By Steffen Klenk
Stephen Jasiecki has spent his life enjoying all that our coast has to offer. He is an avid kayaker and leader of Sustainable Margate, the core of the city’s Green Team. The group is comprised of local volunteers who focus on not only improving the quality of life for everyday residents, but focusing on sustainable practices to benefit the city and surroundings
It was several years ago when the Margate resident noticed something in the water. “This is not good.” That was Jasiecki’s reaction after noticing plastic particles floating around the bay, the source of which came from debris at construction sites. “It was going onto the ground and into the environment, going down into the gutter, and then eventually, washing into the storm drains.”
It was after this encounter that he brought attention to the Green Team, further asking the city to take proactive measures to address the issue.
Sherri Lilienfeld has been a member of Sustainable Margate since 2023 and has been active in bringing awareness about the dangers of construction debris.
“Most people don’t think about it,” Lilienfeld says. “They think stormwater goes to this magical place where it gets cleaned up.”
The actual story is quite different.
“It’s this big open pipe out into our bay and our ocean.”
Construction contaminants are known to contain microplastics, or small pieces of plastic no more than five millimeters in size, or just under two fractions of an inch. Recent studies by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have shown that these types of particles are not just harmful to the environment and our ecosystem, but can enter the bloodstream, brain tissue, and other vital organs, which could lead to adverse health effects.
But it’s not just along our coast where these types of plastics are ubiquitous, according to Lois Kraus, co-chair of Beyond Plastics New Jersey. “This is any community that has construction; microplastics are going into storm drains (and) into rivers and streams.”
Researchers at Germany’s Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries discovered that the impact of microplastics in soils, sediments, and freshwater could lead to long-term negative effects on ecosystems.
“As plastic breaks down, it becomes microparticles and nanoparticles, and that’s where it really gets scary, because you don’t think it’s all around you.” says Kraus.
Studies by the New England Journal of Medicine have shown that these same microparticles and nanoparticles are also being found in human bodies. While there are more studies underway to determine the long-term impacts of microplastics on human health, work is being done to ensure safe and affective containment practices in communities statewide.
Earlier this year, the City of Margate passed a resolution that aims to promote clean and safe worksites for contractors and increase public awareness about the issue. This includes the containment of dust and plastics on all worksites.
“We’re not asking them to stop working,” Jasiecki says. “We’re just asking them to be responsible, and respectful of the neighbors, properties, and the world in general.”
On the state level, groups such as Beyond Plastics have been raising awareness and educating the public about the long-term effects on construction waste and use of single-use plastics, while working alongside green teams and watershed associations and supporting individual communities to pass legislation. A recent documentary titled, “We Are Plastic People Now,” aims to raise even more awareness about the long-term effects of plastics in our environment. The film is available to watch via PBS.
“It’s not just a shore issue,” Kraus says. “It’s an issue anywhere where this is happening and going into water bodies.”
Steffen Klenk is a photographer and multimedia journalist who enjoys capturing the eclectic moments of shore life. You may contact Steffen at shorelocalsteffen@gmail.com.
