Lion's office will be closed on Friday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. For help with online training, please contact support@lion.com.
Search

New Jersey DEP Announces Plans to Reclassify Rivers in Sussex County

Posted on 3/22/2019 by Lauren Scott

The NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced earlier this month a plan to upgrade the classification and regulations related to hundreds of miles of rivers and streams in Sussex County and beyond.
 
In a statement on March, 4, DEP Commissioner Catherine McCabe unveiled a proposal to reclassify parts of several major rivers and their tributaries to Category One. The Category One designation requires stringent water quality standards for any waste water discharged to the waterways. These areas will also be given 300-foot development buffers as part of the Flood Hazard Area Control Act to protect threatened and endangered wildlife in the area.
 
This reclassification includes parts of Wallkill, Paulinskill, and Pequest Rivers in Sussex and Warren Counties as well as other rivers throughout the state. In total, the DEP proposes to upgrade 734 waterway miles for their “exceptional ecological value” and 53 miles for their “exceptional fishery resources” with 38 miles overlapping in both categories. These changes will serve as amendments to the Surface Water Quality Standards Rule.
 
The new designations will also benefit many tributaries and streams feeding to the reclassified portions of the rivers, including a Wallkill River tributary in nearby Sparta, NJ, according to the rule proposal published in the New Jersey Register.
 
The classification system began in 1985 in order to protect bodies of water integral to wildlife habitats and trout production. The last time NJ waterways were reclassified was back in 2008, when the state designated 686 miles of rivers and streams to Category One.
 

Let Your Voice Be Heard

The reclassification poses more stringent regulations for companies that dispose wastewater in these areas. In fact, the Category 1 status prevents any degradation in water quality for the rivers, streams, and tributaries affected by the reclassification.
The DEP will hold a public hearing on April 8 at 1 p.m. in the NJ Forensic Science Technology Center Auditorium to discuss the changes. The period for public comments is open from now until May 3.
 

Environmental Training in Sparta, NJ 

Join Lion Technology in Sparta, NJ for expert-led training to simplify environmental and hazardous materials compliance. Reserve your seat now and take part in interactive workshops now approved for continuing education credits for Licensed Site Remediation Professionals (LSRPs).

Network with professionals from a wide range of industries who know the challenges you face. You will develop a step-by-step approach to identify and comply with the hazmat transportation and EPA hazardous waste, air, water, and chemical regulations that impact your facility.  Join us for one of our other upcoming courses and stay up to date on the latest regulations while learning close to home.  
See the full schedule of workshops at Lion.com/Sparta.
 

Tags: DEP, environment, New Jersey, NJ, river, Sussex County

Find a Post

Compliance Archives

Lion - Quotes

I attended training from another provider and learned absolutely nothing. Lion is much better. Hands down.

Nicole Eby

Environmental Specialist

I will never go anywhere, but to Lion Technology.

Dawn Swofford

EHS Technician

Excellent course. Very interactive. Explanations are great whether you get the questions wrong or right.

Gregory Thompson

Environmental, Health & Safety Regional Manager

The instructor was very dedicated to providing a quality experience. She did her best to make sure students were really comprehending the information.

Stephanie Venn

Inventory Control Specialist

The instructor was very engaging and helped less experienced people understand the concepts.

Steve Gall

Safety Leader

The instructor was very very informative, helpful, understandable and pleasant. This course answered many questions I had, being new to this industry.

Frances Mona

Shipping Manager

Convenient; I can train when I want, where I want.

Barry Cook

Hazmat Shipping Professional

The exercises in the DOT hazardous materials management course are especially helpful in evaluating your understanding of course information.

Morgan Bliss

Principal Industrial Hygienist

This course went above my expectations from the moment I walked in the door. The instructor led us through two days packed with useful compliance information.

Rachel Stewart

Environmental Manager

Lion is at the top of the industry in compliance training. Course content and structure are updated frequently to make annual re-training enjoyable. I like that Lion has experts that I can contact for 1 year after the training.

Caroline Froning

Plant Chemist

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

In-flight hazmat incidents can be disastrous. This guide gives 5 tips for first-time air shippers to consider before offering dangerous goods for transportation on passenger or cargo aircraft.

Latest Whitepaper

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.