Kayakers protesting against PSE&G river plant
BORDENTOWN CITY An environmental armada of kayaks paddled up the Delaware River on Columbus Day Monday to protest pollution from a PSE&G power plant on Duck Island.
Paddlers from the New Jersey Sierra Club and Environment New Jersey and other activists left Bordentown Beach at 12:45 p.m. on the four-mile trip and arrived outside the plant shortly after 2 p.m. to demonstrate in the river with signs.
They want the state to force the coal-fired plant to install cooling towers to lower the temperature of river water used in power generation. The state renewed the plant's permit without requiring towers.
When water is discharged back to the river from the plant, it is superheated and contains contaminants that pollute the river and kill fish, said Sierra Club Executive Director Jeff Tittel.
Tittel said those fish include Atlantic and short-nose sturgeon, which recently were listed as endangered.
"We are here today to paddle into action to force the (Department of Environmental Protection) to do its job, which is to protect the Delaware River, its fisheries and ecosystem. For far too long, the DEP has allowed the Mercer Generating Station to pollute the river, killing 70 million fish and other organisms a year, including 30 fish species."
He called the plant a "hazard" that pollutes the river with metals and other contaminants such as arsenic, boron, cadmium, mercury and selenium.
The plant is north of two major water supply intakes in Delran and Philadelphia for drinking water for 4 million people.
The activists also urged PSE&G to end its support of the PennEast Pipeline, a project they say would threaten the river and entire river valley.
One of the kayakers was Margo Pellegrino of Medford Lakes, an environmentalist who kayaked from Newark to Chicago between May and July.
"We're here to make a stink about our stinky water," she said. "Pollution is there, it's real, and it needs to stop for the sake of our kids' health and the health of future generations."
Judie Weirr of Medford and Carolyn Savarese and Charles Fisher, both of Columbus, were among the kayakers, many of whom were senior citizens.
"I'm opposed to what the generating station is doing to the environment and I'm also against (natural gas) fracking," said Fisher, an 80-year-old retired high school biology teacher.
In June, the Sierra Club submitted to the state a notice of intent to sue over what it considers violations of the Endangered Species Act. The club also beleives the plant violates the federal Clean Water Act, The 1960s-built plant predates the act, which Congress adopted in 1972.
Doug O'Malley, director of Environment New Jersey, sad the plant is a "fossil-fuel dinosaur" that should be shut down. "Today’s floating flotilla should send a clear message that if DEP isn’t going to hold PSE&G accountable for antiquated technology, the public will."
PSE&G has taken major steps to improve its operation, its officials said.
“We have worked to maintain our reputation as good stewards of the environment,” said PSE&G spokesman Michael Jennings, adding that the utility has spent hundreds of millions of dollars installing air pollution systems as of 2010.
In addition, he said. a screening technology has been installed that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified as the best method for reducing impact on aquatic life.
He said the screens prevent fish from getting pulled into the cooling system with river water and also have a water spray to force fish back into the river if they get caught.
Carol Comegno: (856) 486-2473; ccomegno@gannett.com