EPA said its letter was prompted by confusion caused by a December NY Times article that reported a Corps attempt to reclassify a portion of the wetlands at issue. The Corps' permit chief told the South Brunswick Post a week after the Times piece appeared that reclassification was still under review. Although the Corps has told reporters and officials that a permit decision is close, it appears more likely the debate will be protracted.

If the Corps decides in favor of the project, the EPA may appeal the ruling to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for review. If further disagreement ensues, the issue will be put before the federal Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) for arbitration.
 
 

Princeton Packet columnist Hank Kalet focused this week on the broader context and implications of Route 92 construction. He said Governor's Whitman's support for the highway's construction contradicted of her concern to reduce sprawl and her work to preserve New Jersey open space. Kalet noted that "while Route 92 is being sold as an antidote to traffic congestion, it holds out the real threat of increased commercial development and the traffic that comes with it." His piece pointed to building booms and traffic overloads in Somerset, Morris and Passaic counties following the openings of I-78 and I-287 as examples of new roads that increased regional levels of traffic and congestion.