In James Norris’ recent letter to the editor (“Ban Dredge Spoils in Middle,” Cape May County Herald July 31, 2019) the Republican candidate for Middle Township Committee attempted to raise alarm over the receipt of dredged materials from Ocean City.
The first problem with his letter is that Norris dredged up the obsolete term “spoils” when referring to the sediment removed from recreational waterways. The scientific community has been trying to educate government officials and the public that these materials are not contaminated simply by nature of the fact that they were scooped up off the bottom of waterways. In fact, it was “nature” that allowed these sediments to build up in navigation channels.
Scientists in numerous aquatic environments around the nation, including the Gulf of Mexico region and the northeast, have been studying the use of dredged materials to restore eroded wetlands and river banks. They have determined that this material is so safe it can simply be put back where it came from. A 2016 article from The Press of Atlantic City (“Can dredge material save some salt marshes? We’ll know soon,” Michelle Brunettie Post, Sept. 30, 2016) addressed this matter with regard to dredge materials being used to restore erosion damaged wetlands. Norris’ letter suggests Middle Township residents be afraid of these materials being trucked through and placed in their community, as if clouds of hazardous dust will waft from passing trucks, while scientific minds are saying dredged material can be relocated in the most environmentally sensitive areas.
Norris further tries to instill suspicion and doubt about dredge materials by expressing the need to protect Middle Township “from the influence of special interests…” The implication was it is contractors who are hoping to cash in on the transporting of the materials.
The only special interests are the City of Ocean City, which needs to get rid of its dredge materials, and the boaters who use the waterways around Ocean City. Yes, there are contractors who will benefit from the hauling of materials, but they will be paid by Ocean City, which compensates the communities that agree to take materials. In 2014, Ocean City agreed to pay Wildwood $1.4 million to take 100,000 cubic yards of dredged material, which it used to cap a former landfill. That was a win-win for Wildwood, which did not have to buy the capping material. The deal offered Middle Township at the end of 2018 was not as lucrative and probably should have been rejected for that reason alone.
However, banning the storage of dredged materials might not keep them out of the township. These materials can be used for projects requiring a large amount of fill for grading, for general construction fill, to raise elevation due to floodplain, brownfield remediation and capping; as well as marshland restoration.
According to The Press article, under a $3.4 million U.S. Department of Interior Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resilience Competitive Grant, the Nature Conservancy “has been able to partner with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which owns the marshes; and the Army Corps of Engineers and state Department of Transportation, which handle dredging.” Those state and federal agencies are not known for allowing anyone to transport, store, or do anything with hazardous materials without extreme oversight. Why would they then allow the storage and reuse of local dredged material if it were dangerous?
The bottom line is, should Middle Township accept dredged material from another municipality? Maybe, or maybe not. It might not be up to Middle Township to solve an Ocean City problem, but as the county strives to think more regionally, perhaps one should consider that what is good for Ocean City is good for Middle Township, and vice versa.
That can and should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, however the issue of dredged materials should be looked at scientifically and not be used as a scare tactic to incite voters.
Paid for by Michael Clark for Middle Township Committee. 211 Bay Berry Suite 2A, Cape May Courthouse, NJ.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
