New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will conduct a stakeholder webinar to share information and gather input on potential regulatory amendments to 6 NYCRR Parts 360 and 363. These amendments will aim to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from solid waste landfills.
DEC encourages the participation of the public, landfill operators, municipal governments, and other stakeholders in this important initiative. Written comments can also be submitted to SolidWasteRegulations@dec.ny.gov. Please email your comments using “Landfill GHG Emissions” in the subject line.
No survivors are expected to be found at a Washington state manufacturing plant after a chemical tank implosion, according to officials, who said Wednesday that a second death had been confirmed and that nine other people are presumed dead.
The 11 likely deaths in Tuesday’s implosion at the paper mill in Longview would make it the deadliest industrial accident in modern state history, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said.
Cowlitz County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said at a news conference Wednesday, “We have declared this incident a transition from rescue to recovery as of this morning.”
The implosion occurred around 7:15 a.m. Tuesday at the Nippon Dynawave plant involved a tank built to hold 900,000 gallons of “white liquor,” a noxious chemical used in the paper-pulping process, officials said.
NYC’s largest state park sits atop what was once a series of landfills that remained closed to the public for decades before being transformed into a sprawling 407-acre waterfront sanctuary along Jamaica Bay.
Today, the park feels worlds away from the city’s nonstop energy, with rolling hills, wide-open meadows, peaceful wetlands, and some of the most breathtaking skyline and bay views in Brooklyn.
ATLANTIC CITY — High gas prices, rising inflation, and economic insecurity could all affect tourism in South Jersey this summer, a panel of local experts said Wednesday.
But those same gas prices, currently averaging $4.50 a gallon, might actually help Atlantic City, Atlantic County, and Cape May County among budget-conscious travelers who want to vacation closer to home and can’t afford soaring airfares, they added.
At Stockton University’s 18th annual Jersey Shorecast forum, tourism experts noted the obvious challenges to a robust summer tourism season this year, including inflation and consumer wariness about the economy.
“The big wild card for me is we have recent indications that consumer confidence is near or at all-time lows, going back to the mid-’70s,” said Oliver Cooke, associate professor of economics at Stockton. “A lot of this is tied to inflation.
“Maybe this means folks will still take their vacation, but their total spending is less,” he said. “That wouldn’t be terribly surprising. They will come, but how many times will you go out to a restaurant?”
Today, the New Jersey Senate passed a package of bipartisan bills sponsored by Senator Carmen Amato, Jr. (R-Ocean) and Senator Owen Henry (R-Ocean, Monmouth, Middlesex, Burlington) to approve and authorize the financing of clean water projects in New Jersey.
SCR-135, sponsored by Senator Amato, would approve the FY2027 financial plan for the NJ Infrastructure Bank, which assists local governments and regional authorities with financing various water-related projects.
S-4220, sponsored by Senator Amato, and its companion legislation S-4221, sponsored by Senator Henry, would allocate funds from the NJ infrastructure bank and federal dollars to support more than 300 clean water projects.
“Ensuring clean, drinkable water is not a partisan issue; it’s a human one,” said Senator Amato. “The NJ Infrastructure Bank remains a vital resource for communities working to modernize aging water systems, protect waterways, and deliver safe water for families across the state. This legislative package recognizes the importance of long-term environmental and public health improvements and delivers meaningful support to help achieve those goals.”
“Clean water is one of the most important investments that we can make in public health,” said Senator Henry. “Communities across the Garden State depend on reliable infrastructure to reduce pollution, deliver safe drinking water, and support agriculture. This funding package will help local governments tackle their critical infrastructure needs and help improve the quality of life for their communities.”
STATE COLLEGE — Spotlight PA and two other news organizations are suing leaders of the Penn State Board of Trustees in federal court, accusing them of violating the First Amendment by controlling what individual trustees can say to the public and the press.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, challenges what it refers to as a “gag policy” embedded in the trustees’ bylaws.
That policy, the filing argues, “unconstitutionally restrains” trustees, prohibiting them from making any negative or critical public statements about the board or the university. Instead, the bylaws state, trustees “shall support majority decisions of the Board.”
Trustees must also get permission from board leadership and accept guidance from public relations officials before talking to the press. Those who fail to do so can face disciplinary action — a process, the filing argues, that creates a “chilling effect” on a trustee’s ability to freely express their views.
This is just one of dozens of stories enjoyed today by subscribers to our newsletter, EnviroPolitics. Try it for free for 30 days
The news organizations are asking a federal judge to declare the restrictions unconstitutional.
“The right to dissent is the lifeblood of democracy,” said Heather Murray, associate director of the Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic, in an email. “Blanket bans on trustees making critical statements about Penn State stakeholders and requiring trustees to get preapproval to talk to journalists about any matters that have come before the board plainly runs afoul of the First Amendment.”
The lawsuit names board Chair David Kleppinger, Vice Chair Richard Sokolov, and governance committee Chair Daniel Onorato as defendants in their official capacities, identifying them as the leaders responsible for overseeing and enforcing the bylaws.
Wyatt DuBois, senior director of university public relations, told Spotlight PA in an email that the university “does not comment on pending litigation.”
