Constituents from New York/New Jersey push for Clean Ocean Zone Legislation

Happy June!

Here at Clean Ocean Action, our staff has spent hundreds of hours on trains, planes, and in automobiles traversing the nation to fight for a clean ocean.  As such, our May blog posts were few and far between (though not lacking in quality!) … now that it is a new month, a new season (we seemed to skip the nice part of summer), and a new tide, we are back!  Look for frequent updates on a multitude of summertime campaigns and events.

Last week, as part of the Blue Vision Summit (http://www.bluefront.org/), COA joined constiuents from New York and New Jersey on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, meeting with many elected officials, their legislative directors, and their environmental staff to raise support for the Clean Ocean Zone (the “COZ”).  Notably, COA crew had great meetings with Representatives Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2nd), Leonard Lance (NJ-7th), and the offices of all four Senators from NY and NJ. 

All told, we had a great time meeting with almost 20 different offices, and we were met with much enthusiasm for the COZ!  Aside from COA staff in DC, we could never have been successful without the help of some of our region’s ocean champions, including: Marie Levine, Sheila Dean, Marc Dimov, Jeffrey Hoffberger, Anne Doubilet, Margo Pellegrino, Roland Lewis, Wendy Benchley, Kristen McArdle, Kathy Lacey, Jane Bloom, and Mike Misner. 

The Clean Ocean Zone legislation, which these champions were fighting for in DC last week and thousands of other champions have fought for over the years, is a grass-roots-written bill which would restore, protect, and preserve the natural, chemical, physical, and biological integrity, and the economic potentialities, of the New York/New Jersey Bight through the official federal designation and establishment of the New Jersey/New York “Clean Ocean Zone.”  The Bill will also limit or prohibit damaging industrial activities within the Bight – activities like sand mining, oil drilling, and toxic mud dumping.  The COZ bill protects our local marine ecosystem for the benefit of the fishermen, businesses, surfers, boaters, swimmers, marine mammals, fish, and birds within the NY/NJ Bight.

For more information on the Clean Ocean Zone legislation, visit our website. 

Again, stay tuned for more Clean Ocean Action updates throughout the summer, and stop by our Sandy Hook National Recreation Area office to say hello if you come to the Jersey Shore for vacation!