Letter: Prosecutor Should Overlook Summer Shore Recreational Drug Use To Combat Heroin Distribution

The expressed opinions or views of this letter does not necessarily represent the opinion of the MiddletownMike blog:

Dear Editor,

As we approach another summer season on the Jersey Shore, many residents and visitors are going to be bringing commonly enjoyed substances such as cannabis, cocaine and MDMA with them to enhance those great summer nights.

But our current drug laws and police state mentality make tourism difficult and punish both consumers and local residents who supply these social tonics to other residents and tourists, supporting the local economy.

New Jerseyans should have a right to smoke a joint, pop a molly or do a line when they go down the shore. None of these activities are any worse than alcohol consumption, and our draconian drug laws disproportionately impact the future career opportunities of youth.

To encourage tourism in Seaside Heights, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato should suspend enforcement of laws against cannabis and club drug possession county-wide, while reallocating all drug enforcement resources to combat heroin distribution.


Eric Hafner
Toms River

STATE TAKES LEGAL ACTION TO STOP SEISMIC BLASTING!

For Immediate Release:
July 6th 2014

DEP ASKING FEDERAL COURT TO HALT WORK OFF THE COAST OF BARNEGAT INLET THAT COULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE STATE’S TOURISM AND FISHING INDUSTRIES, AND TO MARINE LIFE

TRENTON – – The Christie Administration is taking legal action to halt a federally approved seismic ocean survey that is scheduled to start this month off the New Jersey coast, and which could adversely impact the state’s vital tourism and fishing industries, and marine life, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin announced on July 3.

The state has filed legal papers to seek injunctive relief in federal court to prevent the vessel, R/V Marcus G. Langseth, from conducting seismic research off the coast of New Jersey at this time. Please visit: http://www.nj.gov/dep/docs/seismic-testing-federal-complaint.pdf

The DEP believes this research, which would use loud, powerful sound blasts to map the ocean floor over a 30-day period, will likely have a detrimental effect on New Jersey’s fisheries and marine mammals. The study is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and led by Rutgers University.

“We must carefully safeguard those resources, which play such a key role in our state’s $40 billion tourism industry, for the benefit of our residents, businesses and the environment,’’ Commissioner Martin said. “The Christie Administration continues to focus on clean ocean water quality, protecting our coastline and working to enhance our coastal recreation and fishing industries."

“We have made our concerns clear to the NOAA and remain hopeful that, at the very least, this initiative will be rescheduled for a less impactful time of year," Commissioner Martin added. "The timing of this program will be detrimental to various marine species that migrate and breed off the New Jersey coast and will negatively impact the commercial and recreational fishing industries, and related tourism, that relies heavily on these resources.

DEP contends that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration failed to act properly when NOAA denied the DEP’s request to study fisheries impacts. This request was made in addition to comments the DEP provided for a federal permit allowing for incidental harming or killing of marine mammals in the study area.

The NSF’s own environmental study concludes that because of limited knowledge of the effects of seismic surveys on marine fish, this “makes drawing conclusions about impacts to fish problematic.”

Part of the study area includes areas identified as essential fish habitat (EFH), which are important for fish spawning, breeding, and feeding. In approvals for this study, NOAA concedes that “it appears that some level of adverse effect to EFH may occur.”

Rutgers University received funding from the National Science Foundation to conduct seismic ocean blasting tests between 15 and 50 miles east of Barnegat Inlet as part of a climate change study. The process involves the repeated blasts of compressed air by underwater seismic air guns, designed to determine the scientific understanding of changes in sea level rise by examining deep sea sediments. These air-gun blasts can generate up to 250 decibels underwater.

The DEP’s Bureau of Marine Fisheries and Office of Environmental Review have both concluded this seismic activity would likely negatively impact New Jersey’s fish and marine mammal populations, including several endangered species.

NOAA is in the process of updating its Marine Mammal Acoustic Guidance, which set standards on how man-made sounds like seismic testing, sonar tests and ship noise, can affect marine mammals. Currently, the threshold level where underwater noise is considered to pose dangers to marine wildlife is 160 decibels, which is louder than a jet engine.

DEP contends that this proposed seismic research can either directly harm fish or disrupt migration patterns that will have a detrimental impact on our commercial and recreational fishing industry. The study’s one-month time window coincides with the height of fish migrations through the study area. This time window also accounts for nearly 20 percent of the annual catch for many species of fish.

In addition to fisheries impacts, the DEP further contends that the study will have an impact on marine mammals that migrate through the area and into New Jersey’s coastal waters. This concern is further reinforced by NOAA’s permit authorizing some harm to marine mammals, including threatened and endangered species

President Obama's Weekly Address 5/17/14: Working When Congress Won't Act .

WASHINGTON, DC – In this week’s address, the President discussed actions to expand opportunity for more Americans, with or without the help of Republicans in Congress, including his Administration’s efforts to cut red tape for major transportation infrastructure projects. In the coming days, the President will meet with business leaders to highlight the importance of bringing jobs back to America and will also discuss the economic benefits of making it easier for tourists to visit and spend money at attractions in the U.S., which in turn helps local businesses and grows the economy for everyone. The President has called 2014 a year of action, and he will continue to do whatever he can to continue to strengthen our economy, create jobs and restore opportunity for all.

Pallone Calls on EPA to Restore Critical Aerial Coastal Monitoring Program

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) called on the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), Gina McCarthy, to restore funding for EPA’s Region 2 helicopter monitoring program. Each year from Memorial Day to Labor Day, EPA’s “Coastal Crusader” monitors the waters along the Atlantic Coast for debris, such as trash, oil slicks and algal blooms known as floatables.

The helicopter monitoring program has operated successfully since 1977 and was modified in 1989 to include the involvement of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. To safeguard coastal waterways in New Jersey and New York, EPA Region 2 has deployed a helicopter to search for floating debris and coordinate cleanups. The helicopter is also used to collect water samples that are critical to determine the health of shellfish beds. Pallone learned on Monday that the program had fallen victim to budget cuts.

“I am disappointed to learn that this vital program that helps protect the environmental health of the Jersey Shore has been stopped,” said Pallone. “As we enter the summer tourism season, our economy is still struggling to recover from the devastating impacts of Superstorm Sandy and we cannot afford for our beaches to be shuttered due to debris washing up along the coast. EPA’s helicopter monitoring has operated at a nominal cost and has been incredibly successful in spotting and mitigating potential coastal disasters by spotting floatables before they reach the Shore. Cutting this program could have serious consequences for our tourism economy.”

Pallone placed a call to Administrator McCarthy today asking her to restore the $250,000 program, which helps support New Jersey’s $5.5 billion tourism industry.

“The work conducted by the Coastal Crusader helicopter is critical to protecting the Shore and this ‘penny wise and pound foolish’ budget cut could have long-lasting impacts,” said Pallone. “EPA must restore this program immediately to ensure that our beaches are safe for tourists and can continue to support the 550,000 tourism related jobs that depend on them being open for business.”

President Obama's Weekly Address 1/21/12: America is Open for Business

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama told the American people about steps his Administration is taking to make it easier for travelers to visit the United States, because increasing tourism will help local economies and support businesses looking to expand and hire. This plan to boost tourism is part of a series of actions the President has taken without Congress, because we can’t wait any longer to take the steps we need to help grow the economy and create jobs. President Obama also said that in next week’s State of the Union Address, he will outline his blueprint for how our elected leaders and all Americans can work together to create an economy that is built to last.