Dredging Bill Released from Committee Today

Today, the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee released A1089 (Murphy/Conaway). The bill prohibits dumping dredge spoils on and around islands without municipal approval. The bill was originally introduced in 2016 to stop the Army Corps of Engineers from dumping dredge materials on the uninhabited Burlington Island. The island, which used to be an amusement park, is home to three generations of Bald Eagles and is historically important to the people of Burlington City.

“We need this bill because it gives municipalities a say in plans regarding the dumping of dredged materials on islands that the municipalities control. Right now, communities are getting dumped on by dredging and this bill gives them a say into what happens. The people and leaders of these communities have the right to protect their land from the toxic destruction of this dredging. Places up and down the Delaware River are being dumped on, like Burlington Island,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “This legislation will allow cities to say ‘no’ to this dumping on their own land that hurts open space and the environment.”

Dredging, or the act of removal of sediments and debris from the bottom of water bodies, is often focused on maintaining or increasing navigation channels, anchorages, or berthing areas. Sediments in and around cities and industrial areas are frequently contaminated with a variety of pollutants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxin. Pollutants are introduced from point sources like sewer overflows, municipal and industrial discharges, and spills.

“Dredging in the Delaware River threatens New Jersey’s water supply and fisheries. Dumping of dredged sediment in New Jersey poses health risks, threatens our drinking water, and pollutes our groundwater. These sediments are dumped on public land that belongs to all of us, and the smell alone is enough to discourage people from recreating and enjoying nature in these parks. Dredging resuspends pollutants in the water, and dangerous toxins from dredged materials can make their way into the groundwater. These sediments contain hazardous chemicals like PCBs, dioxin, and more,” said Tittel. “Burlington Island is not the only area that is threatened, it’s also places like Palmyra Cove Nature Center. Our parks and forests are our treasures that belong to all of us, and by dumping dredged materials on them we are allowing them to be trashed.”

Dumped materials can leach contaminants into groundwater. Underground streams are not regulated by the NJDEP Flood Hazard Area Control Act and Freshwater Wetlands Act, which provide riparian zones and transition areas to treat the quality of water that runs into surface ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers.

“This legislation will help municipalities protect their drinking water and open spaces. Towns in New Jersey deserve the right to stop dumping on their own public land. These dumped dredge materials not only smell bad, but also pollute the groundwater and the river. We need to make sure our public land stays clean and open for all of us to enjoy,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “These parks belong to all of us, and we have to work to protect them. They are our legacy – not a dumping ground.”