NJ Water Monitoring Council Meeting

January 24, 2018

Leslie McGeorge, Administrator

Bureau of Freshwater & Biological Monitoring (BFBM)Division of Water Monitoring & Standards (DWM&S)

NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)

www.nj.gov/dep/wms/HABS.html

Need For State Capacity Building & Preparedness forCyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

Increasing global concern and incidence

High profile U.S. blooms – e.g., Lake Erie, Ohio River, Lake Okeechobee

Human & animal health, ecosystem and economic impacts

National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC)

– heightened awareness of HABs and monitoring methods

State bloom response programs – e.g., CA, OH, OR, VT, & NY

In 2012, NJ lacked HAB lab capacity, monitoring, website & response

HAB Response Capacity Building

2007/2012

Sample Collection for EPA’s National Lakes Assessment - microcystins

2013

NJDEP Freshwater Monitoring Lab – ELISA microcystins analysis equipment/ training (EPA Monitoring Initiative funds)

Added microcystins to Statewide Lake Survey Network

2014 - Lab methods expanded - anatoxin-a & cylindrospermopsin

HAB Response Capacity Building (cont’d)

2015

Pilot monitoring: State Parks, Rutgers U, Montclair U

Enhanced HAB science – NJDEP Division of Science, Research & Environmental Health (DSREH), EPA, USGS

Developed HAB Fact Sheet - posted on Lakes Monitoring website

NJ Water Monitoring Council (NJWMC) – HABs technical session

NYSDEC – Scott Kishbaugh, EPA – Lesley D’Anglada,

USGS – Jennifer Graham, Montclair U – Meiyin Wu

HAB Response Capacity Building (cont’d)

2016

HAB science - NWQMC webinars, Conferences, EPA/USGS Webinars

Additional input from NY HAB program

Convened NJ Interagency HAB Workgroup

Drafted NJ Response Strategy

Council input to Strategy

➢ HABs discussion at all Council meetings

HAB Response Capacity Building (cont’d)

2017

Toxin thresholds finalized by NJDEP’s DSREH

Recreational Exposure & Health Effects Fact Sheet

HAB Briefing for NJDEP upper management (June)

Release of final Strategy & HAB Website launch (August)

NJ Strategy/Website in EPA HAB Newsletter & State Resources webpage

Presentation to NJWMC on Strategy & Website (September)

Responded to 30 reported HABs

Outreach - Parks & local health agencies

EPA Region 2 HABs Workshop

➢ November 30, 2017 - NYC

➢ NJWMC Attendees – DEP, EPA, DOH, USGS, NJWSA, Montclair

➢ DEP presentations - BFBM and DWSG (agenda – handout)

➢ Workshop Included: NY & NJ HAB Strategies, Analytical Tools,

Treatment Techniques, & HABs Management

➢ Presentations now available

HAB Response Capacity Building (cont’d)

2018

Statewide occurrence & distribution study w/ Montclair U

Cyanoscope kits and other monitoring with partners

Advanced monitoring – UAV for bloom surveillance

Enhance NJ HAB Strategy with input from NJWMC & Research

Committee (Rob Newby/Tom Miller)

Respond to 2018 HABs

Information or Collaboration Needs

Cell count guidance for allergenic / irritant responses

More research & guidance on fish consumption

Tech transfer on factors resulting in HABs

Information Resources for prevention/treatment

Additional HAB lab capacity for rec or drinking water