20 Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 9 July '86

Study Repeats: Ocean Outfall Is Preferred

By E.J. DUFFY "The revised report still indicates to go with the ocean outfall — but it isn't accepted," Lower Manager James R. Stump said as head of the township MUA. He was referring last week to the latest engineering study from Metcalf & Eddy, Somerville, of five alternatives for discharging sanitary sewage from township and county MUA treatment plants along Lower's bayfront. Directly or indirectly, the county plant at Sunset Beach and township facility in Villas, now discharges into the Delaware Bay. The former treats sewage from the Cape Mays, the latter handles effluent from Villas and North Cape May. Both plants have been required by the state to connect by July 1987 with the county MUA's new Wildwoods-Lower treatment plant on Route 47, Middle Township, and, thereby, to the new ocean outfall off Wildwood Crest. ESTIMATING THAT AS A $20-million to $30-million project, the two MUAs jointly hired Metcalf & Eddy for $48,599 this time last year to complete a four-month study of less expensive alternatives. The consultants, however, recommended the ocean outfall as the cheapest of five options in their February report summarized for the county Planning Board last month. "You know something, I wish they hadn't done that," county MUA chief engineer Charles M. Norkis said of the board. Metcalf & Eddy "had some wrong numbers" in its February report which he called "a draft." "Lthink discharge into the bay is going to be cheaper," Norkis predicted in June while awaiting final data, due the end of /last month, in the revised Metcalf & Eddy report. i Stump said last week, though, that the k data still wasn't "final" then and the consultants' recommendations were still not accepted by the MUAs Both, he added, prefer bay discharge. That way. he explained, they retain "control" over sewage treatment in the lower Cape. (Control includes township MUA approval of treatment commitments in its plant for all building projects in sewered areas). "So we really want to look at it," Stump said. ASKED IF THE MUAs wouldn't appear to be rejecting Metcalf & Eddy recommendations until the authorities receive those they prefer. Stump replied: "Well I don't think that the (revised) report has examined all the issues that are pertinent." He said he's not sure, for example, that the cost of connecting Lower MUA's treatment plant to see the new WildwoodsLower facility has been figured into Met•calf & Eddy's estimate on that ocean outfall alternative. "We're going to meet within the next two weeks to go over it one more time." Stump said. In its February report, Metcalf & Eddy listed $16 million as the capital cost for connecting the bayfront treatment plants to the Wildwoods-Lower facility and ocean outfall. Paying for that on a yearly basis would cost $1,682,000 with another $351,000 for operation and maintenance toward a total annual bill of $2,033,000. "YOU'RE TALKING BIG money here, and how it's going to be split." Stump said last month "These are staggering numbers." But Metcalf & Eddy's ocean outfall estimate is a lot cheaper than the $20 ' million to $30 million officials of both MUAs projected as the cost for that job last year and considerably cheaper than the alternatives, according to the consultants. Improved bayfront discharge, preferred by the MUAs for their Lower Plants, would cost $19,759,000 in capital at $2.2S2,000 a year, they reported. To achieve adequate dilution of treated sewage in the bay waters. Metcalf & Eddy figured the outfall should be extended offshore to a depth of 32 feet, Norkis explained last month, "and that's really far out." •These (bayfront outfall lengths) varied in distance from shore from one to four miles west and southwest of Cape May Point," according to the Planning Board summary of the consultants' February report. * "RUNNING AHPE UNDER. water is "about $1,500 a foot," Stump estimated,

comparing that to about $150 a foot on land. Because of that cost, he and Norkis asked Metcalf & Eddy to revise the original report after finding out if treated sewage could be properly diluted in shallower waters, say 27 feet. Norkis was optimistic last month about that and based his prediction — that bayfront discharge would be cheaper — on that. Metcalf & Eddy also priced three other options, though: • Land "application" of waste from both plants was the mo6t expensive ($31,824,000 in capital costs, plus $3,810,000 a year), because of the projected expense of buying the needed land. • Land application of township MUA sewage, while the county plant discharges into the bay, would cost $25,988,000 in capital and $3,073,000 a year. • Township MUA use of the ocean outfall and county MUA discharge into the bay would cost $17,982,000 in capital and $2,155,000 a year, Metcalf & Eddy reported. •BASICALLY, IT COMES down to two choices," Stump said last month of bayfront or ocean discharge for both plants. And "quite a lengthy process" is involved in obtaining required approvals for bayfront outfalls from the state Department of Environmental Protection ( DEP), he observed. That, however, influenced Metcalf & Eddy's "Evaluation and Recommendation" in its original report: "The use of an ocean outfall off Wildwood Crest was found to be the most economical and environmentally sound alternative. The fact that the outfall is already constructed was a major factor in considering economic feasibility. The fact that the outfall has already received the approval of the state and federal agencies also influenced the evaluation." One of the major reasons for the Metcalf & Eddy report was to gather enough data to justify the bayfront outfall if it proved the cheapest alternative. Whether the DEP will approve it is still a question mark. IT BLOCKED THE TOWNSHIP MUA from discharging into the bay when its plant was built more than a decade ago. The DEP told the authority to use Cox Hall Creek instead; it flows through a park, empties into the bay anyway and has been posted as polluted for two years. The DEP has banned sewage discharges into the bay for many years to protect local oyster beds In 1958, 25,000 acres of them were closed statewide because of pollution when 75 percent of the local beds were destroyed by a shellfish virus. A million bushel-a-year local oyster industry. that employed 2,000 workers a generation ago. was reduced to 20.000 bushels by 1960 and to 200 employes by 1977. "Without more research and more support. we could lose an entire industry," state Sen. James R. Hurley <R., Cape May-Cumberland) warned in announcing loans earlier this year to help oystermen survive a disasterous season. Scientist are still no closer in finding ways to combat the mysterious MSX disease that was expected to devastate up to 90 percent of this season's oyster crop. "This is definitely a threat to the oystermen themselves." Hurley noted, "but it is also a threat to all the jobs associated with this industry ." That industry has a potent lobby in Trenton. And, the MUAs' and county Health Department officials conceded last year, that's something the DEP will have to weigh with any bid for a bayfront outfall because it's also obliged to protect the oyster beds i

Principal at Consolidated

Robert McDade ' Comes Home '

By E.J. DUFFY NORTH CAPE MAY - "It's a 'Local Boy Comes Home' type of thing," Robert McDade of Cove Drive, Bayshore West, said of his return last week to Consolidated School, Cold Spring. He taught sixth grade there for 14 years until he left to become principal of two Wildwood Crest elementary schools in 1981. Now he's back at Consolidated as principal. Lower Township's elementary school board named McDade, 49, to the $37,500-a-year post June 17 as replacement for Joseph Cirrincione of Erma who was promoted to district superintendent in April. "It's an opportunity to come back and serve the children of the community in a different capacity," McDade reflected. "That's where I'm coming from," he said earlier, "I'm a kid-oriented kind of guy." WHILE PRINCIPAL OF Philip P. Baker and Wildwood Crest Memorial schools, he started an awards ceremony to honor resort students for achievement. And he wants to start a similar program at Consolidated. "I would like to have things for the kids to be recognized for what they do," McDade explained, "so the school means a little more to them — - maybe get the PTA involved." Cirrincione has already implemented some of the changes "he and I talked about years ago", McDade added, "like an improved summer school geared toward both gifted students and those having difficulty with studies." The school recently held a student dance McDade wants to see school dances ' continued, more student council involvement, and intramural sports competition between Consolidated and other local schools. That might be a problem, he conceded, because they're mostly kindergarten through eighth grade (K-8) schools while Consolidated is a K-6 institution. McDADE ALSO EXPECTS to lend his administrative "experience to the school." The three-school elementary district will I be evaluated by the state Department of Education in the coming school year on 51 1 specific check points. As principal in Wildwood Crest, McDade just completed that evaluation "and we were successful at 1 passing all items," he noted. He also wants to lend his experience with 1 curriculum development and TNE, the acronym for three objectives each school ' district is supposed to document efforts toward meeting each year. » "Usually," said McDade. "you try to I bone up the kids"on math, reading skills. 1 etc. i — —

"I had a nice little thing happen to me this year," he said, referring to Crest students who dedicated their yearbook to him. "It's kind of a nice thing to happen to you." He also appreciated complimentary letters from Crest teachers who took him out for a farewell meal last week. WHEN HE'S NOT AT school, or painting his house as he is now, McDade likes to golf, bowl, shoot a few baskets or play tennis. Fan of the Flyers and Eagles, he follows Big Five basketball and, in contrast, attends operas, plays and musicals at the Walnut Street Theater, Philadelphia, where he and his wife hold season tickets. Before he settled in Lower 18 years ago, McDade taught seven years in Philadelphia public schools and Bishop Newman High School there. He holds a master's degree in education from St. Joseph University and a bachelor's in history from LaSalle College. A West Catholic High School graduate, he attended St. Barnabas elementary school in his native Southwest Philadelphia. He was one of six children born to Rose (McGlade) and Joseph McDade. a crane operator with Philadelphia Electric. The new principal and his wife, Dolores (Byrne), a registered nurse, have two children, both LaSalle graduates: Colleen, 23, a Philadelphia parochial school teacher, and Bob, who will be entering Duquesne University Law School in Pittsburgh this fall.

mrm ( Doha Ward ROBERT McDADE

MAC Down, 30-Love

' CAPE MAY - The Cape May Tennis Club will go ahead with construction of three more courts that will take up to 50 percent of the parking lot of the Mid Atlan- ; tic Center for the Arts < MAC) . ! And MAC's appeal to City Council for 1 help in providing additional parking on the Physick Estate has not brought a satisfac- [ lory response. ^ "We were hoping the city would take a 5 stronger stand to create parking," said MAC President Tom Carroll. "We were 5 hoping, too. for more of an offer of assistance." 5 AS A RESULT. Carroll said the MAC board of directors is undecided whether to '' proceed with a plan to carve an additional parking area out a wooded area that was once a pond to the rear of the estate. ? After hearing Carroll outline a plan for p parking, Mayor Arthur Blomkvest said the city was prepared to offer fill to provide a base for parking. "The city has fill to offer if all the other parties pay their expenses including drainage," Blomkvest said. "That could be quite expensive." Carroll said. "We're not rich, either." CITY ENGINEER Bruce S. Graham pointed out that a soil conservation permit would be required; a site plan waiver would have to be obtained; and it would cost $100 to stake out the site. "We don't want to spend the city's money if it won't be done," Graham said, referring to the tentative aspect of the request. The site in question is 100-by-550-feet in area, and would handle an estimated 50 cars.

A NEARBY NEIGHBOR who said he also belongs to MAC questioned the need for additional parking. Claiming that existing parking spaces are never more than half full even on weekends, the unidentified man said, "I'm wondering at the need for the expense and the effort." Carroll said MAC is trying to anticipate furture parking needs. "Between the Art League, MAC, and the Tennis Club, it will be a pretty busy area in the future," said Carroll. CARROLL SAID be has tried to smooth over friction with the Tennis Club by agreeing that the two facilities should share parking. "But nothing will lead to a battle quicker than if we all have to fight over limited parking," he said. W Marshall Anders, president of the tennis club, said the club and MAC had reached a satisfactory agreement over a disputed piece of ground where new courts are planned. "The outcome was that the Tennis Club has a legitimate lease on the ground which MAC was trying to take away," said Anders. ANDERS SAID negotiations are under way with HAR-TRU, a firm that lays out tennis courts, to construct the new playing areas. "We need a survey and the ground needs to be leveled, but I would think they would be ready by fall," said Anders. The new courts will be located adjacent to courts 10 and 11, and will give the club a total of 15, Anders said. »>-i! ««.<•< J •(