SENATE RESOLUTION No. 77

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED MARCH 3, 1997

 

 

By Senators CONNORS, KYRILLOS, Bennett and Palaia

 

 

A Senate Resolution strongly opposing the discharge of raw sewage by the City of New York into the East river or any other waters.

 

Whereas, The City of New York has recently proposed to discharge approximately 140 million gallons per day of untreated sewage over a four-day period, for a total of about 560 million gallons, into the East river while the city conducts repairs at a Manhattan sewage pumping station; and

Whereas, Proper notice of this egregious discharge was not given to either the State of New Jersey or, apparently, the Interstate Sanitation Commission; and

Whereas, If allowed, the discharge, which amounts essentially to the total waste production for the entire lower third of Manhattan, could drift as far south as the Navesink river in Monmouth county, New Jersey, potentially resulting in at least the temporary closure of about 25,000 acres of shellfish beds in New Jersey waters, delivering a major blow to consumer confidence in the quality of New Jersey seafood, and significantly damaging New Jersey's valuable and vital shore tourism industry; and

Whereas, This proposed discharge would drag the region back to the period just a few decades ago, before the Nation's environmental awareness had been raised, when water pollution went essentially unregulated, unchecked, and unchallenged, resulting in horrendous environmental degradation, the ecological and economic repercussions of which are still being felt even to this day; and

Whereas, Although the Governor of New York and the Mayor of the City of New York, in response to strong protests lodged by the State of New Jersey, concerned citizens, and various environmental organizations, have agreed to postpone the raw sewage discharge pending preparation of an environmental assessment of the project to determine its effect on the environment and the natural resources of the States of New York and New Jersey, once that assessment is completed the City of New York nevertheless could still decide to press forward with the discharge; now, therefore,

 

    Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

    1.    This House strongly opposes the discharge of any raw sewage by the City of New York into the East river or any other waters for any purpose.

 

    2.    Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and attested by the Secretary thereof, shall be transmitted to the Governor of New York, the Mayor and City Council of the City of New York, the Interstate Sanitation Commission, the Region II Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Governor of New Jersey, and the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This resolution would express the sentiment of the Senate that it is strongly opposed to the discharge of any raw sewage by the City of New York into the East river or any other waters for any purpose. The City of New York has recently proposed to discharge about 140 million gallons per day of untreated sewage over a four-day period, for a total of about 560 million gallons, into the East river while the city conducts repairs at a Manhattan sewage pumping station. If allowed, the discharge, which amounts essentially to the total waste production for the entire lower third of Manhattan, could drift as far south as the Navesink river in Monmouth county, New Jersey, potentially resulting in at least the temporary closure of about 25,000 acres of shellfish beds in New Jersey waters, delivering a major blow to consumer confidence in the quality of New Jersey seafood, and significantly damaging New Jersey's valuable and vital shore tourism industry.

 

 

                             

Opposes proposed discharge of raw sewage by New York City into East river.