The sudden decision of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to cancel its helicopter ocean monitoring program that has for years helped keep New Jersey’s beaches clean, prompted Congressman Chris Smith to question the wisdom of the move.

    The EPA statement released Monday said, “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has faced serious budget constraints over the past few years that have resulted in tough choices and the redirection of staff and resources to successfully fulfill our mission. As a result of budget limitations and the need to realign existing resources, the regional helicopter will no longer operate.”

    Smith, whose district includes beaches from Ocean Grove to Bay Head said, “It’s not a good day for the Jersey Shore. I am disheartened that after all these years and all the work to fight ocean dumping, the Obama Administration cannot find a less effective program to end than this aerial enforcement and patrol of the coastline. Public safety and water quality will not be better because of this decision.”

    Smith said he has written to DEP Administrator Gina McCarthy to protest the decision. Click here to read the letter.

    The helicopter is fondly referred to as the ”Coastal Crusader” by the EPA and those, like Smith, who value the helicopter program’s contribution to keeping beaches clean.  According to the EPA’s annual report of the program, the helicopter has been part of the overall intra-agency plan to control pollution and beach closures.  The report states that the plan has been carried out each year since 1989 to control wash ups of floatable debris on area beaches and consists of aerial surveillance via helicopter and fixed winged plane, a communications network to report "slick" sightings and to coordinate cleanup response, as well as other measures.

    “I recall vividly the massive beach closures in the 1980s, when miles and miles of beaches were shut down due to garbage washing ashore. By EPA’s own estimation, since the initiation of the ‘Floatables Action Plan’ in 1989 and its continual success, beach closures due to floatable debris have been minimal. Additionally, helicopters conducted vital water quality sampling to protect the New York and New Jersey shellfish fisheries,” Smith added.  “Sometimes a bird’s eye view is necessary to fight ocean pollution and beach wash ups. Aircraft can spot debris slicks off-shore, and coordinate a fast response and clean up. Pilots and crew have spotted an average 30 garbage slicks a year resulting in over 400 million pounds of garbage pulled out of fishing and swimming waters.”

    In addition to the floatable surveillance, the EPA helicopter was used to conduct water quality sampling in support of the New York and New Jersey National Sanitation Shellfish Programs.  For the past several years, the helicopter would hover low and dip a tube into the ocean to test water quality. Though the helicopter program has already been cancelled, the EPA concedes that it does not yet have a plan in place for continuing to test the water.

    “Our shore communities depend on clean water for commercial and recreational fishermen, beach-goers, vacationers and our overall tourism economy,” Smith said. “I am hopeful that the EPA will reconsider this ill-advised decision or produce a suitable alternative to continue this vital work.”

    The report further states that from 1989 to 2012, approximately 440 million pounds of debris have been removed from the waters of the New York area as a result of the plan and in 2012, New Jersey beaches experienced only one incident causing beaches to close for a short period. The interagency implementation of the Floatables Action Plan was a major contributor to maintaining this improved beach status.