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Village of Egg Harbor Finds its Greener Side

While individual citizens have been greening their efforts for years, it has taken government a little longer to get on the green train. With energy costs rising and development taking a toll on beaches and groundwater, cutting back and thinking sustainable is no longer a choice for municipalities but an imperative.

With two major public works projects on the horizon, the Village of Egg Harbor has had to examine its plans and practices.

“There are a lot of things we can do as a village,” said administrator Josh Van Lieshout. “There’s the business side of it; then there’s the what we can do from a regulatory perspective.”

On the business side it means managing staff and practice, such as using an electric golf cart this year for garbage collection, landscaping, and other small jobs instead of a village pickup truck. The practice worked so well this summer Van Lieshout said they may purchase another.

“We definitely need one truck, but do we need a fleet of them?” he asked.

With a marina expansion on tap for this fall the village is looking at ways to green the marina (and not with Cladophora). This means prohibiting or discouraging boat sanding, painting and cleaning at the marina. They’re also trying to encourage boaters to use marina restrooms rather than their boat to be sure waste is treated properly and efficiently.

“We want to make sure those items best put into the landfill don’t end up in the marina,” Van Lieshout said. The new plan will include green space to help limit storm water runoff, as well as other natural and engineered methods to intercept it.

When new street lighting is installed this fall, the lights will be “dark-sky friendly.” An ordinance was adopted this year to limit outdoor lighting to 300 watts, and it requires street lighting be directed completely downward, preserving the sky above for star-gazing.