What's Causing Muddy Water In Barnegat Bay?

When members of the state Senate and Assembly gather in Lavallette Monday morning for environmental hearings related to the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, members of Save Barnegat Bay will be on hand urging attention to what it believes is a failed discharge pipe.

The meeting of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee and the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee begins at 10 a.m. at the Lavallette First Aid Building, 1207 Bay Boulevard, Lavallette. The committees are scheduled to hear testimony on the cleanup of the refuge after Superstorm Sandy. The committees also are scheduled to hear testimony on the need for soil restoration standards, according to the state Legislature’s website.

But an area of brown water in Barnegat Bay that appears to extend for a few blocks will be brought up by Save Barnegat Bay, the group said on its Facebook page.

The group says it believes the water is the result of the failure of a pump station in Seaside Park; but the exact cause is not known. Save Barnegat Bay, which says it has taken water samples for testing, is concerned the water contains pollutants or sewage.

“This is not on the agenda,” for Monday’s meeting, a post on the group’s Facebook page says, ”but we WILL be talking about it and encourage YOU to come out too!”