Osprey Nesting at Power Plant Underscores Environmental Recovery
15 July 2008 - 1:09AM
PR Newswire (US)
NEWARK, N.J., July 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 'If you build it;
they will come.' That was the hope when a group of PSEG volunteers
dedicated to restoring the Hackensack River Watershed's ecosystem,
along with Jersey City students, erected six osprey nesting
platforms at the Hudson generating station. Now, following a
50-year absence, an osprey pair has nested at the Hudson plant for
the second consecutive year and three fledglings recently hatched.
"I never cease to be amazed by the recovery of the river and the
ability of species to return to it," said Captain Bill Sheehan, the
Hackensack Riverkeeper. "I suspect that this pair of ospreys is
just the beginning of what will eventually be a colony
reestablished here in the Meadowlands." Ospreys feed exclusively on
live fish and serve as an "indicator species" regarding the health
of the local fish population. The return of these birds near the
top of the food chain, after decades of absence, is a sign that the
watershed's ecosystem is bouncing back. "The fact that an apex
predator has returned to the Meadowlands is proof positive that the
region's recovery is continuing," said Hugh Carola, Land Trust
Director of The Fyke Nature Association. "It's also proof that such
wildlife can coexist with us -- especially when they're given the
room they need." PSEG operates three power plants -- Bergen, Hudson
and Kearny -- along the Hackensack River. For decades, PSEG has
taken proactive steps to minimize its impact on the river and other
watershed areas in New Jersey. This spring high-tech traveling
screens were installed at the Hudson plant to safely return to the
river fish, crabs and other aquatic life drawn onto the screens by
the cooling water flow. "This project shows that business and
environmental advocates can successfully work together," said Mark
Strickland, PSEG Fossil's director of environmental affairs. "The
return of the osprey is a sign the watershed is recuperating as a
viable resource, which is in everyone's interest." PSEG Power, one
of the nation's largest independent power producers, is a
subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated
(PSEG/NYSE: PEG), a diversified energy holding company. PSEG's
other primary subsidiaries are Public Service Electric and Gas
Company (PSE&G), New Jersey's oldest and largest energy
distribution utility company, and PSEG Energy Holdings, a holding
company for other non-regulated businesses. DATASOURCE: PSEG Power
CONTACT: Mike Jennings of PSEG Power, +1-973-430-6406,
+1-973-508-6386 cell Web site: http://www.pseg.com/
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