NJDEP Proposes Consolidation and Amendment of Rules Governing Coastal Development

The June 2 New Jersey Register contained a notice from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) that the agency has proposed to consolidate the existing Coastal Permit Program Rules and Coastal Zone Management rules into one chapter and to make other changes on how development in coastal areas will be permitted in the future.

The proposed rules contain several components that appear to be beneficial for water quality, and also some troubling provisions.  For example, the definition of “dredged material” is modified so that it makes clear that it is not a solid waste under the Solid Waste rules.  This will enable increased beneficial use of dredged materials for beach protection, marsh creation, capping of contaminated soils or sediments, and other projects, as long as the material meets certain criteria.  On the other hand, provisions which will allow “permit by certification” for bulkhead reconstruction and recreational dock and pier construction in lagoons will streamline the process for homeowners and businesses, but eliminates much of the oversight on these types of projects, and fails to encourage natural living shorelines as alternatives.

COA is concerned that the proposed rule changes, which represent the first major overhaul of the coastal rules following Sandy, do not go far enough to address the threats that future climate change and sea level rise pose to our coastal areas – in fact, the phrases “climate change” and “sea level rise” are not mentioned even once in the over 1,000-page document released by the NJDEP.  The proposed rules also include provisions that encourage coastal development, including provisions that enable marina construction and expansion in certain areas of shellfish habitat and the construction of restaurants (non-water dependent uses) in certain new or existing marinas, which can cause increased litter in the marine environment.

A final public hearing will be held on Wednesday, July 9 at 11:00am at the Coastal Education Center of the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, located at 130 Great Bay Boulevard in Tuckerton.  Written comments may be submitted either electronically or via regular mail by August 1, 2014.  Visit www.nj.gov/dep/rules for the full proposal and information on how to submit comments.

COA Comments on NJ Post-Sandy Action Plan

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development is issuing its second round of disaster relief funding to states hit hard by Superstorm Sandy, and New Jersey has been allocated $1.463 billion.  Prior to disbursement of these funds, the State is required to update its action plan that details remaining unmet needs and how this round of funding will be used.  Clean Ocean Action presented oral comments at two of the three public hearings held by the State to solicit input on the amended action plan, and yesterday sent a letter to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs with the following additional comments:


Gabrielle Gallagher

NJ Department of Community Affairs

101 South Broad Street

Post Office Box 800

Trenton, NJ 08625-0800

March 5, 2014

SUBMITTED VIA E-MAIL

RE: New Jersey Action Plan Amendment Number 7, Substantial Amendment for the Second Allocation of CDBG-DR Funds

Dear Ms. Gallagher:

The Christie Administration announced a proposed Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Action Plan to use and distribute $1,463,000,000 in federal funding for Superstorm Sandy disaster recovery through the Department of Community Affairs (DCA).  This allocation represents the second phase of the initial $5,400,000,000 provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 (Public Law 113-2, approved January 29, 2013).

Clean Ocean Action (COA) is a broad-based coalition of 135 conservation, environmental, fishing, boating, diving, student, surfing, women’s, business, service, and community groups, with a mission to improve the degraded water quality of the marine waters off the New Jersey/New York coast.

COA appreciates this opportunity to provide comments on the Action Plan Amendment Number 7, Substantial Amendment for the Second Allocation of CDBG-DR Funds (“Action Plan”).  With this round of Sandy recovery funding, now is the time to think beyond fixing the damage done and look forward toward increasing resiliency.  As a clean ocean is critical to New Jersey’s coastal economies, including tourism and commercial fishing, COA especially urges the State to implement projects that protect and improve water quality in the face of impacts from ongoing and predicted climate change and sea level rise.

COA presents the following comments to the Action Plan:

Sea Level Rise and Climate Change  
As we rebuild our coastal communities, we have an unprecedented opportunity to benefit from lessons learned and implement changes to address future challenges.  Importantly, as directed by HUD, the state must incorporate projections on sea level rise and climate change in its project planning process, to ensure that monies are invested in long-term community resiliency and conservation programs built to evolve with changing conditions and socioeconomic needs.  We applaud the State’s intent to use the NOAA Sea Level Rise predictive tool in developing the infrastructure Flood Hazard Risk Reduction Program.  However, all projects – infrastructure, housing, and business related – must be planned for the inevitability of sea level rise and increases in extreme weather events.  Furthermore, mention of climate change is noticeably absent from the Action Plan; nowhere in its 100 pages is the phrase even mentioned, despite the fact that HUD has directed grantees to employ a risk analysis for infrastructures that “must consider a broad range of information and best available data, including forward-looking analyses of risks to infrastructure sectors from climate change.”  COA urges the State to include information in the Action Plan on how future climate change risks will be incorporated into its infrastructure projects.

Blue Acres Buyout Program
COA applauds the State’s continued funding of the Blue Acres buyout program as a way of providing a natural storm buffer via restoration of coastal areas to their natural states.  Although the value of coastal property is often tied to its development, a State assessment of the value of New Jersey’s natural capital estimated that wetlands contribute $10.6 billion annually to our economy solely for their role in storm surge and flood protection, water filtering and supply, and waste treatment.  The report contains numerous other examples of the benefits healthy coastal ecosystems provide.  The ability of intact natural landscapes to absorb wind, waves, and water can prevent untold damages to land and livelihood, while enhancing nearby property values.  Because of these numerous benefits, COA urges the State to expand the Blue Acres buyout program and continue to appropriate funding to the program in the Action Plan amendment for the third round of Sandy recovery funding and beyond.  Although this program offers promising benefits to flood-prone communities and the environment, the Action Plan does not provide discrete information on how properties are prioritized and ultimately selected for buyouts.  For example, the Action Plan mentions that the State has approved the purchase of 272 properties in Sayreville and South River, but does not indicate why or how these areas were selected.  Transparency is critical to ensuring that residents of flood-prone areas are made aware of their options under the Blue Acres buyout program.

Infrastructure
Infrastructure problems plagued a significant number of New Jerseyans during and after Sandy: 94 wastewater treatment facilities located in all 21 counties experienced failures or disruptions at some point during the storm and over a third of residents were without power for six or more days after the storm.  Not only has New Jersey’s water infrastructure been subject to extreme storms, it has also been subject to inadequate planning and financing to protect, maintain, and upgrade these systems for decades.  The recent storms have brought the attention to the vulnerabilities and the need to support and improve these drinking, stormwater and wastewater systems.  The plan’s prioritization of crucial services such as water and wastewater plants is to be commended; however, rebuilding also provides an opportunity to address chronic development-related problems such as inadequate stormwater management and substandard sewage infrastructure and treatment.  Improving the status and resiliency of our water infrastructure (drinking, wastewater and storm water) is critical for water conservation, protecting public health, reducing flooding, improving water quality, and preventing future system failures – which in turn improves our quality of life and vital tourism industry.  Funds applied to upgrading damaged and aging wastewater treatment and power distribution systems is money well spent, and will provide benefits for all residents for years to come.

Resiliency
Given the limited amount of money going to infrastructure in this round of recovery funding, it is extremely important that the State prioritizes spending of public funds in ways that maximize community and economic resiliency, reduce impervious surfaces to allow water to naturally infiltrate into the ground and reduce pollution, support and promote natural-resource dependent economies, and mandate green infrastructure and sustainable land use planning.  The Action Plan states that in “designing resilient coastal risk reduction projects, the State will assess the feasibility, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of incorporating nature-based infrastructure, including living shorelines, use of wetlands, dunes, and beach nourishment to reduce surge and flood volume.”  As referenced above, New Jersey’s assessment of natural capital has clearly demonstrated that natural systems intrinsically provide great value.  It makes economic sense to use nature-based solutions in building long-term resiliency.  In addition, US Strong, an initiative focused on building support for extreme weather relief and protection, has cited studies that show every one dollar spent in disaster prevention can avert up to nine dollars in clean-up and recovery costs.  We should focus on funding innovative and forward looking measures to protect our coastal communities, including an increased use of natural storm buffers, such as dunes and wetlands, over solely hard structural barriers.

Transparency
The Action Plan mentions extensive research that is on-going within State agencies and at universities.  This research should be focused on assessing the environmental and socioeconomic benefits of investing in long-term community resiliency and conservation programs built to evolve with climate changes and socioeconomic needs.  Research should also be made available to the public, and the State’s decision-making process for prioritizing projects and areas should be transparent and based on the best available data.

Comparison to New York Action Plan
Both New Jersey and New York suffered enormous losses due to Superstorm Sandy.  New Jersey’s second round funding allocation of $1.463 billion represents about 7.6% of the total $19.283 billion in unmet need estimated by the state.  In comparison, New York received more funding this round than New Jersey ($1.595 billion), which represents approximately 10.2% of their total unmet need ($15.710 billion).  Importantly, the New York Action Plan breaks out its assessment of unmet needs into four categories: housing, business, and in three described in the New Jersey Action Plan, and a fourth category called resilience.  The New York Action Plan makes strong references to the importance of considering climate change impacts recovery projects and in planning for the future: “climate change” is mentioned 11 times in the document, whereas the New Jersey Action Plan does not even mention the phrase once.

With respect to increasing resiliency in the face of climate change, New York has taken proactive planning steps and created the New York City Special Initiative on Resiliency and Rebuilding (SIRR), which is “responsible for developing a plan to make New York City more resilient to the impacts of climate change, has also undertaken a massive effort to increase the resiliency of the hardest hit areas.”  The SIRR met with elected officials, organizations, and the public, conducted extensive research and predictive modeling on climate change impacts to the city, and released an over 400-page report in June 2013 that contains over 250 detailed infrastructure and coastal community resiliency building initiatives.  New Jersey should use this initiative as a model for a collaborative, forward thinking planning process and undertake similar assessments of climate related risks to our coastal communities.

Furthermore, New York has recognized the importance of regional collaboration in recovery and planning efforts, as climate change impacts know no political boundaries.  New York City representatives have convened meetings with city representatives from both Connecticut and New Jersey.  The Joint Climate Resilience Committee, formed with partner cities in New Jersey including Jersey City and Hoboken, was formulated to share key information resources and best practices within the region and integrate climate resilience within the consortium’s activities, was not even mentioned in the New Jersey Action Plan.  These regional initiatives should be publicized and continued, to show New Jersey citizens that our state officials are thinking holistically about recovery and integrating programs with our neighboring states.

Conclusion
By making transparent, effective long-term planning decisions that will benefit all New Jerseyans, we can help ensure that this funding is used efficiently and we are prepared for the next storm.  We are interested in working with the State in implementing prospective programs that will improve resiliency and coastal water quality, and look forward to opportunities to meet with you to work toward these goals.

Sincerely,
 
Cindy Zipf
Executive Director

What's Next, One Year After Sandy

Waves of Action Program Culminates with Distinguished Speakers,

Panel Discussions, and Sea Level Rise Survey Results

Full house at McLoone's Pier House in Long Branch

On Saturday, Clean Ocean Action (COA) held a conference with concerned citizens more than one year after Superstorm Sandy at McLoone’s Pier House in Long Branch, New Jersey.

A celebration of the culmination of Waves of Action “For The Shore,” the year-long Sandy response program, the conference highlighted the extraordinary success of Waves of Action volunteers and project leaders, released results of a summer-long survey on sea level rise and accountability, and included panel discussions with distinguished speakers.  Panelists and speakers discussed, ‘What Do Communities Need Now and How Can Volunteers Help?’ and ‘What Resources are Available for Resiliency and Environmental Stewardship?’

One hundred and seventy three citizens were surveyed during the Clean Ocean Action Shore Tips (C.O.A.S.T.) campaign this past summer to garner public opinion about sea level rise and climate change, the impacts from Superstorm Sandy and what citizens believe elected officials and the general public should do in response to sea level rise and climate change.  The results are clear; the majority of the public believe that sea level rise exists and that a broad array of both citizen action and government action are needed to reduce the impacts.  Sea level rise survey and report by Macailagh McCue, 2013 C.O.A.S.T. Intern, 2014 Masters Candidate, James Madison University.

“Over the course of the past summer, COA’s sea level rise survey of the people of the Jersey Shore led to one inescapable conclusion – nearly everyone agrees the climate is changing, the sea is rising and that it’s up to us to make changes in our lives, communities and laws,” said Clean Ocean Action Coastal Policy Attorney Sean Dixon.

“New Jersey Recovery Fund grantees have been doing amazing work throughout the state of NJ to promote a recovery process that is transparent, sustainable, creative and equitable. They are currently serving as watchdogs, healers, educators and leaders to better prepare NJ for future disasters. I look forward to sharing more information about their work with conference participants,” stated Emilio DeLia, New Jersey Recovery Fund Project Manager.

“As the founder and editor of Jersey Shore Hurricane News, I not only report the daily news, but I'm also at the helm of a community of people primarily in Ocean and Monmouth counties. The platform is a community resource and has been intimately involved in the post-Sandy recovery. Accordingly, with the long-term recovery still in its early stages, our communities will continually require a strong communications coalition,” explained Founder of Jersey Shore Hurricane News Justin Auciello.

“Nature is tremendously resilient if given the chance and volunteers can make a big impact,” stated Save Barnegat Bay Executive Director Britta Wenzel.

“The challenge for homeowners that want to rebuild in a more sustainable manner is a lack of resources to support that decision. Many residents are struggling just to rebuild what they had, and often the additive cost of building a more resilient home is prohibitive. Government programs and flood insurance payments should provide additional resources to assist homeowners and businesses build a more sustainable shore community,” said Sea Bright Volunteer Coordinator Frank Lawrence.

"The need was unprecedented, as was the response. But we may just be looking at the tip of an iceberg in future years, an iceberg quickly melting into higher sea levels as it rushes our way," stated NJ Reporter for NBC New York Brian Thompson.

“As time goes on, Superstorm Sandy won’t be given as much media attention, which is why it is important that groups like Clean Ocean Action continue to advocate for what needs to be done in the future.  It is important to restore the shore, but it is most important to think long-term and prevent future damage,” explained US Representative Frank Pallone, New Jersey, 6^th District.

"Clean Ocean Action's comprehensive response to Hurricane Sandy, sea level rise, and extreme weather is impressive.  COA has been front and center engaging shore lovers at the grassroots, businesses, and elected officials to be proactive about our resiliency in the midst of climate change," said Lauren Townsend, NJ Director of US Strong. “Congratulations to COA's board, staff, and activists for accomplishing so much throughout 2013's Waves of Action, and thank you for your counsel and partnership advocating for national action, and the creation of a federal extreme weather relief and protection fund," added Townsend.

“Waves of Action ‘For the Shore’ was Clean Ocean Action coalition’s response to Superstorm Sandy. It has been a remarkable year of challenges and achievements, and there are thousands of stories of tenacity, compassion, resiliency and hope.  We believe the program must now evolve to help move toward restoration—minding the rules of Mother Nature and encouraging environmental stewardship.  Indeed, it’s not really a choice, it’s a mandate,” said Clean Ocean Action Executive Director Cindy Zipf.

Through Waves of Action “For The Shore,” almost 14,000 volunteers have helped to improve and protect the marine environment through 281 projects, with more than 125 different organizations, in over 70 towns in New York and New Jersey.  For more information, visit www.ForTheShore.org.

The Waves of Action Conference was sponsored by Whole Earth Center of Princeton, Montecalvo Recovery Facility, New Jersey 101.5 FM Radio, Barefoot Wine and Bubbly.

The Waves of Action program was sponsored by Aveda, Bloomberg, Dave Matthews Band, Provident Bank Foundation, LUSH Cosmetics, Rebuild Recover, Mickey Hart Band, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, All-State Foundation, Spinach for Rip & Joe Schiavone Foundation, Eileen Fisher, Inc., The Harriet Greenfield Foundation.

Superstorm Sandy-Inspired Education: First 'Virtual Teach-In' on Climate Issues a Success

Photo Credit: Basil Henning

For the November Wave of Action, COA compiled educational materials from national and international sources that creatively and clearly present complex climate issues.  Materials were sorted by topic and age with resources available for K-12.  Topics included Climate Change, Global Warming, Sea Level Rise, Your Carbon Footprint, Greenhouse Gases, and the Science Behind Hurricanes and Superstorm Sandy.

Over 87 educators throughout New York and New Jersey, and even Australia, who represented 77 schools, 6 groups, 1 Cub Scout Troop, and 3 homeschoolers, signed up to bring the resources into their classrooms.

“I envision that in the future these 5th graders could find themselves in a meaningful conversation where they can contribute their ideas in their second language to help the environment.  We stressed in class that these issues were not isolated to New Jersey or to the United States, but rather a global issue that demands we work together internationally,” explained Knollwood School Spanish Teacher Basil Henning.

“Thank you for the abundance of educational information that you provided for my students. I was happy to participate and I believe my students gained tremendous insight into the conditions that set these storms into motion and the devastation that they can cause to the communities that they impact,” stated Woodlynne Public School Science Teacher Renae Vannais.

Climate change education is important every day of the year, especially now in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Many voices around the world are making the connection between the Typhoon and climate change. In fact, the UN Conference on Climate Change is currently meeting in Poland.

Please visit ForTheShore.org to access COA's resources and lesson plans on climate change any day of the year. 

Join us in celebrating the culmination of Waves of Action For The Shore, Clean Ocean Action’s year-long Sandy response program, on Saturday, December 7 from 8:30AM-12:00PM at McLoone’s Pier House in Long Branch, NJ.  Almost 14,000 volunteers (and counting) have helped to improve and protect the marine environment through 281 projects, with more than 100 different organizations, in over 70 towns in New York and New Jersey.  For more information and to reserve your seat at this breakfast event, click here.

Superstorm Sandy Inspired Education: First Virtual 'Teach-In' on Climate Issues November 13-15

Coalition Calling For Teachers to Educate Students on Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, Severe Weather, and Solutions

Clean Ocean Action is inviting teachers, instructors, and educators to participate in a program to bring climate issues into the classroom for three days in November as a part of Waves of Action For The Shore.  The Waves of Action initiative was created after Superstorm Sandy to help coastal communities recover. 

For the November Waves focus, Clean Ocean Action compiled educational materials from national and international sources that creatively and clearly present complex scientific issues.  These resources include videos, activity booklets, and pre-written interactive lesson plans.  Materials are sorted by topic and age groups with resources available for all grades from K-12.  Teachers will also be asked for feedback and input about their experience to help COA gain insights on how to improve climate education initiatives.

“We believe there is something inspiring, cathartic, and exciting about collectively taking part in shared education activities,” said Cindy Zipf, Clean Ocean Action Executive Director. “They bring people together for a common goal; here in the NY/NJ region, education about the impacts from Superstorm Sandy and climate threats are essential to improving our future resiliency and environmental stewardship,” she added.

Registered teachers will be given online resources on the following topics to be presented to their classes any time from Wednesday, November 13^th through Friday, November 15^th:

• Superstorm Sandy: What Do We Know?
• Climate Change/Global Warming
• Sea Level Rise: Cause and Effect
• Climate Change Water Impacts: Droughts, Floods, & Ocean Acidification
• Energy Use, Your Carbon Footprint, & Solutions

“We are asking teachers, scout leaders, school club advisors, and other educators from across New Jersey and New York to take part in the first ‘Virtual Teach-In’ and educate their students during November 13-15,” said Catie Tobin Clean Ocean Action Ocean Advocacy and Education Fellow. “This is a great opportunity for educational leaders in the community to expand understanding of climate issues in an interactive way,” Tobin explained.

To receive information educators are being asked to register on the Waves of Action website, www.ForTheShore.org.  Once registered, they will be sent links to the online educational activities. Teachers will also be asked for feedback and input about the Virtual Teach-In and invited to suggest ideas and activities.  

Four Steps to Get Wise on Sea Level Rise Today

1. Visit NJFloodMapper.org to see flood hazards and the impacts of sea level rise in your community.

2. If you haven’t already, fill out Clean Ocean Action’s sea level rise survey.  COA will begin compiling the survey data on Friday, November 1.  This week is your last chance to add your voice to COA’s survey!

The survey will help gauge public perception on what should be done to prevent sea level-related devastation and who is responsible for resiliency and responsible recovery. The survey will also help measure public understanding of sea level rise.

3. Check out COA’s plan for November Waves of Action: bringing sea level rise into the classroom:

For November’s Waves of Action theme, COA is bringing sea level rise and climate change into the classroom. Currently compiling resources for teachers to utilize, COA is working to create lesson plans based on scientific articles, videos, and websites to help educate our future leaders about the reality of climate change and sea level rise. Educators will be able to register online to receive targeted lesson plans and pledge to teach those lessons on November 13-15 as a part of Waves of Action. For more information, please visit www.ForTheShore.org.

4. Reserve your seat for Clean Ocean Action’s Waves of Action Conference and Awards Breakfast in December. The results of the sea level rise survey will be presented at the Conference on Saturday, December 7.

Turn The Tide On Sea Level Rise

Grassroots Campaign Focuses on 

Tackling Sea Level Rise Awareness

Including Study on Perceptions and Opinions

Today, environmental advocates gathered at Jenkinson’s Boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach to wrap up this year’s C.O.A.S.T. (Clean Ocean Action Shore Tips) Campaign, highlighting the launch of a sea-level rise survey, tip-card for citizens, and a new national initiative called US Strong. 

C.O.A.S.T. is an annual summer outreach campaign that raises awareness among beachgoers and coastal citizens about current ocean pollution and industrialization issues.  The C.O.A.S.T. campaign organizes volunteers to set up and staff information and action tables at beach locations in Monmouth and Ocean Counties on weekend in July and August. This summer, additional tables were set up at festivals as several beaches could not accommodate the campaign due to complications from Superstorm Sandy. Despite the setbacks from the storm, the volunteers were able to reach hundreds of citizens at dozens of locations. Volunteers also sold campaign merchandise to raise funds for Clean Ocean Action’s efforts to stop ocean pollution.

It has been nearly ten months since Superstorm Sandy devastated the Jersey Shore. What Sandy destroyed in 36 hours will take years to restore. This summer’s C.O.A.S.T. campaign focused on educating the public about the imminent threat of sea level rise in an effort to prevent the same kind of destruction from occurring again. At each table a new card from Clean Ocean Action’s “10 Tips” series were given out that outlines what steps the public can take to protect themselves from such devastation in the future.

“Until recently, many New Jerseyans were unaware of what climate change meant to them; it was a vague term that had no face,” said Cindy Zipf, Executive Director of Clean Ocean Action. “Superstorm Sandy gave us a harsh devastating glimpse of the threats and realities of sea level rise, but we now have a window of opportunity to help inform citizens about what is at stake and how they can prepare and respond to keep them safe from future storms,” Zipf added.

Yesterday, Governor Christie and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan called for creating more resilient communities through long term planning. This year’s C.O.A.S.T. campaign got to the grassroots of that endeavor. The campaign provided coastal citizens with the tools to become more aware of the pressing issues related to sea level rise.

“Clean Ocean Action's work to educate the public about the threat and reality of sea level rise is vital," said Lauren Townsend, New Jersey Director of US Strong. "Between sea level rise and extreme weather events like Superstorm Sandy, we need real protections and disaster relief to protect our communities. Establishing a federal extreme weather relief and protection fund will help vulnerable communities respond to sea level rise and extreme weather events that are becoming common place across the nation.  Acting now will save money and, more importantly, save lives."

The C.O.A.S.T. campaign also launched Clean Ocean Action’s new citizen’s survey on sea level rise. The survey will gauge public perception on what should be done to prevent sea level-related devastation, and whose responsibility it is.

“The Jersey Shore bounced back from the storm with the kind of resilience and determination that you would expect from New Jerseyans,” said Macailagh McCue, Clean Ocean Action’s C.O.A.S.T. Intern, “however there is a great deal of rebuilding and planning that still needs to be done. The citizen’s survey will help Clean Ocean Action to determine what the best actions are moving forward, and who should be responsible for protecting our homes and communities from this kind of catastrophe in the future.”

To fill out the survey and voice your opinion on this important issue, click here or call Clean Ocean Action at (732) 872-0111 for more information.

Jersey Girl Returns Home for the Summer from JMU

Macailagh McCue - James Madison University Class of 2013 - Summer COAST Intern

While I was always interested in environmental issues when I was younger, I didn't discover my love for environmental policy until my senior year of high school. Taking AP Environmental Science taught me a lot, and opened my eyes to the impact that I was personally having on the environment. While in college, I studied public policy and political science, but after interning at the EPA in Washington, DC, I knew that I wanted to work in the environmental field. I recently graduated from James Madison University in Virginia, and will return in the fall as a graduate student pursuing a Master of Public Administration degree.

I've lived near the beach my whole life and my friends at school know how badly I miss it during the year. Being in Virginia was hard for me when Superstorm Sandy hit because I knew that my friends and family at home were struggling so badly. All I wanted for weeks was to come home and help, so I’m happy that this summer I can work for an organization that allows me to do my part to help the shore and the ocean.

I have been working at Clean Ocean Action for almost a month and have learned so much about ocean pollution issues. For my internship I am coordinating this year’s C.O.A.S.T (Clean Ocean Action Shore Tips) campaign. It’s an outreach campaign that allows COA to inform beachgoers about important ocean issues, such as LNG and sea level rise. If you’d like to volunteer with this year’s campaign, email me at Coast@CleanOceanAction.org!