ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS – For councilman Jon Crowley, the buildup of debris on First Avenue and the plastic bags strewn throughout the branches of borough trees are a bad joke even he couldn’t have written.
The successful film and television producer, known for his work on the hidden camera reality show series “Impractical Jokers,” is leading the charge in town to ban single-use plastics and the releasing of balloons. Crowley is hopeful local legislation coming before the council in July will clean things up.
“People will argue with me that it’s a slippery slope. First it’s straws, utensils and bags. What’s next? Lids, Styrofoam and DVD packaging? Absolutely! That’s absolutely the goal,” Crowley said. Discussions concerning a possible regulation of single-use plastics and straws to protect wildlife and reduce cleanup costs began in January 2018. Four months later, Crowley was at the forefront of “The Final Straw,” an event supported by the governing body that challenged local restaurants from April 23- 27 to refrain from handing out straws when serving drinks. If patrons requested a straw, they received a biodegradable paper one instead of plastic.
In December, the borough attempted to pass a single-use plastics ordinance. It included a 10-cent fee for store customers and restaurant patrons who requested a plastic carry-out bag, but merchants pushed back.
“They were afraid the fee would cause customers to go elsewhere, when really it was included to incentivize people to opt for reusable bags,” Crowley said. “It was a major point of contention, so we removed it from this proposal.”
Two educational workshops about this proposed single-use plastic regulation were held for the chamber of commerce and residents.
The proposed legislation was adjusted and introduced at a council meeting last month.
“We need to continue to educate the public, because not everyone understands the impact,” Crowley said. “They see us as a small town with 4,300 residents. What good can this possibly do? But if we do it, what other neighboring towns will follow? We need to set the example.”
Crowley hopes to advance a growing trend in the Two River area first launched by Monmouth Beach in May 2018, when that town passed a law prohibiting the use of single-use plastics and Styrofoam take-out containers. Violators are subject to a $2,500 fine.
Monmouth Beach followed in March 2019 with legislation that abolished the release of helium-filled balloons. Exceptions to the ordinance included those balloons released for government-authorized scientific or meteorological proposes, hot air balloons recovered after launching and balloons that remain indoors.
The following month, Little Silver adopted a plastics ban of its own; first-time violators face a fine of up to $500. By the third offense the fine increases to $2,500 per day of noncompliance. At the time of adoption, the ordinance included a provision that offered business owners a six-month window to achieve compliance and an additional six months if the transition proves to be too difficult.
Crowley said if the ban on single-use plastics in Atlantic Highlands passes, business owners will have until Nov. 1 to comply. Those in violation will be subject to the borough’s standard code enforcement fines and penalties.
“We all need to understand that though this is a global problem, we need to do our part at home to reduce the source of the biggest contributor to litter in our beach-front areas, harbor and roadways,” said Atlantic Highlands Mayor Rhonda C. Le Grice.
Le Grice said she hopes the legislation will pass and pressure state legislators to take the reins and offer municipalities more guidance, rather than forcing them to find their own way.
“The state has had a plastics ban bill sitting in committee for a year now. What will it entail to get it out? It’s time to move on it. They have the power and we need a guide. What they pass may be more restrictive, or it may be less restrictive, but this really needs to come from Trenton. We can only do so much,” Le Grice said.
Though single-use plastics have received most of the headlines, American Littoral Society executive director Tim Dillingham said the importance of the helium balloon ordinance should not be lost.
“We’ve been advocating for municipal bans on balloon releases up and down the coastline. It’s a primary focus of our educational campaigns and we’re empowering towns to speak about them,” Dillingham said.
Dillingham noted that a deflated balloon sitting on a body of water can resemble a jellyfish, which is a primary source of food for sea turtles.
“There have also been reports of whales ingesting them,” he said. “Balloons are a significant threat to marine wildlife and it’s our belief that there has to be a better way to celebrate a major life achievement than by releasing garbage into the air.”
Atlantic Highlands borough administrator Adam Hubeny said there are also economic considerations to these ordinances with respect to the Atlantic Highlands Municipal Harbor.
According to Hubeny, the harbor is one of just nine in New Jersey to be owned and operated by a municipality and maintaining its health offers a big lift to borough taxpayers.
“The harbor’s utility budget this year is $6.5 million. Out of that total, over a million dollars comes back to the municipality each year. That’s big for us,” Hubeny said, adding that the harbor operates at about 96 percent capacity with a waiting list for boat storage slips. Only selective slips for certain sized boats are currently available.
“The harbor is economically valuable to our municipality. It’s been certified by the NJDEP as a Clean Marina, and we need to ensure that it remains that way. Reducing plastic waste is one of the things we can do,” Hubeny said.
The council will vote on adoption of these ordinances at its July 10 meeting.
