Trenton, NJ -- When the Governor delivered his State of the State on Tuesday, January 17, the outcry for clean water and against current efforts to rollback key protections has increased.

While the state's environmental community, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and leading media outlets have been highlighting the fast tracking of "The Dirty Water Bill" (S3156/A4335) for over a month, former Governors Kean and Byrne have joined the chorus.

In yesterday's Star Ledger in response to the Ledger's question about the Legislature's passage last week of S3156/A4335 whose purpose the Ledger says is "to relax clean water protections to create new construction jobs." Governor Byrne responded: Water's "a very fragile commodity. To put some other priority ahead of it is tragic."

Governor Kean told the Ledger: "Clean water may be our most valuable commodity. It's a false economy to think that the diminution of clean water is going to help the economy. In the long run, it's going to hurt the economy ... It's very often a false choice that you've got to hurt the environment to create jobs. People bringing jobs to New Jersey want clean water for their business, their family and themselves."

David Pringle, Campaign Director for the NJ Environmental Federation also concurs: "The biological science is as clear as the political science and the result is dirty water and dirty politics. Development is trashing our waterways, developers scapegoat the environment, and too many politicians looking for an easy fix, sound bite and campaign cash do the builders' dirty work. Until the politicians become statesmen or the citizens demand it, the state of the state's waters will continue to be just like our politics, too dirty."

And the Gannett papers completed today a damming three-part series on just how troubled New Jersey's waters are. The Asbury Park Press' editorial today highlights the stakes quite well:

Halt sprawl, save the bay, Asbury Park Press, Jan 17, 2012
http://www.app.com/article/20120117/NJOPINION01/301170007/Halt-sprawl-save-bay

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