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by Paul E. Turi
(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association May 2003 Newsletter)
In reading about the “compromise” on the use of subway cars on artificial reefs,” it would seem to suggest that the recreational fishermen of our state should be very happy with the decision by Commissioner Bradley Campbell to allow 250 subway cars to be used as reef material in the ocean off our coast. Nothing could be further from reality. Let’s look at the winners and losers in this controversy and the facts that surround it. The winners: Bradley M. Campbell, Clean Ocean Action, American Littoral Society, the State of Delaware, the State of South Carolina, the State of Georgia and the State of Virginia. The losers: New Jersey recreational fishermen, the State of New Jersey, the taxpayers of the State of New Jersey, and, perhaps, the biggest loser of all, Governor James McGreevey.
The State of New York offered to the State of New Jersey 650 subway cars to be used as reef material. Because of the objections from Clean Ocean Action and the American Littoral Society, the State of New Jersey lost the additional 400 cars that could have been used as reef material immediately and will lose any other additional cars that would have become available over the years. This would have been worth millions of dollars to the State of New Jersey and would have provided excellent fishing to the recreational fishermen of our state, and would have pumped money into the economy of our state over the years by fishermen anxious to spend money to catch the fish that would have inhabited these subway cars for many many years.
Why did Clean Ocean Action and the American Littoral Society object and what did they accomplish? COA and ALS objected to many things during this fight over the subway cars and, when everyone of their arguments were answered, they jumped on the one argument they knew would frighten people, asbestos. There is without a doubt some asbestos in the cars. There were asbestos tiles used on the floors but those were replaced in the 80’s. The only asbestos left in the cars is encased in an epoxy resin used between the walls of the cars. All the scientists that have studied this issue have said asbestos when diluted in water at the levels present in these cars is not harmful to humans or fish if ingested.
The other issue, the cars will not last in the water and will wash up on the beaches. Will the cars maintain 90% of their integrity after 30 years as proposed by the commissioner and argued for by COA and ALS? Probably not. Why do they want 90% integrity after 30 Years? Because they know the cars won’t have 90% integrity after 30 years and, therefore, they can forever eliminate the use of subway cars forever being used as reef material. The material presently accepted and used as reef material will not have 90% integrity after 30 years. As far as the cars washing up on our beaches if they don’t have 90% integrity after 30 years is ridiculous and doesn’t even deserve comment upon.
So, to reiterate, who are the winners and losers? The winners, as I see it, are Bradley Campbell because he gets rid of a hot issue and is now trying to sell it to the public. COA and ALS are certainly winners. But, really, are they winners? Many recreational fishing organizations used to be partners with COA and ALS on many environmental issues. That partnership is forever broken. These recreational organizations would never trust them again on any issue.
The real winners in this whole fight are the states of Delaware, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia because they are getting everyone of the cars from New York that would have gone to New Jersey. The rub of this whole controversy, and the one thing that I have not seen mentioned in any article or by any official of the McGreevy administration, is that these subway cars are going in the ocean anyway! They are just not going in the ocean off the New Jersey coast. The State of Delaware did extensive research and held many public hearings on the use of these cars and concluded they were safe and viable artificial reef material. Delaware, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia will take every car they can get their hands on.
The losers, as I say, are the State of New Jersey, its taxpayers, recreational fishermen, and probably the biggest loser of all will be Governor James McGreevey come next election. The one million plus recreational fishermen of this state will not forget this.