FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 25, 2024

 Pallone Marks Final Phase of Port Monmouth Flood Project, 12 Years After Sandy 

 Port Monmouth, NJ –  Twelve years after Superstorm Sandy devastated Port Monmouth, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. returned today to launch the final phase of the Port Monmouth Storm Risk Reduction Project. 

 Joined by representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Pallone reflected on the progress made and the federal investments driving it. “This project began as a promise after Sandy—to rebuild smarter, stronger, and protect our communities from climate change,” said Pallone. “With this final phase underway, Port Monmouth will finally have the protection it needs for the future. This is a model for how the federal government can partner with local communities to safeguard our coastline.”

The $61.8 million phase includes floodwalls along Highway 36, drainage systems, levees, and road closure gates along Compton Creek between Campbell Avenue and Broadway. These improvements are designed to protect homes, businesses, and infrastructure from storm surges and rising sea levels.

Pallone, instrumental in securing funding through the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, highlighted the personal impact of the project. “It’s impossible to forget the destruction Sandy brought here,” Pallone said. “This isn’t just about flood protection—it’s about restoring security to the Bayshore and ensuring families and businesses don’t live in fear of the next storm.”

The project, part of a broader effort to improve New Jersey’s coastal resilience, is fully funded by the USACE and expected to be completed in 2028. When finished, it will include extensive beachfill, wetlands mitigation, tide gates, concrete floodwalls, raised roads, and interior drainage improvements to manage heavy rainfall and storm surges. 

Today’s milestone underscores the importance of federal investments in confronting the realities of climate change and protecting New Jersey’s coastline. 

 “This contract award represents our ongoing commitment to safeguarding coastal communities against the increasing threat of severe weather events,” said Colonel Alex Young, Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District. "Partnering with a capable small business underscores our dedication to supporting local enterprises while delivering essential flood risk management solutions." “Today marks a historic step for climate resilience efforts in New Jersey,” Commissioner LaTourette said. “We are deeply grateful to our partners at the Army Corps of Engineers and our Congressional delegation for their commitment to the completion of this project. More than a decade in the making, this project provides valuable community flood protection against future storms and sea-level rise, while enhancing and protecting the Raritan Bay shorelines and marsh systems that provide critical wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities. I am proud to join Congressman Pallone and Colonel Young to celebrate the award of this contract that will enhance climate resilience, create jobs and secure a stronger future for Port Monmouth.”

Results of Seine the Bay Day June 11, 2017

June 15, 2017

On Sunday, June 11 from 10am to 3:30pm, the annual “Seine the Bay Day” event took place. Juvenile fish and shellfish and other small fish were the stars of the show for the spring edition of Seine the Bay Day along the southern shore of New York Harbor, downstream from New York City.

For the past several years, the all-volunteer Bayshore Watershed Council has been conducting a seining survey of Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay in Monmouth County, NJ at the start of the summer season to find out what species survive in these rich tidal waters. The catch included many juvenile and young-of-the-year fish (species that were born or emerged from eggs this past spring). Each young sea creature provides hope for the future.

As in years past, surveys were conducted at four locations: Cliffwood Beach in Aberdeen Township, the beach along Front Street in Union Beach, the beach in Port Monmouth near the mouth of Pews Creek , and the beach near the mouth of Many Mind Creek in Atlantic Highlands.

A 50-foot-long net with buoys on top and weights on the bottom was hauled by watershed volunteers through the water and pulled towards the shore. Caught in the net was anything swimming or walking along the shallow edge of the bay.

Juvenile River Herring

If herring disappear, their larger predators such as striped bass, blue herons, and osprey also become at risk. Seining along the shores of Raritan Bay show that the area of Cliffwood Beach to Union Beach is an important springtime nursery for juvenile river herring.

The catch of the day were huge schools of juvenile river herring, which is a collective term that refers to alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis). River herring are anadromous fish. They spend most of their lives in the ocean, but come spring they return to freshwater to spawn in tributaries of both the Hudson and Raritan rivers. Commercial and recreational anglers prize both the Alewife and Blueback Herring as baitfish for larger fish, including Striped Bass, and to make pickle herring for later consumption. Many larger birds and fish also rely on herring as a food source. If herring disappear, their larger predators such as striped bass, blue herons, and osprey also become at risk. Seining along the shores of Raritan Bay show that the area of Cliffwood Beach to Union Beach is an important springtime nursery for juvenile river herring.

There is no doubt the more watershed members conduct these public seining events, the better picture people get of the estuary. Seining is a method of taking the pulse of a local ecosystem. It's a way to gain an insight into the health of the near shore environment where many people swim and enjoy the bay.

All fishes, crabs, and other aquatic creatures were identified, cataloged, and returned to the water. In addition to seining, water temperature, salinity, and turbidity information were documented by volunteers at each site.

Below are the details of the event. Species found and data collected are listed beneath each seine location. The weather was mostly sunny with an air temperature reaching into in the low 90s. Winds were light out of the south 5 to 10 mph.


10am - Aberdeen Township/Cliffwood Beach
High tide. Water temperature 70 degrees F.
Visibility was good at nearly 3 feet.
Salinity = 27 ppt

1000+ juvenile Blueback or Alewife river herring
1000+ Salps
10+ Lion’s mane jellyfish
20+ Bay anchovies
20+ juvenile Bluefish or snappers.


11:30am - Union Beach/Conaskonck Point
Outgoing tide. Water temperature 72 degrees F.
Visibility was good at 3 feet.
Salinity = 23 ppt

1000+ juvenile Blueback or Alewife river herring
1000+ Salps
20+ adult Spearing or Atlantic Silversides
20+ Bay anchovies


1:00pm: Middletown Township/Port Monmouth - Pews Creek
Outgoing Tide. Water temperature 72 degrees F.
Visibility was good at 3 feet.
Salinity = 23 ppt

500+ juvenile Blueback or Alewife river herring
100+ Shore Shrimp
10+ juvenile Windowpane flatfish
10+ juvenile winter flounder
10+ juvenile Bluefish or snapper
Masses of Mud Snail eggs attached to debris


2:30pm: Atlantic Highlands/Mouth of Many Mind Creek
Outgoing tide. Water temperature 75 degrees F.
Visibility was good at around 3 feet
Salinity = 22 ppt

100+ Salps
50+ Shore Shrimp
30+ juvenile Blueback or Alewife river herring
10+ juvenile winter flounder
10+ isopods or aquatic insects
5 juvenile Bluefish or snappers
1 juvenile Blue-claw crab
1 adult pipefish
Masses of Mud Snail eggs attached to debris

THANK YOU!
Thanks and special appreciation goes to Jen, Neil, Melanie, Brenda, Cait, Elizabeth, the Martin family, and the Sheridan family; and other volunteers with the Bayshore watershed council for all their wonderful help and time. No one person can ever seine alone. It’s truly a team effort.

Pallone Announces $7 million in New Funds to Begin Cleanup of Margaret’s Creek

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2016



NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ– Today in Laurence Harbor, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ06) announced $7 million in funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to begin the cleanup at Margaret’s Creek, part of the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund site in Old Bridge. He was joined by Old Bridge Mayor Owen Henry, representatives of the NY/NJ Baykeeper, Raritan Riverkeeper and the Raritan Bay Community Advisory Group.

The area has elevated levels of lead contamination, as well as areas of slag, a byproduct of metal smelting, and battery casings. As a result of urging by Pallone, the Raritan Bay Slag site was placed on the Superfund National Priorities List in 2009. Pallone has long prioritized the cleanup of this contaminated site so the local community may once again access the waterfront area without worry of health hazards. Lead is a toxic metal that can be particularly dangerous to children’s developmental health.




“I am pleased that the EPA is moving forward with a plan to clean up lead contamination at the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund Site in Old Bridge and Sayreville,” said Pallone. “I urged the EPA to have this site placed on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) to protect the public, as well as the environment, and enable the local residents to go back to utilizing the beachfront areas safely. I am thankful they heeded my call, as even at low levels, lead is a toxic metal that can be especially dangerous to children’s developmental health.

“I strongly believe the public should not be responsible for cleaning-up these contaminated sites, which is why I introduced the Superfund Polluters Pay Act, which would reauthorize the original Superfund fees and make polluters, not taxpayers, pay the costs of cleaning up Superfund sites.”

Pallone has long been fighting to strengthen the Superfund program. This Congress, Pallone introduced H.R.2783 - Superfund Polluter Pays Act, which would reauthorize the original Superfund fees and make polluters, not taxpayers, pay the costs of cleaning up Superfund sites.

Rep. Pallone Applauds Progress in Raritan Bay Slag Superfund Site Cleanup

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, September 28, 2012



LONG BRANCH, NJ – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today issued the following statement praising the U.S. Environment Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed plan to clean up lead contamination at the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund Site in Old Bridge and Sayreville. The EPA will hold a public meeting on October 17, 2012 in Old Bridge to explain the proposed plan and receive public comment:

“I am pleased that the EPA is moving forward with a plan to clean up lead contamination at the Raritan Bay Slag superfund Site in Old Bridge and Sayreville. I urged the EPA to have this site placed on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) to protect the public, as well as the environment, and enable the local residents to go back to utilizing the beachfront areas safely. I am thankful they heeded my call, as even at low levels, lead is a toxic metal that can be especially dangerous to children’s developmental health.

“I strongly believe the public should not be responsible for cleaning-up these contaminated sites, which is why I introduced the Superfund Polluters Pay Act, which would reauthorize the original Superfund fees and make polluters, not taxpayers, pay the costs of cleaning up Superfund sites. I encourage the public to attend the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund site meeting to share their views on the EPA’s proposed plan, and I look forward to a timely cleanup of this site so we may protect the well-being of New Jersey families.”

Raritan Bay Slag Superfund Site Meeting:
October 17, 2012, 7:00 PM
George Bush Senior Center
1 Old Bridge Plaza
Old Bridge, NJ 08857

EPA’s release on the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund Site cleanup: http://1.usa.gov/QvxVNo

Pallone Announces Sayreville Landfill is No Longer a Superfund Toxic Waste Site

Washington, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. Tuesday announced the Sayreville Landfill Superfund Site is free of toxic chemicals and that the site has now been removed from the Superfund list of the country’s most toxic waste sites. EPA’s Superfund program is responsible for the ongoing cleanup of numerous sites including the Imperial Oil and Raritan Bay Slag Superfund sites in New Jersey.

“This is a testament to the importance of the Superfund program and it’s a success for New Jerseyans who live in close proximity to this site,” said Pallone. “This site was harmful to the environment, but EPA’s commitment to cleaning up the site will make it possible for this land to be potentially put to use to the benefit of the taxpayers.”

Pallone has been a long-time advocate of fully funding the Superfund program and has raised concerns that the program lacks adequate funding because it is no longer funded by a tax on the chemical and petroleum industry. Because Congress has not reauthorized the polluter-pays taxes, the cleanup of Superfund sites is paid for out of the general treasury.

In April 2011, Pallone introduced H.R. 1634, the Superfund Polluter Pays Act, to restore polluter-pays provisions for cleaning up America’s most toxic and polluted sites. The bill mandates a cents per barrel tax on crude oil or refined oil products and dollars per ton on certain toxic chemicals The President’s FY 2012 budget, which calls for reauthorization of these taxes, estimates that they would raise about $2 billion per year and $20.8 billion over 10 years.

Over 30 drums were removed from the Sayreville Landfill Superfund site, a system to control stormwater and contain methane gas was installed and the site was capped. The work was done with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and overseen by EPA.