Implementation and Assessment of a Floatables Action Plan for the New York-New Jersey Harbor Complex

Abstract

In the summers of 1987 and 1988 significant amounts of floating debris, such as wood, paper, and medical wastes, washed up on the ocean beaches of New Jersey and the southern shore of Long Island, New York. These washups, while occurring for short periods of time, resulted in the closure of approximately 70 miles of ocean beaches in New Jersey in 1987 and approximately 70 miles of ocean beaches in New York in 1988. The beach closures, along with the public’s perception of a fouled ocean, resulted in a $2 billion loss of revenue for the states of New Jersey and New York.