VENTNOR – The Board of Commissioners Thursday, Sept. 12, introduced an ordinance to establish controls to help eliminate contamination from polycarbonate building products.
Introduction of the ordinance delighted environmental advocates who have been promoting the ordinance to municipalities on Absecon Island and elsewhere as a way to eliminate microplastics contamination of the ground and stormwater system, which is discharged into the Atlantic Ocean.
The ordinance introduction followed the preview Thursday morning of a pilot program to remove microplastics from effluent treated at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority Wastewater Treatment plant in Atlantic City, which accepts sewerage from Atlantic County communities.
Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic debris that pollute the environment, are ingested by fish consumed by humans and are even found in the human body.
PolyGone, a startup company formed by two Princeton graduates, has developed a silicone microplastics filtration system to remove particles as the final step in the wastewater treatment process before it is discharged into the ocean. The process includes using artificial root filters made of silicone to remove particles from the water, which can be collected for upcycling. The grant-funded pilot program will be analyzed and monitored over the next two years in Atlantic City and West County, California. The project includes an educational pavilion where visitors can learn about the life cycle of microplastics and see the operation in real time.
But keeping the particles out of the wastewater system is something that can start in local communities.
Longport already adopted an ordinance, and Margate has passed a resolution requiring building contractors to take protective measures to prevent microplastics contamination at job sites.
“I’m super thrilled to see this,” advocate Sherri Lilienfeld of Sustainable Margate said. “The builders need to understand this is not being done to be mean to them or put restrictions on them. They don’t realize they are breathing it in and it’s all over their clothes, they are taking this home, it’s in their car and their kids get exposed to it.”
The cost of taking protective measures when cutting plastic materials such as Trex and Azek – lining cutting areas with tarps, cutting inside a protective tent, and using vacuum bags on power tool – are minimal and easily purchased online, she said.
Lilienfeld said the Sustainable Downbeach team of volunteers stands ready to assist municipalities that enact such ordinances by providing flyers that can be distributed at the time a contractor pulls a building permit and informing them of the dangers of microplastics contamination and ways to prevent it. Property owners should also be educated about the importance of requiring their contractors to adhere to regulations, and neighbors can pitch-in by reporting infractions to the proper authorities, she said.
“Everyone needs to be involved in enforcement,” she said.
Matt Gove of the Surfrider Foundation South Jersey Chapter attended the meeting via Zoom.
“Containing plastic dust is a no-brainer…and won’t be too much of a hassle for builders,” Gove said.
Sustainable Margate Chairman Steve Jasiecki said he believes containment regulations should be done on a state and national level and the team has contacted state officials about ordinances being approved in South Jersey shore communities, where traditional building materials are being replaced by polycarbonate materials, which are considered to be more weather resistant.
Commissioner of Public Works Lance Landgraf said the ordinance would be regulated under the purview of the Building Department.
“We have already discussed this with (Construction Code Official) Dino (Cavalieri) about it. They are aware it’s coming and that we want to implement it,” he said.
Instructions will be provided to contractors when permits are issues, he said.
“100% compliance is the goal but may not always be achievable,” Mayor Tim Kriebel said.
The city will also get the word out through the city’s website, newsletter and social media platforms, he said.
Contractors will be required to clean up jobsites at the end of each workday to prevent dispersion of wood and plastic contaminants beyond the worksite, and they will be prohibited from blowing the debris into storm drains. They must dispose of the materials collected according to city regulations.
Contractors will be responsible for informing their workers and subcontractors of the requirements. Those who do not adhere to the requirements will face a fine of up to $1,000 for noncompliance.
A public hearing and adoption of the ordinance is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16.
Clean Ocean Action Beach Sweep Dirty Dozen chart shows the most contamination of the ocean and beaches comes from plastic products.Copyright Access Network 2024
