Invitation to Hear Environmentalist Talk About NJ’s Polluted Rivers
To the Editor:
Our lecture series, Science Mondays, will continue on Feb. 25 at Brookdale Community College’s Lincroft main campus and we would like the community to attend. Doug O’Malley, interim executive director of Environment New Jersey (ENJ), will discuss his organization’s recent report on the deteriorating water quality in our state at 6:30 p.m. in Twin Lights Rooms 1 and 2. The joint membership meeting of the college’s Environmental Club and members of the N.J. Friends of Clearwater and the Jersey Shore (Monmouth) Group of the Sierra Club is open to the public.
ENJ has reported that industrial facilities in New Jersey each year dump 8.5 million pounds of toxic chemicals into the state’s waterways, making it the 12th worst polluted state in the nation. Scientists and environmentalists suspect that conditions have since worsened in New Jersey’s coastal communities where the floodwaters of Hurricane Sandy last year washed untold amounts of chemicals, sewage and debris into rivers and bays.
New Jersey’s water quality is a critical issue because only one creek, originating in a state park, is pollution-free. All of the state’s other bodies of water are polluted with roughly 70 percent too polluted by state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) standards to drink, swim in or fish.
O’Malley will explain what regulatory actions should be taken by the state legislature and the DEP to reverse this deterioration. In particular, O’Malley will discuss Raritan River and Bay, the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers and Barnegat Bay.
ENJ’s report summarizes discharges of cancer-causing chemicals, chemicals that persist in the environment; and chemicals with the potential to cause reproductive problems ranging from birth defects to reduced fertility. Among the toxic chemicals discharged by municipal and industrial facilities are arsenic, mercury and benzene. Exposure to these chemicals is linked to cancer, developmental disorders and reproductive disorders.
O’Malley’s presentation is hosted by Brookdale’s Environmental Club to encourage students to be involved in statewide and national debates on the importance of strong environmental regulations. We welcome interested community to join us. Prior to the 6:30 p.m. start, there will be a cash buffet available beginning at 6 p.m. Please join us. Any questions, please feel free to contact me at 732-857-5305.
Robert “Bob” Macaluso
Director, Freehold Branch Campus
Brookdale Community College
Urging Christie to Approve Medicaid Expansion Plan for NJ Residents
To the Editor:
The federal government has offered to all states funds to expand Medicaid Coverage to patients who earn just a little bit too much to be presently eligible for Medicaid but are too poor to afford private insurance.
The New Jersey Legislature has passed the resolution to urge the governor to support the expansion program.
The federal government will pay 100 percent of the costs in the first three years and 90 percent thereafter.
I hope by accepting the funds more of our less fortunate fellow men and women will have access to basic health care.
It is such a good deal for N.J., that there is no good reason to keep more than 300,000 adults uninsured.
This is an urgent plea to the governor to accept the federal funding to expand the Medicaid Program.
Charlotte Schlosser
Fair Haven
Join Fight Against Birth Defects at April 28 March of Dimes Walk
To the Editor:
Each year in the United States, more than half a million babies are born prematurely, and more than 120,000 babies are born with serious birth defects. The March of Dimes relies on thousands of supporters and companies like ConnectOne Bank and Millstone River Wealth Management to help ensure that more babies are born healthy.
Helping families have healthy babies is what the March of Dimes is all about. As a national organization, the March of Dimes strives to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality through research, community service, education and advocacy all across the United States, a cause that has resonated with Americans for 75 years. You might not know it, but you have been touched by the March of Dimes if:
• You or your baby received a polio vaccine.
• You had or know someone whose baby was cared for in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU).
• Your baby was born prematurely and received the advanced care that the organization has researched, funded and supported.
• You had a healthy baby due in part to good prenatal care.
If you are a parent of one of the 12,419 babies born prematurely in New Jersey this year, you and your baby benefited from the work of the March of Dimes. A family whose baby is in the NICU can know that their child will receive specialized care, thanks in part to the March of Dimes.
With the support of companies like ConnectOne Bank and Millstone River Wealth Management, the March of Dimes is making progress in reducing the rate of premature birth. But there are still too many babies born too soon or sick.
As the 2013 March for Babies co-chairs, we want to let you know that we need your help. March for Babies – the nation’s premier walking event – is held in 778 communities across the United States and involves more than 7 million people each year. The event is a great way to advance the mission of the March of Dimes and at the same time raise awareness and vital funds.
Please join us and thousands of other walkers at the Monmouth and Ocean March for Babies event held on Sunday, April 28, at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson.
Go to marchforbabies.org and join us to march to help babies. You’ll help celebrate 75 years of research, education, vaccines and breakthroughs.
Carleen Lombardi
Holmdel Branch Manager
ConnectOne Bank
and
Matthew Siegel
Managing Principal
Millstone River Wealth Management, Wall
Taking Care of Pets, Birds During This Snowy Winter
To the Editor:
As the Northeast braces for winter storms, I urge residents to protect animals by following these tips:
• Keep your dogs and cats indoors and urge friends, family, and neighbors to do the same. Outdoors, animals can suffer from frostbite, hypothermia and dehydration when water sources freeze.
• If you see animals left outdoors, make sure they are provided with increased food rations and proper shelter: A wooden doghouse elevated off the ground, stuffed with straw and with a flap over the door. Notify authorities if an animal is denied these necessities.
• Knock on the hood of vehicles before starting the engine – cats sometimes sleep near warm engines and are maimed or killed when cars are started.
• Bundle short-haired, young, elderly and small dogs in sweaters and boots for walks. Afterward, clean off their feet, legs, and stomachs to remove salt and other chemicals that can sicken them.
• Spread birdseed on the ground and/or place pieces of bread in trees for birds and other wildlife. Fill a heavy bowl with water and break the surface ice twice a day. Be sure to remove the food after the storm.
Visit www.PETA.org for more cold-weather safety tips.
Lindsay Pollard-Post
The PETA Foundation
Norfolk, Va.
Two River Moment
Sandy Hook Sea Scouts work to slide a U.S. Coast Guard rowboat toward the water at Sandy Hook in this 1952 photograph.
