Since I was unable to attend the water assessment with my group on Saturday April 14th in Summit, I visited the South Orange Middle School on Wednesday April 18th. The students in the 7th grade science classes participated in a three-day assessment with the Rahway River Watershed. Chelsea, one of the workers who attended all three days, taught the students about macro-invertebrates living in and around the river. The students dressed up to walk through the river and collect samples, which were dumped into a bucket and sorted through. Wednesday was the only day the kids physically went to the river, while the other two days consisted of reviewing the types of species in the area. It was fun to watch the students learn more about the environment and it was a great experience for them since they were able to participate in hands-on assessments.
Later that day, Dr. Glenn, Emily, Lou and I went to two different branches of the Rahway River. Emily and Lou taught me the visual assessment they learned in Summit and we applied it to the two locations. We filled out the assessment for both locations- both being extremely similar to one another. The major river qualities measured with a set distance were depth of the river, width of the river, flow of the current in 5 locations in that set location, and temperature. Other things were examined such as the environment around the river since this plays a major role in determining qualities of the river year-round, not just that day. Emily has the first river assessment, below is a picture of the second river assessment. Chapter 12 of Belton's book, New Jersey Coastlines, he explains the beautiful coast of the state. This is one of my favorite chapters of the book because I grew up next to a beach town and NJ's coast is somewhere very close to my heart. Being so close to the shore is one of the reasons why I became so passionate about environmental issues. Although we should always keep our environment "green", it is important to maintain a clean and appealing coast considering it is a large percentage of the states revenue.
Despite the income shore cities receive from tourists, the state pours in just as much money to protect citizens and businesses residing there. The potential threat of encountering a natural disaster is high considering you are right next to a major natural resource- the ocean. Being affected by hurricanes and other natural disasters are much more likely considering flooding occurs and wind currents are much stronger. Creating barriers such as inlets and jetties help maintain water levels and protect buildings along the shore. These projects are costly but necessary for the least amount of destruction. With global warming occurring and sea levels rising, development along the shore is likely to increase, which is not good for the environment. Although it is necessary to build these barriers, it can negatively impact species living there. Recreational value goes up for tourists, but ecosystems are harmed along the way. I am guilty of this considering I visit the beach weekly in the summer, using it as a tourist location. I visit the Manasquan Inlet frequently, not realizing the harm it does to marine life. The Barnegat Bay is an example of this. My cousins live in Barnegat, so this is another town I visited quite often growing up. This watershed is extremely altered and has seen much development over the years. There are many concerns for the future of this bay, and if human impact is not reduced, these issues will most likely occur. The focus of chapter 11 in Belton's book discusses headwaters and watersheds. Clean water, especially clean drinking water, is something I was always passionate about. I've done research papers on the Flint, Michigan lead poisoning and thoroughly examined the Clean Water Act. Although this chapter is different because it focuses more on the water source rather than issues with infrastructure. If one part of the water source is contaminated, it will contaminate the rest. So, if the headwater is contaminated, it could contaminate the whole watershed. Belton and others tested the water by testing species in the area. There were three species tested, all of them amphibians since they are the easiest to detect when issues arise. They react to temperature and acidity, being the easiest to show physical proof that there is pollution in the area.
This is also similar to my groups project. We examined charts of invertabrates in the area and used this to see pollution throughout the years in that area. We used invertabrates because they lived there for many years and would show effects if the area was in danger. If levels come back positive one year, this does not show the damage that occurred previously in this area. In ch. 10 of Belton's book, Biotic Mosaic, he discusses human development and the effects that come along with it. Humans are constantly taking over nature and are always trying to advance so humans can have more. Although this seems nice to humans, it is necessary for nature to have areas of deserted space to replenish and thrive. Species of animals and plants use this area to reproduce and live a healthy life, away from industrial and urbanized areas. The DEP established an Endangered Species Program which recognizes endangered organisms and protecting them as much as possible. This is important because human activity is known to speed up the pace of of the loss of these species by intruding their space and cutting down vital resources they rely on to survive. Along with building homes and structures comes with other things humans tend to forget such as infrastructure pipes, roads, wires, and other things that interfere with nature.
For the most part, New Jersey has done an average job when protecting endangered species. NJ participates in degradation but the DEP does acknowledge when a change is need. Governor Corzine helped create a law to protect the Red Knot bird. There were not enough horseshoe crabs to support these birds since the ratio was affected by over fishing, not leaving enough food for the birds. The crabs were used for fertilization but otherwise had no substantial effect for humans. The limit on fishing for horseshoe crabs was not detrimental, therefore this law was easily passed. Others regarding endangered species, are not as accepting for humans, especially those who do not favor environmental conservation. Some information in this chapter relates to my group's project. We are testing the Rahway River to make sure certain levels are healthy for consumption and wildlife. Water quality is another topic discussed in this chapter since it is a main source for species to survive. What humans emit into the air can pollute waterways, which not only affect us, but animals and plants as well. The Water Monitoring Programs make sure certain levels are not surpassed, such as dissolved oxygen levels, nitrogen, phosphorous, acidity, and other harmful chemicals. This can affect the growth of plants and create algae blooms, which could be detrimental to the living environment for species, messing with oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. It is important to preserve these wildlife environments. It is hard for wildlife to coexist with humans considering we destroy many things they rely on to survive. It is also important to protect nature around humans, considering plants and animals still exist around us use what we provide them with. Despite the bad rep NJ gets from other states, NJ is quite beautiful and unique. The state ranges from urbanized areas, to rural farms, to mountains and even deep green forests. Belton focuses on the beautiful forests that exist in the state, even though NJ is called "the armpit of America". Regardless of the fast pace cities surrounding NJ such as NYC and Philadelphia, even cities that exist in NJ like Newark, the state has beautiful natural resources that are eliminated in other areas to create more space for industrialization.
NJ has conserved the most forest area in the Northeast and have an area known as the Pinelaands, which inhabits many diverse species. These forests are not the ancestral woodlands that existed back when the Europeans settled in America. Charcoal and coke were needed from trees to fuel the iron industry, meaning many of the forests were cut down throughout time. The forests have regrown since then and the New Jersey Forest Service believes forestland have remained stable because of the population growth in the state. The only issue that comes along with booming forests is the decrease in agricultural land, which NJ has seen decrease substantially since the 1950's. The different trees that exist in NJ are due to forest succession, which is a natural process of succession that creates many diverse aged tree stands throughout the forests. The NJ Forest Service measures forest health in the state regularly so maintenance over the biologically diverse ecosystems can sustain wildlife in a healthy fashion. It is also important to make sure forests can protect endangered plant and animal species that may be threatened. Having a healthy forest also means healthy water quality and protecting historical resources that play a large role of humans' every day lives. It is important for the Forest Service to monitor plots which can collect data that may affect climate change, insect infestation, disease, and other harmful activities. Forests are prevented from regenerating since forest succession must be maintained. It is important to follow protocol given to forests to prevent fires and other natural disasters. Belton starts off this chapter by informing the audience that he was once a social worker. He worked in welfare and would go from house to house in Lafayette and eventually in Camden. The living conditions he viewed poor families living in was not only sad, but inhumane. If these people cannot afford nice houses that is one thing, but to live in hazardous conditions due to the lack of environmental initiatives in the area does not seem fair to Belton. Most children did not choose the life they were born into, so they should not have to suffer due to living next to hazardous waste sites or living on a brownfield.
After moving to Camden for a toxins track down study, Belton and other scientists were in charge of tracking down where contaminants were coming from and why. Since Camden is such a poor city, their infrastructure is not as prosperous as richer ones, making them more vulnerable to harmful environmental effects. Camden is known for their high crime rates and poverty, so the longer the city has this reputation, the longer they will be living like this. The backyards of residential homes see these chemical cleanings firsthand, which leads to polluting the river or air. Cramer Hill is located in Camden and was issued to be cleaned up by the DEP. Middle class housing would be built and the gap between low class and middle class would essentially become smaller. Although this sounds like a good plan, many residents rejected this when they found out they would possibly be evicted from their homes so the government would have space to rebuild. Camden residents faced environmental injustice, even though these plans fell through. A $54 million grant was given to the city when it became known that rebuilding Camden was not going to happen. Environmental issues and acts that have passed throughout the years, especially in NJ, are not reviewed/implemented the same as other situations people claim are "more important". The constant state of emergencies and temporary fixes made it harder to solve the dangerous health issues occurring and created more problems out of the original issue at hand. Unfortunately with environmental issues, most elected officials only act when something occurring is catastrophic and can seriously harm citizens, which is usually too late for some. They do not act before it happens, not only because most would rather spend the money in other ways, but because most were not educated on the new issues arising. This chapter reviews important legislation that was passed and how it affected the future hazardous waste sites in NJ.
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund), created a tax on chemical and petroleum industries that release these harmful toxins that could endanger human health and the environment. This required companies to clean up after the emissions they created and failing to do so would result in a heavier fine. Since this was successful at the time, The Environmental Cleanup Responsibility Act (ECRA) evolved from this and required certain industrial sites to be cleaned up before they were sold, transferred or closed. Along the Superfund came SARA, an act that added to the Superfund to focus on human health issues arising from the problems occurring as a result from industrial acts. Innocent landowners could be exempt from being liable if they were unaware of contamination at a site and certain criteria was met. The 'due diligence" investigation allowed new ownership to take properties as long as they were consistent with good commercial practices. This heavily affected gas stations which caused underground leakage and petrochemical companies that released waste into lagoons and other water sources. A Voluntary Cleanup Program was established in NJ and ERCA was eventually replaced with the Industrial Site Recovery Act, which created two levels of cleanup for contamination sites based on future use. There was fear that this wasn't enough for long term industries that could possibly be turned into residential areas later in time. Chapter 6, Environmental Warfare, discusses the tragic event in which Newark was under a state of emergency due to high levels of dioxin. Newark was also referred to as Times Beach, Missouri because the EPA once purchased this entire town due to high levels of contamination. Governor Kean issued a state of emergency because the high dioxin levels were right in the middle of densely populated neighborhoods and residents could not be removed from their homes. Instead, they were evacuated for a short period of time because it was unknown if dioxide contaminated the river as well.
When the water was tested for dioxin, it was tested in Sweden by a man named Christopher Rappe. This was the most reliable dioxin lab at the time and the results were horrendous. Rappe contacted Tom Burke and expressed angrily that the dioxin levels were so bad, it destroyed his lab by contaminating it. These levels were the highest ever recorded, and it was compared to the use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. This was concerning when men in moon suits entered the contaminated area and witnessed open-air food markets and hydrants spraying. When these men quickly acted to stop these innocent acts that seemed normal to most, most people sensed something was seriously wrong. When sites are tested by the DEP, it is important for the process to be carefully examined, even if this means it being slow. Technical Requirements for Site Remediation require the information to be as accurate as possible. In the dioxin situation, this process was accelerated due to the dangerous effects it had on humans and other living things. It can cause birth defects, mental retardation, and cancer. Unfortunately during this time of high dioxin levels, it was too new for the FDA to have levels of concern in fish or other marine life effected. The tidal section of the river and water surrounding the Diamond Alkali plant were the most contaminated, and the blue crabs had the highest levels of dioxin than any food fish in the world. Due to this dangerous situation, Governor Kean issued an executive order which prohibited all sale and consumption of fish, shellfish, and crustaceans from the Passaic River and Newark Bay. Offshore dumping of dredge oils at the Mud Dump were factors of dioxin levels in the water, eventually contaminating lobsters as well. This was confirmed by Science and Research in the late 1980's. The Diamond Alkali Agent Orange plant was responsible for half the dioxin beneath the NY Harbor Estuary, which flowed up the river and contaminated other water sites. The EPA eventually put this site on the Superfund list and was eventually worked on to block off any contaminated water from spreading. A three-judge panel concluded that the Diamond Alkali company was responsible and were required to clean up the site. |
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