While we are enjoying outdoor recreation this summer, DEP reminds residents to take caution and eliminate standing water on properties to reduce the mosquito population. There are several common-sense steps to take to reduce the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses, and we invite you to share them with your residents. As Commissioner McCabe said, “Protecting public health from disease-carrying mosquitoes is a very serious priority,” Commissioner McCabe said. “In addition to measures taken by local and county mosquito agencies, we urge the public to diligently remove standing water from their properties and follow other measures that will reduce the risks of being bitten or becoming ill.” New Jersey’s 21 county mosquito control agencies use a variety of methods to combat mosquitoes, including public awareness campaigns, larval habitat source reduction programs, use of natural predators, and judicious application of approved insecticides by ground and aerial means to manage mosquito populations and reduce the threat of disease transmission. Please see the attached to learn more about what steps we can take to protect public health. IN addition, more information on how to prevent mosquito bites and illness, or on mosquito-proofing a home and yard, can be found at http://nj.gov/health/cd/documents/faq/mosquito_checklist.pdf or http://nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/vectorborne/C2506--Mosquito-borne%20Diseases%20Brochure.pdf.
For many of us, outdoor recreation includes fishing – and
enjoying our catch. Recognizing this, DEP and the New Jersey Department of
Health have updated recreational fish advisories for tributaries, lakes and
ponds in the lower Delaware River watershed as part of the state’s ongoing
fish-safety monitoring program. The DEP has also expanded testing of fish in
selected water bodies in this and other regions of the state to include several
chemicals of emerging concern known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl
substances, known as PFAS. These analyses have resulted in the DEP’s first
consumption advisories for these chemicals.
For more details, visit www.nj.gov/dep/dsr/
for the DEP’s PFAS study report.