BAYSHORE REGIONAL WATERSHED COUNCIL

BRADLEY BEACH — Looking to lock in gains on ocean protection issues, lawmakers and others announced a federal bill that would establish a "Clean Ocean Zone" and publicized an annual Shore campaign to educate citizens about ocean pollution.

"It's our responsibility, it's our time to lead and show (by) example how to keep the ocean clean, how to keep it viable," Bradley Beach Mayor Stephen G. Schueler said Monday.

"Your individual responsibility is the answer," said Bill Rosenblatt, a Loch Arbour trustee who chairs the Surfrider Foundation's international board of directors. "After all, it's your beach and your ocean. If it were your house, you'd treat it with respect and dignity, and it's your ocean."

Legislators, environmental activists and others participated in a beachfront news conference Monday to promote the New Jersey/New York Clean Ocean Zone bill (H.R. 2854), which was introduced Thursday and is identical to a bill pending last session.

They also discussed the 17th Clean Ocean Action Shore Tips (C.O.A.S.T.) summer campaign, which is aimed at educating Shore residents and visitors about ocean pollution and enhancing support for the Clean Ocean Zone, according to a statement.

"I believe that public support is essential for change," said Michele Plantamura, a 22-year-old Bradley Beach resident who is the 2007 C.O.A.S.T. coordinator.

"It is essential to reach out to the public and raise awareness, because it is most often our bad behavior that not only negatively affects marine life, but the quality of life for beachgoers and coastal businesses also," said Plantamura, a senior at Monmouth University.

"It is absolutely essential that we start cracking down on pollution sources from the land," said Cynthia A. Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, a Sandy Hook-based coalition. She added that landscaping activities that occur "do have a dramatic impact to our coastal ecosystem."

Rep. Frank J. Pallone Jr., D-N.J., is prime sponsor of the Clean Ocean Zone bill, and Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., is a co-sponsor.

"I will tell you it's not going to be easy to get this accomplished," Pallone said.

"It's not something that's going to be automatic because . . . the bad guys, believe me, are out there every day," he said.

Assemblyman Sean T. Kean, R-Monmouth, said it isn't "a partisan issue" and "without a clean ocean and a vibrant environment, we lose out on the economic side."

ON THE WEB: Visit our Web site, www.app.com , and click on this story for a link to Clean Ocean Action.

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	Mayor Schueler running for office talking about a clean ocean.. this is the man who will not agree to make it illegal to smoke on the beach. Hey Mr. Schueler, just once why don't you go to beach and see how many cigarrete butts are there. Posted by: yausa on Sat Jul 07, 2007 12:12 am

	As they say "Ther Devil is in the Details". Would be nice to know what the particulars are of this bill. In the past Clean Action Ocean while they do some good work has gone to the extreme in stifling progress on such issues as Windmills. As a first step the bill should crack down on golf courses - many are already run by the state and county. Their run off and use of pesticides and fertilizers is probably one of the biggest polluters around. Posted by: shore on Tue Jul 03, 2007 8:17 am

	The Clean Ocean bill fails to respond to the scientific consensus that our oceans and coasts are threatend by over-fishing, pollution, habitat loss, coastal over-development, non-point source pollution, combined sewer overflows, and global warming driven sea level rise and catastrophic storm risks. 1) The bill does not address fisheries issues, and would actually promote commercial fishing and questionable practices to create artificial reefs (subway car disposal et al) - The bill equates both these industrial uses of our ocean with swimming and recreational fishing; 2) The bill is a backdoor attempt to block needed alternative energy and wind power. The bill would establish more rigorous environmental standards for beneficial renewable energy sources than on sewage and industrial pollution discharges to the ocean. The global warming benefits of such renewable energy sources are not even factored into the review process; 3) The bill would grandfather existing permit limits for sewage treatment plants discharging directly to the ocean and rivers. These permits need to be ratcheted down to reduce nitrogen pollution loads. Nitrogen is the primary pollutant driving the eutrophication that is destroying coastal ecosystems and causing algal blooms and brown tides. Instead of taking these common sense feasible approach to reducing existing pollution, the bill would establish an unrealistic ban on all future discharges, a controversial poison pill that dooms the bill from serious political consideration; 4) The bill ignores "combined sewer overflows" (CSO) a major source of ocean pollution; 5) The bill applies only to point source pollution. The bill does not even address non-point source pollution, and does absolutely nothing to control pollutants from land. Poor coastal land uses practices and over-development are a primary cause of pollution and habitat loss - two of the most serious threats to ocean and coastal ecosystems. Readers can access and review the bill here: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-2854 Posted by: paribus on Tue Jul 03, 2007 8:16 am

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 07/3/07