EnviroPolitics Blog

Warnings issued for harmful algae blooms on NJ’s Lake Hopatcong

By MIKE CONDON STAFF WRITER, NJ Hills Media Group

Days and days of soaring temperatures have brought harmful algae blooms – or HAB’s – back to Lake Hopatcong.

Kyle Richter, executive director of the Landing-based Lake Hopatcong Foundation said on Thursday that on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP’s) HAB Dashboard, there are six “Advisory Warnings” on Lake Hopatcong.

“Two of these have impacted swimming at beaches but have not impacted recreational uses on the rest of the lake and the lake is open,” he said.

“These HABs we have experienced this year are not widespread and are in isolated areas. Weather patterns this summer have not been kind,” he said, referring to the excessive and ongoing heat.

“We did receive word that sampling at Hopatcong State Park from earlier this week came back positive and swimming at Hopatcong State Park should be opening back up today and that the fountain should also be turned back on today as well,” he said.

Access the DEP dashboard here

If you liked this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Please do not take our word for it, try it free for an entire month. No obligation.

Warnings issued for harmful algae blooms on NJ’s Lake Hopatcong Read More »

Four-year survey of New York Bight finished for offshore wind farm

*The Fugro Enterprise at its berth in New Jersey. Fugro says its has recently completed a four-year program of site surveys for Atlantic Shores offshore wind projects. Fugro photo.*

By Work Boat staff

Geotechnical data company Fugro says it has completed a four-year program of continuous survey operations in the New York Bight for Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, covering five project sites across three lease areas totaling 1,000 square kilometers.

The red hull of the 170’x40’x11’ survey vessel Fugro Enterprise has been a familiar sight to mariners during those years. During the effort, Fugro says, it “worked with Atlantic Shores to pioneer a new data collection and management approach that increased survey efficiency by 30%.”

That contributed to the recent federal approval of Atlantic Shores South, aiming for a turbine array with a nameplate rating of 2,800 megawatts. The developers, a joint venture of Shell New Energies US LLC and EDF-RE Offshore Development, LLC. Under the partners’ plan the first turbines off Long Beach Island and Brigantine, N.J., would be followed by building on other leases in deeper water farther east.

“Traditionally, offshore wind site assessments have required multiple independent campaigns to gather oceanographic, seabed, soil and habitat data,” according to a statement from Fugro. The company says it consolidated and streamlined the process into “a single, integrated program aligned with Atlantic Shores’ portfolio strategy.”

Read the full story here

Four-year survey of New York Bight finished for offshore wind farm Read More »

68.2 million people in the U.S. may be exposed to dangerous heat

Caution: 80° to 90°21% Extremecaution90° to 103°21% Dangerous103° to 125° Lowrisk< 80°F

By Naema Ahmed and John Muyskens, Washington Post

Forecast as of August 8 at 12:00 p.m.

The Post is tracking the potential for dangerous heat using the heat index, which accounts for the combined impact of temperature and humidity — the higher the humidity, the more difficult it is for the body to cool itself off through sweating.

Heat index forecast for today

Heat index is a measure of how hot it feels outside. It includes air temperature and humidity.CautionExtremeDangerousExtremelycautiondangerous80°90°103°125°F

Heat index forecast today

Heat index forecast, day 1

Saturday

Aug. 10

Heat index forecast, day 2

Sunday

Aug. 11

Heat index forecast, day 3

Monday

Aug. 12

Heat index forecast, day 4

Tuesday

Aug. 13

Heat index forecast, day 5

Wednesday

Aug. 14

Heat index forecast, day 6

Extreme heat kills more people in the United States than any other weather hazard, and the risk of longer and more frequent heat waves is only expected to increase as climate change worsens. Heat disorders such as heat stroke, heat cramps and heat exhaustion are possible with any extended exposure to a heat index at or above 90 degrees.

Heat illness can set in quickly — in as little as 10 to 15 minutes — when your body overheats and can’t properly cool itself off. This can lead to muscle cramps or spasms, heavy sweating, weakness or tiredness, abnormal pulse rate, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headache, confusion, fainting, loss of consciousness or death.

68.2 million people in the U.S. may be exposed to dangerous heat Read More »

New York proposes changes to endangered and threatened rules

Proposed Rulemaking Updates Status of Listed Freshwater Fishes, Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog, and Other Federally Protected Species

“DEC’s ongoing efforts to protect and restore threatened and endangered species are improving conservation status for several fish species, while others are recovering thanks to improved water quality across the state,” DEC Interim Commissioner Mahar said. “At the same time, DEC is noting declines in the conservation status of some vulnerable species due to climate change or loss of habitat. I encourage New Yorkers to comment on this draft regulation and help ensure the State’s full regulatory protection is applied appropriately statewide.”

New York’s list of endangered and threatened species was last updated in 1999, and does not currently reflect best available information on the distribution of species or their conservation status. The proposal released today is the first in a series of rulemakings to update the overall threatened and endangered species list and DEC anticipates addressing groups of related species in separate rulemakings over the next two years.

The current proposed rulemaking will update the status of freshwater fishes based on research by DEC and partners over the last 25 years. Status assessment information for species addressed in this rulemaking is available on DEC’s website.

DEC is holding two virtual public hearing sessions on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. The draft regulations and details for the hearing and comment period are available on DEC’s website.

Comments will be accepted through 5 p.m. on Oct. 18, 2024, and must be submitted in writing to rarefish@dec.ny.gov (subject: “Endangered Species”) or to: NYSDEC, Attn: Lisa Holst, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4753.

Additional background information on New York’s endangered species regulations is also available on DEC’s website.

New York proposes changes to endangered and threatened rules Read More »

Prominent rooftop solar installer SunPower files bankruptcy

By Derick Lila, PV Buzz

SunPower, once a leading name in rooftop solar installation, has filed for bankruptcy amid high interest rates and allegations of financial misconduct.

The company’s stock has plummeted nearly 90% this year, leading to a major restructuring effort.

Can SunPower’s struggles offer insights into the broader challenges faced by the solar industry today?

In its bankruptcy filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, SunPower reported assets and liabilities ranging between $1 billion and $10 billion. TotalEnergies, a major stakeholder, holds a significant portion of the company.

The bankruptcy filing comes as the company plans to sell its Blue Raven Solar and new homes businesses, along with its non-installing dealer network, to Complete Solaria for $45 million, pending court approval. SunPower is aiming for court approval by mid-September and intends to sell its remaining assets through the bankruptcy process.

The residential solar sector has faced challenges due to high interest rates, which have dampened demand and left companies with excess inventory.

However, SunPower’s troubles are further compounded by allegations of misconduct.

Read the full story here

Prominent rooftop solar installer SunPower files bankruptcy Read More »

Enviro group threatens suit to rescue ‘Dinosaurs of the Delaware’

The Atlantic sturgeon is federally protected as an endangered species but isn’t on New Jersey’s endangered species list. Photo by Andrew S. Lewis, Delaware Riverkeeper Network

By Dana DiFilippo newjerseymonitor.com

The torpedo-shaped Atlantic sturgeon is such an old fish it’s sometimes called a living fossil.

But the endangered Jurassic-era fish is disappearing fast, and New Jersey is poised to play a pivotal role in its extinction, according to environmentalist Maya van Rossum.

“This is an ancient species that has been around since the time of the dinosaurs. It has survived every cataclysmic event on Earth, but now it may be driven to extinction because of the actions of people,” van Rossum said. “We are morally responsible to take actions to correct the behaviors that are resulting in the driving of this species to extinction.”

The Delaware River’s population of Atlantic sturgeon is the most imperiled in the world, with less than 250 spawning adults left — down from more than 200,000 in the late 1800s, van Rossum said.

They’re dying in droves for multiple reasons, including vessel strikes, waters warmed by climate change, and development and dredging projects that ruin their habitat, van Rossum said.

But in her letters alerting federal and state officials of her intent to sue, she focuses on two other problems where she accused officials of failing to act — water pollution and commercial fisheries’ bycatch.

Read the full story here

Enviro group threatens suit to rescue ‘Dinosaurs of the Delaware’ Read More »

Warnings issued for harmful algae blooms on NJ’s Lake Hopatcong

Four-year survey of New York Bight finished for offshore wind farm

68.2 million people in the U.S. may be exposed to dangerous heat

New York proposes changes to endangered and threatened rules

Prominent rooftop solar installer SunPower files bankruptcy

Enviro group threatens suit to rescue ‘Dinosaurs of the Delaware’

Subscribe For Latest Updates