SENATE, No. 1016

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED MARCH 21, 1996

By Senators LYNCH, O'Connor, Kenny, Sacco, Codey, Lipman, MacInnes and McGreevey

An Act concerning water quality monitoring and supplementing Title 58 of the Revised Statutes.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. a. The Department of Environmental Protection, in conjunction with the Department of Health, shall monitor dredging and dredged material disposal projects and assess the impact of these projects on the water quality and marine life in State waters. On the first day of January following the effective date of this act and annually thereafter, the department shall transmit a report to the Governor and the Legislature on the impact of dredging and dredged material disposal projects on the water quality and marine life in State waters, together with any recommendations necessary for the protection of water quality and human health from the effects of dredged material disposal.

    b. In conjunction with the monitoring and reporting required pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the Division of Travel and Tourism within the Department of Commerce and Economic Development shall develop and implement a public information program that promotes the recreational fishing industry in the State and the importance of water quality protection for the industry. As part of the program, the division shall develop, in conjunction with the Departments of Environmental Protection and Health, the capability to respond to reports of contamination of marine life habitat and other pollution and provide the public with information concerning the validity of the report and its potential threat to human health.

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill requires the Department of Environmental Protection to monitor dredging and dredged material disposal projects and assess their impact on the water quality and marine life in the waters of the State. The department is also required to submit to the Governor and the Legislature on the first day of January following the effective date of this bill a report on the impact of dredged material disposal and the department's recommendations for protecting water quality and human health from the effects of dredged material disposal projects.

    This bill further requires the Division of Travel and Tourism to develop and implement an advertising campaign promoting the recreational fishing industry in the State and the importance of water quality protection for the industry. As part of the campaign, the division shall develop, in conjunction with the Departments of Environmental Protection and Health, a program to respond to reports of contamination and provide the public with information concerning the report, its validity and its potential threat to human health.

Requires DEP to monitor impact of dredging on water quality and marine life; establishes DCED public information program to promote recreational fishing.