With the start of boating season fast approaching, New Jersey will conduct a statewide cleanup of debris dumped in tidal waterways by superstorm Sandy. "It is Sandy debris we are looking at, stuff that was washed out by the storm that is causing a navigational problem or an environmental or ecological problem," Larry Ragonese, press director for the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), said in an interview last week.

According to Ragonese, the agency will hire three companies to locate debris using sonar technology and remove it from state tidal waterways, including the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers and tributaries, and the Raritan and Sandy Hook bays.

"We're anticipating a full-court press on waterway debris for the next several months," he said. "We'd like to get as much of the recreation and commercial fishing waterways open for the summer season — so you are not doing some joy-riding on your boat on June 28 and run into some ship that is underwater."

Ragonese said the state has not previously conducted such a widespread cleanup of the waterways.

Read the full story at the Independent>>