So far this year, state officials issued advisories for 13 cases of a harmful algal bloom, confirming blooms with a moderate risk of adverse health effects and increased potential for toxins above public health thresholds.
Phil Murphy dedicated $13.5 million and assigned state officials to manage the blooms. Last year, the state provided $4.4 million for their management, and now projects $20 million in principal-forgiveness funds that help municipalities with the cost of capital works like hookups to public sewers.
Reducing nutrient flow in stormwater is the responsibility of municipalities, not the DEP, Ruga argued.
Vic Poretti, a section chief in the DEP’s division of water monitoring and standards, said biological conditions vary from lake to lake and so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.