N.J. tells towns not to dump snow in waterways

As many New Jersey officials wonder just what to do with the piles of snow along streets and parking lots, the state has advised them that dumping it in waterways should not be an option.

Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Larry Ragonese said depositing snow in streams and wetlands can be counterproductive.

“We don’t want to end up causing pollution of these waterways that we work hard all year to try to keep clean,” he said Friday. “The last thing we need is for dozens of trucks to be dumping materials that have been accumulating on roads and in parking lots right back into the waters.”

The state has granted one-time exceptions for Harrison, Ridgewood and Newark Airport to get rid of the recent accumulation of snow after determining it would not cause environmental harm. Most cities and towns don’t haul the snow away. They just wait for warmer weather to melt it away.