NJ lawmakers try again on Barnegat Bay pollution limits
New Jersey lawmakers are trying again to impose daily limits on the amount of pollutants that can be allowed to wash into the fragile Barnegat Bay.
Environmental groups say the limits are the only way to truly improve water quality in the bay. But opponents say they could stifle development and economic activity near the waterway.
A state Senate committee advanced a bill Monday that would require the state Environmental Protection Department to study the bay’s water quality.
If it’s determined to be impaired under the federal Clean Water Act, the state would have to set limits on how much pollution caused by phosphorus, nitrates and sediment should be allowed to enter the bay each day.
Gov. Chris Christie vetoed an identical bill in 2010.
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