Winter 1996: Nitrogen Reduction

Since the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, there have been substantial improvements in the water quality of Long Island Sound. The gross pollution problems and acute health issues have long since been addressed. We’ve come a long way from the days when raw sewage and raw factory wastes were dumped into our waters. This is good news! It’s cause for celebration.

But it doesn’t mean we can relax our vigilance, or that we’ve been totally successful. Problems still remain:

• oxygen levels in some parts of the Sound are well below levels healthy for estuarine life.
• there are still areas of the Sound where shellfishing is restricted or where beaches have to be closed periodically because of pollution.
• and trash and debris still wash up on our beaches with every tide.

To download the full Winter 1996 newsletter, download the pdf document