 |
 |
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
||
Friday April 04, 2003
J.B. Kasper
(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association May 2003 Newsletter)
There is an old saying: "It ain't over till the fat lady sings," and for once it was a tune that the sportsmen want to hear. It comes with a price tag that many feel is too high.
On Wednesday at a press conference at the office of Department of Environmental Protection, commissioner Bradley Campbell announced the news that subway cars being offered by the New York Transit Authority for use in the artificial reef program were given the approval by the DEP
The use of these subway cars have been the subject of controversy for several years. Two environmental groups - Clean Ocean Action (COA) and the American Littoral Society (ALS), which at one time had worked hand and hand with sportsmen - are using these subway cars as a pawn in a chess game to control how the State of New Jersey deals with projects (specifically, the Artificial Reef Program). Both groups in recent years have become more and more anti-sportsmen, and their leadership's history with DEP Commissioner Bradley Campbell has been used to advance their anti-sportsmen agenda. Likewise, the use of the subway cars for artificial reef material is not the only issue that have them at odds with sportsmen.
To begin with, the use of the subway cars for reef material has been proven to be safe. I have reviewed two studies (one an eight-page study by the state of Delaware which is using the cars, and summation of another 300-page study by the Federal EPA), both of which dispute the objections made by the two groups and both of which attest to the fact that the use of these cars is safe. These subway cars would be donated to the state, cleaned and made pollution-free under the supervision of the DEP, shipped and sunk at a site chosen by the Division of Fish & Wildlife
One might ask, "Then what is the problem?" And as usual, the problem with many issues in the outdoors is politics and power
Both groups at one time used fishermen to increase their membership and finances as well. The ALS sells tags which are used to tag and track fish caught by fishermen, and COA at one time was supported by contributions from clubs and individual fishermen. As the organizations grew and began securing grants for their projects, it became more and more evident that their agendas were at odds with fishermen. Groups such as Jersey Coast Anglers urged members to withdraw their support from both organizations. Many clubs and sportsmen's organizations no longer support both groups and are urging fishermen to boycott their activities.
One of the main points of contention between sportsmen and the environmental groups is that the use of the railroad cars is tied to the artificial reef plan being developed by the DEP. This plan calls for the regulation of materials used at reef sites, as well as an eight-year study on the railroad cars and their effect on the marine environment. As mentioned, studies have already been done on the use of the cars and the materials that the cars consist of are no different than materials already being used on the reefs.
The studies are not needed and are nothing more than a way for the environmental groups to assert their power with the DEP. At the conference, I made a point of asking Commissioner Campbell whether or not the Artificial Reef Plan, and in particular the eight-year moratorium on the use of any more cars while the study is done, would be part of the public hearing process. His response was that it would be. I spoke with Tom Fote of JCAA after the conference and he said his group still would oppose the plan because he did not believe that there was any chance in changing the eight-year moratorium part of the plan.
In summation, it must be said that the 250 subway cars would be available now only and would go to another state if the New Jersey DEP did not accept them. The cars will be sunk in the fall, and there is no chance of getting more cars for several years at best. These facts were made clear by a representative of the New York Transit Authority. While I applaud Commissioner Campbell and the DEP for reversing the decision not to use the cars, it remains to be seen whether the public hearing process will allow changes in the Artificial Reef Plan. The moratorium and study is nothing more than an appeasement to COA and ALS and simply are not needed