Clean Ocean Action Coastal Policy Attorney Zach Lees (center) presents Municipal Blue Star Certification to Ocean City Finance Director Frank Donato (left) and Ocean City Business Administrator Jim Mallon on Oct. 11, 2016. Ocean City is the first Cape May County town to achieve the honor.
On October 11, 2016, Clean Ocean Action (COA) awarded a Municipal Blue Star Certification to Ocean City, NJ, at a Town Hall ceremony to recognize their efforts to improve water quality.
“We feel blessed in Ocean City to live on the water, and the protection of our marine environment is vitally important,” said Ocean City Mayor Jay A. Gillian. “We’re proud to have achieved Blue Star Certification and thankful for Clean Ocean Action’s continued stewardship.” The Blue Star program launched in September 2014, and more than 20 towns have expressed interest in obtaining the certification. “The Blue Star Program was established by Clean Ocean Action to encourage towns along the coastal regions and beyond to prioritize water quality protection measures while achieving the Sustainable Jersey Certification, which harnesses the best of both programs,” said Clean Ocean Action Executive Director Cindy Zipf. “The Award is in recognition of a town taking significant and meaningful actions to improve and protect water quality.” The municipal Blue Star program combines the visionary Sustainable Jersey Initiative with Clean Ocean Action’s focus on water quality protection. The program encourages communities to promote healthy waters, resilient communities and environmentally-sound practices. This is done by completing various projects that protect community watersheds and climate mitigation. Ocean City went above and beyond the necessary 75 points, reaching 100 points for the Municipal Blue Star certification. Examples of the actions completed include Education for Sustainability Programs, Natural Resource Inventory, Community Forestry Plan and Tree Cover Goal, and Recycling Education and Enforcement.
