For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2010
Happy Earth Day!
Environmental movement is 40 years old today
Monmouth County is actively pursuing a cleaner,
healthier environment
FREEHOLD, NJ – Forty years ago, Americans were slurping leaded gasoline through V8 engines, industry was belching smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences and air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. In fact, the word “environment” appeared more often in spelling bees than on the evening news. Earth Day 1970 turned that around.
On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate the need for a healthier environment. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests for a cleaner environment and groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.
“Forty years after the first Earth Day the world is in even greater trouble,” said Freeholder John D’Amico, who has focused the county’s attention on green technologies in recent years. “Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, it also presents an unprecedented opportunity to build a healthy, prosperous, clean energy economy now and for the future.”
While New Jersey is still combating air and water pollution and dealing with Superfund sites that have yet to be cleaned up, there is a lot Monmouth County residents can be proud of since the birth of the environmental movement 40 years ago, D’Amico said.
“From Monmouth County’s perspective, we are making systemic changes that will lessen the carbon footprint we leave on the world,” D’Amico said. “We are driving more hybrid vehicles that use less gasoline, using bio-diesel fuel to power our heavy equipment, spreading environmentally friendly rock salt during winter storms, and we are exploring using solar panels on our rooftops.”
“Monmouth County is also a leader in the preservation of open space,” Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry said. “By protecting farmland we maintain the viability of agriculture in the region and keep spaces open and green. By protecting land for parks we secure healthy, natural habitats that support diverse wildlife, limit overdevelopment and urban sprawl and make wise use of resources that contribute to the high quality of life in Monmouth County.”
More than 16,600 acres of land are preserved for county park, recreation and open space purposes. The county also has more than 12,500 acres of permanently protected farmland through the county’s farmland preservation program administered by the Planning Board.
“Earth Day is a day when we can take stock in what we have accomplished and think about what we want to accomplish in the years ahead,” Freeholder Deputy Director Robert D. Clifton said. “The county has made great strides toward protecting the environment and using renewable energy. We are now looking at solar technologies and other environmentally friendly ways of doing things.”
The county is reaping the benefits of renewable energy at the Reclamation Center in Tinton Falls, where naturally produced methane gas is being converted into electricity – enough to power the entire operation at the Reclamation Center. The county is also planting wild flowers and allowing selected areas to return to their natural growth habitats, which reduces areas of grass to mow.
“The Department of Public Works and Engineering has shown us how changing the way we do things, whether it is recycling or our choice of fuel, not only helps the environment but also produces a revenue stream for the county that we otherwise would not have,” Freeholder John P. Curley said.
The Board of Chosen Freeholders created a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Committee in 2008 that operates under the direction of the Monmouth County Planning Board. The committee is preparing an Energy Action Plan that will address ways to reduce energy and energy costs throughout the county.
For example, the Planning Board is coordinating an energy efficiency block grant of $4.2 million to use for county projects to reduce greenhouse gasses and energy consumption. The county is already using part of that grant to install energy efficient LED traffic lights at county intersections.
“Due to the county’s regional perspective in transportation planning, water conservation and wastewater and solid waste management, the county can play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” D’Amico said. “The economic arguments for implementing climate stabilization solutions are compelling, from near-term gains of energy efficiency to long-term climate protection initiatives. It all adds up to reducing the impact of greenhouse house emissions.”
“These are large-scale projects that county government is involved in,” Freeholder Amy A. Mallet said. “There are a number of smaller – yet no less important – ways in which residents can change or alter their behavior that will have a positive impact on the environment, such as unplugging electrical devices when they are not in use or switching to energy efficient light bulbs in your home.”
In addition, here some environmentally friendly county activities residents can participate in:
- Paper shredding events conducted by the Planning Department
Call 732-431-7460 for more information
o April 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Asbury Park at City Hall on Main Street
o May 22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Freehold Twp. at Town Hall on Schanck Road
- Backyard composting workshops conducted by the Planning Department
Call 732-431-7460 to register and for more information
o April 29 at 7 p.m. in Freehold Township
- Earth Day Celebration with the Park System
Many ways to celebrate spring and outdoor activities – for more info, call 732-842-4000
- April 24 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. is Earth Day at Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center, Howell
- April 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is the annual Plant Swap at Deep Cut Gardens, Middletown
- April 24 and 25 from 12 noon to 3 p.m. are Sheep Sheering and Wool Days at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel
- Arbor Day Tree Plantings
Coordinated by the county Shade Tree Commission as part of its Tree City USA program – for more information, call 732-431-7903
- April 30 at 10 a.m. at the Sea Girt Elementary School, Sea Girt (Ginko tree)
- April 30 at 1 p.m. at the Joseph J. Catena School, Freehold Township (Maple tree)
- Reclamation Center Appointments - make an appointment to get rid of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, thinners, pool chemicals, used motor oil, anti-freeze and more.
- Hazardous waste disposal appointments are available year-round at the county’s Household Hazardous Waste facility at 3211 Shafto Rd. in Tinton Falls. For information, hours and to make an appointment, call 732-922-2234.
# # #