Environmental commission forms Silver Lake Committee – Star News Group

BELMAR — Following an announcement from Mayor Gerald Buccafusco during the workshop discussion of the Tuesday, Aug. 8 council meeting regarding rising algae concerns at Silver Lake, the Belmar Environmental Commission [BEC] has formed a Silver Lake Committee to better combat the issue.

According to the mayor, after having been previously treated on July 11 and then again on Aug. 4, the water at Silver Lake had been tested by the Department of Environmental Protection [DEP] on July 31 and reported small amounts of cyanobacteria, an algae capable of producing toxins that can affect both humans and animals. 

“They issued an advisory alert level and as part of that, we’re required to post signs around the lake, which some of you might have seen if you’ve walked around the lake,” the mayor said, explaining that the signs are posted to advise visitors against swimming, standing or drinking the water, allowing pets to drink from or be in the water, or eating any fish caught from the lake.

Department of Public Works [DPW] Superintendent Billy Musto said that these signs will stay posted for now until the environmental firm Lake Management Sciences returns next month to retest the water. “We’ll see if it improves and if it does, we’ll take the signs down,” he said.

The Silver Lake Committee was formed at the BEC’s last meeting on Thursday, Aug. 10 after commission members, along with BEC liaison Councilwoman Caitlin Donovan, Business Administrator Kevin Kane and Borough Engineer James Oris, heard a presentation from Nancy Minich, owner of NAM Planning & Design, LLC, and Doreen Frega, a lead representative for the Animal Protection League [APL] of New Jersey, about a possible course of action.

Check out our other Belmar stories, updated daily. And remember to pick up a copy of The Coast Star—on newsstands Thursday or online in our e-Edition.

Subscribe today! If you’re not already an annual subscriber to The Coast Star, get your subscription today! For just $38 per year, you will receive local mail delivery weekly, with pages and pages of local news and online access to our e-edition on Starnewsgroup.com.