OFFICIAL SITE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14, 2004

Contact: Elaine Makatura
(609) 292-2994

DEP COMMISSIONER ISSUES NOTICE OF CLOSURE
FOR CERTAIN OCEAN COUNTY SHELLFISH BEDS

Approximately 1,350 Acres Affected

(04/144) TRENTON — New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bradley Campbell today announced the immediate closure to harvesting of approximately 1,350 acres of shellfish beds in Barnegat Bay, Ocean County. The closure is to guard against the potential for release of sewage during the Ocean County Utilities Authority’s (OCUA) scheduled repairs on the wastewater discharge line from its treatment plant in Bayville. The wastewater discharge pipe carries treated wastewater effluent into the ocean.

During one of OCUA’s integrity tests of its pressurized wastewater lines earlier this year, the utility discovered a leak in the outfall line that was immediately repaired with a temporary plug. OCUA is now preparing to repair the pipe permanently, necessitating the temporary closure of the neighboring shellfish beds during the repairs.

The affected section of pipe is located approximately 1,400 feet west of South Seaside Park in Barnegat Bay. The waters affected by the shellfish bed closure are south of Toms River and Seaside Heights.

The DEP will be monitoring the surrounding shellfish waters during the repair and will reopen the shellfish beds as soon as water quality levels meet approved criteria.

A copy of the Notice of Closure is presented below.

Richard J. Codey Acting Governor

Department of Environmental Protection

Bradley M. Campbell Commissioner

CLOSURE OF SHELLFISH BEDS

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
LAND USE MANAGEMENT

Public Notice of the Closure of Shellfish Beds Potentially Dangerous to Health

Pursuant to statutory authority granted the Department of Environmental Protection appearing at N.J.S.A 13:1B-4 and 58:24-1 et seq., and to assure that the public health is not imperiled by the consumption of shellfish that may be subject to pollution or to any other conditions which may render shellfish dangerous to health because of degraded water quality resulting from the release of sewage into the waters of Barnegat Bay in Ocean County during the repair of a broken main, the Department hereby condemns and prohibits the harvesting of all shellfish from those State waters previously classified as Approved and Seasonally Approved in the Barnegat Bay area, specifically:

Those waters of Barnegat Bay east of a line starting at the western end of the municipal pier off 5th Avenue in Seaside, then bearing approximately 255° T to QR "38", then bearing approximately 193°T to Fl G 4s "39"PA, then bearing approximately 97°T to a cupola on Island Beach and terminating.

This prohibition shall take effect immediately and continue until FURTHER NOTICE.

Waters involved in the Closure