TRENTON - New Jersey's acting environmental executive wants a fuller diagnosis of Barnegat Bay's problems, strongly supports erecting wind turbines off the coast and has serious concerns about proposed liquefied natural gas facilities offshore.

"I don't believe we've done enough research on the entire bay. . . . We have pockets of data," said Bob Martin, acting commissioner for the state Department of Environmental Protection. "I believe we need a full environmental assessment of Barnegat Bay."

Oyster Creek decision

Similarly, the DEP needs to fully understand how the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey fits into that picture, Martin said. There is no question the reactor's cooling water intake affects the bay ecosystem, but "I don't know if that's 5 percent or 95 percent" of the bay's problems, Martin said. During his election campaign, Christie won endorsement from the New Jersey Environmental Federation partly on the strength of his pledge to do something about the plant's water use.

Even as it proceeds with a draft permit to require cooling towers - a process started in the last days of the Corzine administration, continuing today with a public hearing in Trenton - Martin said the DEP will start a parallel dialogue with Oyster Creek operator Exelon Corp., environmental groups and other interests.