NEW JERSEY CHAPTER
Don't Dump on Jersey!

The New Jersey Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation have been involved in an ongoing battle to halt the propose dumping of dredge spoils from New York off their coastline. On Sunday January 23rd, 60 chapter members braved the frigid 40 degree water and an air temperature of 28 degrees in a paddle out protest to call attention to this issue.
    New Jersey Chapter members paddled about a 100 yards off shore and held signs and banners for the press and public to see, while volunteer members on shore got petitions signed. New Jersey Congressman Pallone spoke to the attendees crediting the Jersey Shore Chapter of Surfrider Foundation with being the lead organization on this important issue.
    Surfrider Foundation Jersey Chapter activists and public officials in both Monmouth and Ocean Counties have blasted the Army Corp of Engineers for allowing Castle Astoria Inc., a Queens, N.Y. heating oil firm, to dump up to 90,000 cubic yards of dredge spoils at the Mud Dump site. A cubic yard weighs roughly a ton. The Army Corp of Engineers recently gave Castle Astoria a three-year permit allowing it to dump spoils from October 1 to November 15 of each year. The Mud Dump site is about 5 miles off the coast of Sandy Hook Beach, a very popular surfing and recreational beach, and is now called the Historic Area Remediation Site. It sounds so much better than toxic waste mud dump.
   The New Jersey Chapter is not against the dredging per se, it's primarily against the ocean disposal. Both New York and New Jersey were given funds to come up with alternatives to dumping at the Mud Dump Site, sorry I mean the Historic Area Remediation Site, but only New Jersey has investigated alternatives.

DELAWARE CHAPTER
BWTF
Delaware Chapter members have received a $1,000 grant from Surfrider Foundation National and SIMA to implement their Blue Water Task Force water testing program. Surfrider Foundation's Delaware Chapter activists plan to conduct regular water testing in the Lewes/Rehoboth Canal, Rehoboth Bay and Indian River at various locations.
    With the help of some chapter members and the use of the laboratory facilities at the College of Marine Studies at the Lewes Campus of the University of Delaware, they will be able to provide, retrieve, evaluate and report valuable information regarding the bacteria content of their inland bays in Sussex County.
   Please mark your calendars for Saturday, March 18, 2000 for the third Annual Beach Grass Planting at the North side of Indian River Inlet. The Delaware Chapter will be the team leader for the third year in a row. This event is a valuable experience for all ages and with the help and cooperation of the Delaware Mobile Surf Fishermen's Organization, they anticipate planting hundreds of yards of dunes.