Of Cape Septic Sludge

State Plan Fostered Ocean Dumping

by Bob Shlln The North Jersey sewage-treatment facility that had been designated by the state Dept. 4»f Environmental Protection to receive Cape May County septic waste after March 15 was ordered last Friday by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to stop dumping sewage sludge in the ocean by mid-April. At the same time, the state DEP decided

to recind the order requiring local septic haulers to dispose of waste at the Middlesex County Utilities Authority, more than 100 miles away, and instead will permit them to dump on selected local farmlands. ACCORDING TO SPOKESMEN at the county Agricultural Extension Service and the state DEP, the new dumping regulations allow for the septic waste to be

dumped only on farmlands that yield crops not grown for human consumption, or on farmlands that cultivate crops that utilize a high degree of oxygen. These crops include fuel corn, grassland hay, sudan grass and soybeans. John MacLeod Senior county agricultural agent, told the Herald Monday that he believes the DEP has come up with a good approach to the existing septic

CAPE MAY COUNTY ^

Vol. 16 No. 12 S»®www«Corp.

Wednesday, March 26,1961

News * Digest

The Week's Top Stories

Moves Afoot-To Save the Rails

ATLANTIC CITY - Atlantic County State Sen. Steven Perskie has announced he will introduce legislation this week aimed at placing the Atlantic CityPhiladelphia rail connection in the hands of the Atlantic City Expressway Authori-

ty. The plan would prevent the losaxd nU

nectsCaj**'

service come January that conned May, Ocean City and Atlantic City with the high-speed line in Lindenwold. The N.J. Transit Corp. announced last week that in order to save the state about

$L5 million per year it was recommen-

ding t

% the line be closed down.

In the meantime, Congressman Bill Hughes has called for private business to become involved in helping to keep the trains running (see story inside).

Not All CETA Jobs Terminated

As of March 31 all county CETA positions funded under PSE (Public Service Employment) Title II—D and Title V will be terminated, John Carafides, deputy director of the CETA program for Cape May County, told the Herald Monday. Last week, the last of the approximate 190 employees funded under those specific CETA titles received layoff notices. Since the middle of Jan. about 462 PSE Title IH> and TiUe VI positions have been eliminated. Although all county positions funded under titles II-D and VI have been completely terminated, only some of the positions under Title I (administrative) and Titles XII, II-B, and IV (youth training, hardcore low income and /or disadvantage programs have been totally eliminated. (Page 19 Please)

Meadowlands Eyed For Development

A proposal for a 200-site campground in the South Cape May Meadows has been received with little enthusiasm by the Lower Township Planning Board. Attorney Mike Piaurilli of Cherry Hill and Lew Conley of Van Note - Harvey Associates, Villas, appeared before the Planning Board earlier this month to present a conceptual plan for the campground development. The two represented Middle Motor Court Inc., which holds a current purchase option on the property and is

looking for possible ways the tract could be developed. The property is owned by Yara Corporation of Elizabethtown. ACCORDING TO TOWNSHIP planning aide Joseph Zahora, campgrounds are permitted in the meadowlands under the existing zoning ordinance. But, he noted, (Page 19 Please)

waste disposal problem, as long as it ij.-^

carefully monitored and engineered. /

AKE. a

ACCORDING TO ELISSA-DRAK senior environmental specialist in the DEP’s Water Resource Management DiviSion^ the DEP "will not allow the haulers to apply more nitrogen via septage than the specific crops can take up." Current regulations require that individual haulers dump all of their waste on one specific farm This makes it possible for close monitoring of dumping procedures. So far. three county septic waste haulers

(Page 19 Please)

Compromise Keeps Cape Septic Waste Inside County

Robert Shlln THIS YEAR is a double anniversary for the Physick Estate in Cape May — the centennial of completion of the •cottage/ designed by IMh century architect Frank Farness; and the tenth anniversary of the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts, which is overseeing restoration of the landmark.

COURT HOUSE — A septage disposal crisis in cjppe May County was averted Thursday when the Board of Freeholders, county Municipal Utilities'Authority, and the New Jersey Dept, of Environmental Protection agreed on a compromise plan. John Vince, MUA chairman, told the freeholders, "the state's plan to send septage haulers to Middlesex County has been stopped. Also the Lower Township MUA will not be rtquired to construct interiih septage treatment facilities. We’ve been working feverishly to expedite this plan "Instead the DEP has been issuing land application permits to handle septic waste In specific areas of the county. The rest of the septic waste will be disposed of at the Wfhmtte County Sewerage Authority Treatment plant up to the limit of its capacity to receive these wastes." Vinci continued, "The Cumberland County Utilities Authority facility in Bridgeton will servq as a backup disposal site." ' He said the "workable compromise" was reached with Richard Salkie, administrator, Construction Grants Section,

DEP.

"This is just part oT a short term solution, to be followed on January 1, 1982 by

the handling of al) Cape May County sep-

“ ‘ “ alter

tage at the Ocean City Region Wastcwdi Treatment Plant now under construction," Vinci explained in an MUA news release, "The long term septage solution still will be at the proposed Seven Mile Beach/Mid-

dle Township plant."

Freeholder Gerald Thornton, commended both the MUA and the DEP for "ex-

cellent cooperation."

The three temporary land application permits were issued to septage haulers Caprioni, J.O. Raines and Seaboard Sewage Co. The fourth hauler, Atterbury, was to submit a permit application to the

DEP next week.

Th? Atlantic County plant can handle up to 30,000 galldns of waste per day, according to Salkie. "After some alterations are completed in May, they should be able to process almost unlimited quantities," he

commented.

Meadows Crucial to Falcons

ir the fool of Baysbore

by Robert Gunther After all the tourists leave in the fall, Cape May County has a very different type of visitor — the Peregrine Falcon. Last year more than 300 of the endangered birds were sighted between mid September and late October as they made their way to the tropics, according to Peter Dunn, naturalist-director of the Cape May Point Bird Observatory. The area where most of the birds are seen is the South Cape May Meadows, an undeveloped stretch of land between Cape May and Cape May Point. "The significance of the Cape May Meadows is that it is the only habitat ideal for the Peregrine Falcons," Dunn said. The meadows make a good stopping ground because they are open, allowing the birds to hunt. "THIS PARTICULAR SPECIES catches

prey in a "long tail chase," he explained. This means the bird chases and captures its prey only in the air and will not catch it on ^he ground. In a forest or developed area the bird has little chance of survival. "The greatest danger to the Peregrine Falcons is simply loss of habitat," the naturalist noted. The meadows are privately owned and not yet protected by the state The many owners of the land have not planned any immediate use for the land although there have been rumors jit is being eyed for a campground or other development. The government is cuifejitly trying to assess the situation and develop a means of protecting the area. ALTHOUGH THE BIRDS are only here for brief stop during migration, the (Page 10 Please)