96 



decontamination technologies to reduce the threat of dioxin and other 

 pollutants of concern In our harbors and waterways will be a high priority 

 for NJ CAT. 



Fifth, we need to take steps to protect the livelihood, and enhance the 

 recreational opportunities, of fishermen. The initiation of several 

 projects in the New York/New Jersey harbor area would greatly enhance the 

 economic viability of the commercial and recreational fishing industries in 

 the region. Restoration of the Caven Point Pier in Jersey City would make 

 the Port of New York and New Jersey more accessible to boaters from the 

 heavily populated areas of northern New Jersey. The development of a 

 comprehensive management plan for striped bass would help answer some 

 longstanding questions about the spawning grounds and migration patterns of 

 one of the region's mast important marine species. A research program and 

 education campaign to verify and demonstrate the hygienic, sanitary and 

 nutritious qualities of fish caught in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of 

 New York and New Jersey would reassure the public and provide an important 

 service to commercial fishing interests. 



Sixth, we must seek long-term solutions in a short-term timeframe. As 

 stated earlier, our policy is that sediments contaminated beyond accepted, 

 scientific-based standards, whether polluted by dioxin or other 

 contaminants, should not be disposed of in ocean waters. Moreover, 

 realistic alternatives to ocean disposal of dredged materials must be 

 aggressively pursued and implemented, and a final closure plan for the "Mud 

 Dump" when it reaches capacity must be formulated. To achieve these policy 

 objectives, the USEPA has committed to convene a Harbor/Bight Dredged 

 Material Management Forum to identify the broad range of critical issues 

 needing resolution and to seek consensus on them. As part of this forum, 

 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will reconvene the Dioxin Steering 

 Committee to continue its important scientific and technical analysis of the 

 human health, environmental and aquatic effects of 2,3,7,8-TCDD. The 

 establishment of national and state standards for dioxin is essential, and 

 these standards should be set swiftly and stringently. The NJDEPE has 

 already gone on record in support of legislation that would prohibit any 

 state agency, after December 31, 1995, from permitting the dredging or 

 disposal of any material contaminated with dioxin at any level unless an 

 official, scientific-based standard has been adopted by the USEPA by that 

 date. 



Finally, ve need to develop a comprehensive toxics management plan. 

 Moving beyond the immediate, pressing issues associated with dredged 

 material management, a more fundamental need exists related to the broader 

 problem of contamination of water, sediment and biota within the New 

 York/New Jersey harbor system. We need to develop and implement a 

 comprehensive toxics management plan aimed at identifying the full range of 

 problems and their causes, and charting paths toward short-term and 

 long-term solutions. 



Much work remains to be done, but we in New Jersey believe that we can 

 solve even our most complex and contentious problems if we work together in 

 an atmosphere of collaboration and mutual respect. In these past few weeks, 

 ve have demonstrated once again that when people stop yelling at each other 

 and start talking to each other, good things happen — like taking a highly 

 charged issue that threatens to tear us apart and hammering out the 

 framework for a reasoned, and reasonable, solution. Working within this 

 framework, ve are confident that ve can build upon the foundation of a 

 long-term harbor management strategy that achieves our mutual goal of making 

 the New York/New Jersey Harbor a showplace for economic and environmental 

 vitality. 



