New Jersey “Abnormally Dry” October – Are We Heading Into Drought? And Why Don’t You Know About This or Any Other Environmental Problem?
Where Is the Update of the NJ Water Supply Master Plan?
Climate Change Will Increase Extreme Weather – More Floods AND More Droughts
Christie Administration in Denial and Pre-election Suppression Mode
Christie Imposed a Statewide Gag On DEP Until After the Election
[Update – 10/30/13 – The Star Ledger finally covers the issue, as usual, the story relies exclusively on the State weatherman who again downplays the significance, fails to mention that reservoir levels are just one drought indicator, and of course, not even a hint that this is another facet of extreme weather linked to climate change, see: N.J. dry spell continues, but reservoirs remain at acceptable levels]
The most recent NOAA Drought Monitor regional Northeast Drought Monitor classifies most of NJ as “abnormally dry”.
But, curiously, the NJ DEP “drought indicators”, last updated October 13, 2013, do not show this abnormal pre-drought condition.
The lag in DEP drought indicator data is not quite as bad as the multi-year delay in releasing the legislatively mandated update of the Statewide Water Supply Master Plan.
We have been told that DEP Commissioner Martin does not welcome any “bad news” and that the Goveror’s Office has blocked any DEP staff attendance at public events until after the election.
The Governor doesn’t want any repeats of things like the Roxbury Fenimore Landfill fiasco – which, among many other things explains why the Department of Health and Human Services has refused to present its health study findings in Pompton Lakes. Residents there are fed up with delays in releasing that data and have blasted NJ DHSS managers:
Thank you for your response but as you know the scheduling of a public meeting to release the results of the Pompton Lakes’ DuPont Plume Household Health Survey results began with communication in 2011/2012 with talk of scheduling a public meeting to release this information time and time again.
The fact that this information has not been released to the public yet is not only astounding but totally inexcusable. Since so much time has gone by, the only remedy is to schedule the Open Public meeting Immediately along with a Health CAG meeting. The Health CAG has not met since 2011 as you know and the members are never the same as we both know.
The public has waited far too long to receive this information that is critical to the health, safety and overall well-being of their families.
I have yet to hear a justifiable and logical reason for as to why the release of this information is being held up.
Respectfully,
Lisa Riggiola
Executive Director
Citizens For A Clean Pompton Lakes
Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442
But, ah, what’s a little suppression of public health info? (snark)
So, let’s get back to the abnormally dry conditions.
I am reluctant to post this datas because in May, I suggested that perhaps the State was slipping into an early drought, just before record late spring and summer rainfalls emerged! We wouldn’t want to be accused of crying wolf!!
Regardless, the people of NJ deserve to be aware of current conditions – at a minimum, DEP is again falling down on that job.
More likely, the failure of the DEP to update drought status reports is part of a coordinated state government wide policy of the Christie Administration to withhold and suppress any “bad news” in the runup to the election.
We’ve had this political suppression confirmed by DEP sources and NJ academics who work closely with the DEP on environmental science and data.
Who knows, after reading this, some intrepid journalist might just consider how much “bad news” DEP scientists are sitting on and forced to suppress at the direction of management – and file OPRA requests to get it and report it to the people of NJ who have a right to know.
Like what else could explain the NJDHSS delay in meeting with the people of Pompton Lakes?