throughout the region. http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/2009/approved/20090422a.html http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/2009/approved/20090422a.html Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:57:54 -0600 With truckloads of trout already out in New Jersey’s waters and tons more fish on the way, Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello today encouraged residents and visitors to celebrate the official opening of trout season on Saturday, April 11, at 8 a.m. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0006.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0006.htm Wed, 8 Apr 2009 17:37:28 -0600 The Department of Environmental Protection is offering interesting opportunities for businesses to operate concessions in New Jersey’s state parks, forests and recreation areas that attract more than 18 million visitors every year, Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0005.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0005.htm Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:29:21 -0600 Attorney General Anne Milgram and Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello announced today that the state has entered into a settlement agreement with PPG Industries, Inc. that will result in the clean-up of chromium contamination at a property once owned by PPG in Jersey City, as well as the clean-up of numerous other chromium-tainted sites throughout Hudson County. http://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases09/pr20090219b.html http://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases09/pr20090219b.html Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:28:08 -0600 Attorney General Anne Milgram today applauded a decision by the federal government to drop its appeal of a prior federal court ruling that vacated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules concerning power plant mercury emissions and did away with the EPA’s controversial cap-and-trade approach to regulating such emissions. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0206ag.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0206ag.htm Mon, 9 Feb 2009 17:35:31 -0600 A corporate tomato grower faces an unprecedented penalty of more than $931,000 for misusing pesticides and jeopardizing the health and safety of workers in its New Jersey farm fields and packing houses, Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0003.htm Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:06:14 -0600 A state land-preservation board has voted to accept a conservation easement for Petty’s Island, marking a crucial first step toward restoring and preserving one of the Delaware River’s largest islands, Governor Jon S. Corzine announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0002.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0002.htm Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:31:29 -0600 The Department of Environmental Protection is proposing more than $19 million in ecological restoration and enhancement projects for the Delaware River watershed as compensation to the public for natural resource injuries caused by a massive spill from the oil tanker Athos I in 2004, acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello announced today. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0001.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0001.htm Wed, 7 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0600 Attorney General Anne Milgram and Acting Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello announced today that the state has entered into a settlement agreement through which it will be paid $43 million to settle cost recovery and natural resource damage (NRD) claims associated with the Combe Fill South Landfill, a federal Superfund site in Morris County. http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0106ag.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2009/09_0106ag.htm Tue, 6 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0600 http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2008/08_0058.htm http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2008/08_0058.htm Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:32:48 -0600