, ~~ Herald & Lantern 2 lanuary '85 30 W ;

•K. tfWFOnr.M STATF of AFFAIRS David Boyd

Pollution Retching Aquifers So Why Don't We Do Something? y < y.

. Bv II/WID F. MOORE Executive Director Jersey Conservation Foundation Natural disasters are unavoidable, right? Well, not quite. While we as mere mortals can't do much about earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, abnormally high rainfalls or not enough rain, we can at least stay out of their way most of the time That means avoiding locations we know to be hazardous. while taking care not to create any more. And we do create some " natural disasters." There's no denying that the dust bowl of the 1930's was a natural disaster, but it was really created by people. This was done by imposing destructive agricultural practices ^r-~4>n the prairie environment and by ignoring nature's early-warning signals. MAN HAS CREATED deserts this way. and is doing so right now Did you know much of the desert of the Arabian Peninsula was a friendly environment for human occupants just a few thousand years ago"' Keep an eye on what ill-advised destruction of the rain forest will be doing to the Amazon drainage areV in Brazil. So when we know there Va problem, why don't we do something? There's a ppdhlem with underground water supplies in the west and midwest, and also right here in this state we're in. Out west, the problem is a combination of pollution from . agricultural chemicals and withdrawing water for irriga- * tion much faster than nature can replenish it. Here in New Jersey we have minor supply problems with underground water, but a larger, threat is pollution reaching the aquifers. This is America's most densely populated state, with one of the heaviest concentrations of industry, and that can't help but spell contamination from toxic materials unwisely placed in landfills years ago, and still being illegally dumped by the criminal fringe. EVEN NOW. when New Jersey doesn't allow toxic

wastes- to be Ibndfilled. the truth is that in our chemical and plastic culture even household wastes provide more and more toxics. And existing landfills are lacking in underground liners to keep their leachate from soaking downward. m New Jersey has a start in view, thanks toa far-reaching law that provides for a hazardous waste siting system, an aggressive program to provide for better landfill sites and standards, a recycling plan and a permit system for underground pollution discharges. We are also working out a way to deal with leaky er potentially leaky underground storage tanks. This is one of the worst problems we face, since petroleum products often leak invisibly below the ground from service station and furnace fuel tanks. And while we've got 95 Superfund sites eligible for cleanups, we are getting stymied because it's getting harder and harder to find a place to put what's cleaned up. While we are waiting, toxic waste materials continue to be produced. SO WHY WORRY, you say? Everything is either fattening or carcinogenic, or both! Not true in either case. Only a relatively few substances have been shown to cause cancer or other health problems, in their "normal" concentrations. As Patricia Bauman put it in a recent newsletter published by the Conservation Foundation in Washington, D.C. (no felation to the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, by the way): i "Opponents of regulation have set up a dangerous and *• irresponsible straw man : The problem is not choosing between regulating chemicals or changing lifestyles. Rather, we ought to marshal as many effective interventions of all kinds as possible. "We should act vigorously to prevent smoking; we should counsel about fiber and fat in the diet ; we should develop appropriate protection for people at high risk, and we should continue to regulate chemicals because they contribute to human disease and because we can do something about them." N o n i iuvou ner.

The Golden Edge Mother-in-Law Was Wonderful By DOROTHEA F. COOPER Mothers-in-law often get a bad press They are sometimes the butt of bad jokes, portrayed as being a combination of the Witch of Endor and the Mad Woman of Chaillot: demanding, critical, possessive and all-around pain in the neck They are supposed to think that no one is good enough for their sons (or daughters, as the case may be. ) *- My mother-in-law was a, wonderful woman!- (She apparently thought the world of me.) She was gay, as in merry, full of fun. had. a raunchy sense of humor. Each Wednesday she would come to our apartment for dinner, have two manhattanS before, and afterwards would go home to rave about what she ate (naturally we always tried to make something special for the meal; it was a once a week occasion). This didn't add joy to my sister-in-law with whom Nanny lived, with a houseful! of children to take care of and no time for "specials." EVERY MORNING Nanny got up at 5 a.m., had her juice, soft boiled egg and coffee to "clear out the line" as she expressed it, and went to work every day info her 70s. Though she had many things she could complain about, she rarely did. She was sick for only a week when her once-vigorous body gave out entirely. She loved blue, which <60 well complimented her bright eyes and silver hair. MY MOTHER-IN-LAWS BLUE HAT I saw it first on my wedding day As her eyes danceH below; it so warmly grayA very special kind of blue ' That gave her complexion a pearly hue. Jauntily on her head it sat My gay-hearted mother-in-law's blue hat. Whatever special occasions arose That required someone on her toes, To comfort the sorrowing, cheer the ill, Or cajole a child into taking a pill. Or a jolly session at the Automat, There was my mother-inrlaw's blue hat. A ready smile, sympathetic tear, A chuckle, a giggle, a "There now, Dear!", In all emergencies sad or glad, Unexpected nqws that was good or bad, m The tender care for a mother-cat, There was my mother-in-law's blue hat. When it's time to settle my earthly affairs. If I'm fortunate to climb the Golden Stairs, Surely the very first thing I'll see. Gaily beckoning to me. More cheering than a Welcome mat Will be my mother-in-law's blue hat. I loved her.

Our Readers Write

How to Protect . i, Water Supplies * ■ To The Editor : In reply to Harry F.'Sankey. Villas home owner, I heartily agree with his assessment of the potable water problems now facing the home owners of the Villas. As a •homeowner in North Cape May. I am -deeply concerned with the potable water supplies available to Lower Township and Cape May County. The facts are that sufficient data is and has been available which state that our deeper confined aquifers ( Page 31 Please >

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Joseph R. Zelnik Bonnie Reina Gary L. RudyJohn Dunwoodv Darrell Kopp 4 - :

Editor General Manager Advertising Director Special Promotions Director " Publisher ,r \

Scourove Corp 1984 AH fight, reserved All property rights for the entire content, of thi, publicolion shall be the properly ol the Seowove Corp No port hereof moy fcr reproduced ytythout prior writ DEADLINES News & Photos. Thursday Advertising Friday A — 3 P.M. Classified Advertising Friday — 3 P.M. 465-5055 'For News or Advertising Information Neither uarlrrrpatlna ad»rrti.er» nor thr publisher* of the HKR U.I) *\l) l.4>TKKN .ill he rrepoaniblr or Iralrlr (or misinformation misprint.. . ■ l,|nrara|ihiral rmir*.'t-tr. in an, issue The editor reserses the right lo edit an, fetter or article, submitter) for |iubliration. I / ~ Io»rr loirfltkip j IT LANTERN T i Pub! it b«d Every Wednesday By Tb« Seawav* Cofpor^tKm JB PjO. Boa 430 Cap* May Court Homo.- N J 08210

— Don't Set Your Hair

Car Shows a Man's Intentions

By JOE ZELNIK One thing I hate about the new year — any new year — is that my car suddenly becomes a year older. It's not fair. A person doesn't get older until his birthday. But every Jan. 1. wham, your car ages a year. One • tick of the clock and my '76 Olds is nine years old and less valuable than it was on Dec. 31. I like my car. I'll race any of you any time. And it has more room inside than an '84 Cadillac. Younger motorists have no understanding of interior space. You'll see a 6-4 guy crawl out of a sportscar and walk hunched over for a half-block before he can straighten up. That's just like the women who squeeze their rectangular-shaped feet into pointy shoes with four-inch heels. Look deep into they:-, y eyes and what do you see? Pain. v AS I POINTED OUT in an earlier column, I quickly discovered how to bring my car to peak performance. 9ust vocally threaten to sell it to someone in Chester. Pa. You know how some people fear dogs or snakes or lightning because of a bad childhood experience? Well, my car must have been frightened in infancy during a trip through Chester because the mere mention of that city causes the idle to smooth, its motor to purr. Even the windshield wipers sweep cleaner. I bought this car early in 1982 when it had 96,000 miles on it. Today it has 145,000* So, if something goes wrong, I can blame the person 'who drove it the most, the previous owner. Women who are evaluating a man should consider that the care and attention he gives his car is an indication of his value system. If his car is a total disaster — seldom starts, leaks oil* leaves a trail of smoke behind — he is a poor risk because he lacks a sense of responsibility about the important things in life. If on the other hand, he spends every waking moment changing its oil, adding windshield washer fluid, and polishing its chrome substitute, he will continue that after - marriage and seldom be seen in the house until dafrk. (Such men, if kept garageless, are decent mates on cold and rainy days, but worse than golfers in ttie spring, summer and fall. ) C « A woman also can tell if a man is serious about her from the cleanliness of his car. If someone has written "Protect

Your Right to Bear Arms" in the dust on its hood and the sand inside is an inch thick, this guy is just looking for what he can get, with no strings attached. Don't bother setting your hair for him because he won't notice your head. • If, on the other hand he shows up at the door with a freshly washed car, the inside swept out, this man is trying to impress you and is considering making a commitment. The experienced male will follow a happy medium lest * he spoil both car and woman. I saw an auto service ad the other day that boasted that, while they worked on my car, they would use fender covers, seat covers and floor covers. I'd never take my car there and risk spoiling it. It would be like buying your wife a steak instead of spaghetti that one night a month you take her out. Next thing you know she'd expect porter house and pqut over her pasta. Of course drivers can be spoiled, too. I once turned down a lady's invitation todrive"her Mercedes. If I'd accepted, I might have found myself dissatisfied with my own car. People shouldn't be tempted with a taste of things beyond their means. That's why I oppose food baskets for the poor. I decided years ago never to buy a new car. It has been proven that they are dangerous to your health. A new car owner is always worrying about that first scratch^that eventual dent. It makes them tense and nervous, prone to anxiety attacks. I knew a new car owner who always parked at a 45-degree angle, taking up three spaces, so no one could park along side and open his door into her car and leave a nick. Her car was untouched, but she was a chainsmoking wreck. j Besides mental peace of mind, the advantages of a used car are numerous: no payments, no (more) depreciation, and no fear of theft. More than a million cars are stolen in this country each year. But I can leave my '76 Olds outside the Murphy Mart with the motor running and the driver's - door ajar and still find it when I emerge. Professional thieves want luxury cars and joyriding teenagers prefer* Corvettes or convertibles. Atlantic Community College recently had a lecture on "Hopes and Fears for the Year 2000." I don't know what the academicia are worried about, but my only concern is that my car will be 24.