(11/P20) TRENTON - The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Salem County’s draft sewer service area map on Tuesday, March 22, as part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan for this county.

At issue will be a service area covering all or parts of 13 Salem County municipalities: Alloway, Carneys Point, Elsinboro, Elmer, Lower Alloways Creek, Mannington, Oldmans, Pilesgrove, Pittsgrove, Quinton, Salem, Upper Pittsgrove and Woodstown.

The map to be discussed on March 22 is a preliminary working draft, developed in coordination with and reviewed by DEP, Salem County and the affected municipalities. It reflects proposed changes in wastewater service area designations to eliminate conflicts with Category One waters, wetlands, threatened and endangered species habitats and other unique and rare ecological communities.

The draft is subject to change in response to information provided by the public. The preliminary working draft map can be viewed at: http://www.salemcountynj.gov/cmssite/default.asp?contentID=1289.

This is not a public meeting. It is a public information session where residents and developers can examine maps and ask questions concerning the proposed changes in sewer service area designation.

The meeting will take place at the WARE Building, located at 51 Cheney Road, Woodstown, between 5:30-8:30 pm. Another formal public comment process will take place prior to adoption.