If you’re a fan of the Blue-Eyed scallops plucked from the waters of New Jersey’s Barnegat Bay, this news probably won’t be good: Pollution and “unchecked” storm water runoff are killing the bay, and its flora and fauna. To make matters worse, Governor Chris Christie, who’s promised the 42-mile waterway and its health are a top priority, isn’t doing much to improve the dire situation. The AP reports that scientists from the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University have sounded the alarm, warning that pollution — specifically nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizer — depletes the already troubled waters of oxygen, while giving rise to algae blooms and habitat loss.
The source of much of the pollution that’s killing the bay and all the lives in it, can be traced back to broken storm water basins. Of the 2,700 in need of repair, only 10 are getting fixed as part of a pilot program. While scientist aren’t holding back; they’re saying that the sluggish pace of repairs is a “disaster,” Christie says the issue needs to be studied more. As for stemming off the flow of nitrogen and other harmful pollutants that are destroying the bay goes, the New Jersey Democratic-led Legislature passed a measure that would require changes to the composition of fertilizer, but Christie has blocked that too. It’s almost as if he wants to see the bay go belly-up.
Study: Barnegat Bay may face death [AP via Philly.com]
