Rep. Gottheimer calls for emergency investment to combat algae blooms

New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer is calling for an emergency investment to help combat dangerous algae blooms.

News 12 Staff

Jan 23, 2020, 10:56 PM

Updated 1,768 days ago

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New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer is calling for an emergency investment to help combat dangerous algae blooms.
New Jersey officials announced last year that $13 million would be used to match communities across the state to combat the issue. But Gottheimer says that some lakes lack the resources needed to match that investment.
"To combat environmental crisis, we just can't help some. We need to help all. Greenwood Lake, which is shared by New York and New Jersey, only receives about $20,000 a year from Passaic and Orange counties. Their biggest expenses already include managing everything from stump removal to water monitoring,” Gottheimer said.
Nearly 40 lakes in New Jersey tested positive for harmful algae blooms last year, including Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey’s biggest lake. The beaches around that lake were closed for most of the summer – causing many who earned a living surrounding the lake to lose out on summer business.