newjerseynewsroom.com

BY ADELE SAMMARCO

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

The Garden State’s drinking water bill is sparking tense debate between environmentalists and developers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says portions of the New Jersey bill, currently pending before the state Legislature, could lead to more pollution and may even violate federal law.

In a statement, EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck warns the bill could have "significant adverse impacts on water quality in New Jersey" and could "undermine years of comprehensive planning," if approved Monday.

According to NJ.com, a provision in the legislation that would allow sewer extensions into farmland, forests and other remaining undeveloped open space, without regard for how much new sewage nearby wastewater treatment plants could handle, is a main concern.

In an interview with the Star-Ledger's Christopher Baxter, Enck said, “I really think that’s the biggest concern, and not only may it be contrary to the Clean Water Act, it also defies common sense."

Enck’s letter comes in response to a request made by New Jersey State Senator Barbara Buono (D) of Middlesex to tackle the controversial issue.

Supporters of the bill say it could create millions of dollars in construction work to help boost the sluggish economy.

However, critics call it a smoke screen for builders who want to cash in on valuable open space and argue it could lead to more water pollution.

The sharp debate surrounds rules approved in 2008 by then-state environmental head Lisa Jackson, who now leads the EPA, to cut back development by limiting sewer lines and septic systems on more than 300,000 acres across the state.

The protections hang in the balance now, four years later largely due to the controversy, politics and bureaucratic delays.

Builders say the resulting uncertainty has ceased construction mainly because financiers are wary of investing in new projects in a slow real estate market.

Governor Christie’s administration told a Senate panel last month the rules are "unwieldy" and "need to be re-written."

Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D) of Essex, a primary sponsor of the bill in the lower house, does not believe any rules have been violated.

But a spokesperson for the state Department of Environmental Protection, which supports the legislation and is working on re-writing the rules, believes otherwise.

According to the Star-Ledger Statehouse Bureau, Larry Ragonese said, "The plan in place is unworkable, it has unrealistic time frames, and the counties in New Jersey are unable to deal with this unwieldy bureaucracy."