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U.S. NEWS Friday 4 august 2017
Judge orders halt to New Jersey sand dune project

following the devastation of water from the ponds
that Superstorm Sandy found “off the charts” lev-
caused in 2012. But Mar- els of bacterial contamina-
gate has opposed it as tion. He said two lifeguards
unnecessary and harmful had contracted bacte-
to its shoreline, and now rial infections by sloshing
a public health hazard. through the dirty water
When weekend storms this week, and are out sick
dumped nearly a half foot from work. The water from
of rain on Margate, water the ponds was pumped
quickly collected in exca- into the ocean, but David
vated areas between the Apy, assistant state attor-
dunes and the wooden ney general, said samples
bulkhead that separates of ocean water were 90
oceanfront homes from percent below the level
the sand. Some were two needed to order beach
or more feet deep, and lin- closings. He did, however,
gered until the Army Corps acknowledge that digging
began pumping them out the retention ponds behind
on Tuesday. Most of the the dunes to the depth
water had been removed that was done might have
by Thursday, although the been too much, raising the
areas where it had been level of groundwater on
remained sodden. Beck- the beach and giving the
er said the city’s testing runoff no place to go. q
This July 31, 2017 photo shows beachgoers crossing over large
ponds of water on the beach in Margate N.J., days after heavy
rains created large ponds of standing water on the beach. On
Thursday Aug. 3, 2017, a judge ordered the immediate shutdown
of the sand dune construction project that caused the water to
collect on the beach, and gave the federal, state and local
governments a week to come up with an engineering solution.
(AP Photo/Wayne Parry)
By WAYNE PARRY Becker said. “It’s the right
Associated Press thing to do. To allow them
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — to continue to do some-
A judge on Thursday shut thing that’s not working is
down a government sand- wrong.” The city’s govern-
dune construction project ment voted on Wednes-
in New Jersey that created day to seek a court order
huge ponds of bacteria- forcing the state Depart-
laden water and blocked ment of Environmental
off access to parts of the Protection to immedi-
beach. Superior Court ately halt the work, which
Judge Julio Mendez said has covered about half
he was horrified by photos of the 2-mile (3.2-kilome-
showing “lake-like” ponds ter) long beachfront. The
of standing water on the mayor estimated about a
beach in Margate for days third of the beachfront is
following heavy rains last inaccessible to beachgo-
weekend. He agreed that ers. The ponds of standing
residents of the town just water were exactly what
south of Atlantic City are Margate residents had
suffering irreparable harm warned of in previous, un-
and that the situation can- successful litigation against
not be allowed to be made the government’s plan to
worse, and said he is halt- build the protective sand
ing the project for at least a dunes there. Although the
week. “Some of those pho- U.S. Army Corps of Engi-
tos are pretty horrendous,” neers was not a defen-
Mendez said. “It’s lake-like dant in Thursday’s court
ponding causing tremen- action, the judge ordered
dous difficulty. Something that they be added to the
went really bad here. The case. The New Jersey state
bottom line is this needs to attorney general’s office
be corrected.” The judge and the U.S. Attorney’s Of-
ordered all sides to work fice, on behalf of the Army
out a remedial plan, to Corps, declined comment.
be presented to him next The work is part of a state-
Thursday. “I’m ecstatic,” wide effort to protect New
Margate Mayor Michael Jersey’s 127-mile coastline