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Washington, D.C. --- One day after hearing that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not plan to continue a 30-year offshore water sampling program, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) urged in a letter to EPA Region 2 Administrator Alan Steinberg that the agency reinstate the program. (A COPY OF THE LETTER FOLLOWS.)
For 30 years, EPA sampled ocean waters for dissolved oxygen and bacteria levels as a way to test water quality. These tests helped indicate to EPA whether the water was polluted. In their letter yesterday, the two New Jersey lawmakers wrote that without this critical monitoring in place, New Jersey and New York would lose the first alert system for signs of water quality problems.
Also, late yesterday afternoon, Pallone talked with Administrator Steinberg over the telephone, in which he voiced concern that no member of the New Jersey congressional delegation was notified about this proposal during the final drafting stages or before it was implemented. The New Jersey congressman requested, and Administrator Steinberg agreed, to have EPA officials brief the lawmakers as well as environmentalists and clean ocean advocates on the decision-making process and the reasoning for this change in policy.
May 30, 2007
The Honorable Alan Steinberg
Administrator, Region 2
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20460
Dear Administrator Steinberg:
It has recently come to our attention that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 has discontinued its offshore water sampling program for dissolved oxygen and bacteria in New Jersey. Traditionally the EPA has used a helicopter for monitoring these parameters off the coast.
We find this sudden change in EPA policy inappropriate and urge the immediate reinstatement of the offshore water sampling program for dissolved oxygen and bacteria levels off the coast of New Jersey. EPA’s unilateral decision to shut down this testing with no public discussion or input is unacceptable.
Dead and decaying algae have the potential to deplete ocean waters of vital oxygen which can harm shellfish and bottom-dwelling fish and lead to massive fish-kills. The EPA Region 2 testing protocol gave valuable insight into the condition of the offshore environment. Without that monitoring New Jersey and New York lose the first alert system for signs of water quality problems.
Based upon these concerns, we urge you to immediately reinstate EPA's offshore water sampling program for dissolved oxygen and bacteria. Also, in light of the conversation that you had this afternoon with Mr. Pallone, we again request that your agency brief us as well as environmentalists and other clean ocean advocates, on the decision-making process that led to the ending of the testing.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to continuing to work together.
Sincerely,
FRANK PALLONE, JR. FRANK R. LAUTENBERG
Member of Congress United States Senator
CC: Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
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