California prepares for worst as chemical tank continues to boil Read More »
Firefighters continue to cool a chemical storage tank with water to prevent it from breaching or exploding. Some 40,000 residents near the Orange County plant have been evacuated to shelters.
By Soumya Karlamangla and Pooja Salhotra, The New York Times 5/23/26
Fire officials said on Saturday that there was renewed hope that their strategy of using water to douse a tank filled with an extremely toxic chemical would help slow a reaction that could lead to an explosion that had the potential to ignite a large fireball at a plant in Orange County, Calif.
Still, they warned that the temperature inside the tank had risen more than 20 degrees over the past day, showing the limitations of their cooling efforts. And they acknowledged that a worst-case scenario was still possible.
“Letting this thing just fail and blow up is unacceptable to us,” said Craig Covey, an incident commander with the Orange County Fire Authority. “Our goal is to find something and not allow that to happen, not let it damage our community, not let it damage our environment.”
As efforts continued, tens of thousands of residents remained out of their homes — some for the second consecutive day — as health officials continued to warn that they were unsure of the extent of the potential danger.
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UPDATE: Crisis at a California Chemical Plant Read More »
WEST TRENTON, N.J. (May 22) – Paddlers of all ages and experience levels are reminded that it is not too late to register for the 31st Delaware River Sojourn taking place June 20-26.
The Sojourn is a guided paddling and camping trip that combines on-water experiences and educational opportunities. Equipment is provided, and river guides teach basic instruction and keep paddlers safe on the water. Participants may sign up for the entire trip or for the day(s) of their choice.
“For over thirty years, the Delaware River Sojourn has been more than a paddling trip. It is a classroom and a community hub, promoting safe river recreation, conservation, and education about our natural environment, and local history,” said Kate Schmidt, Communications Specialist for the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) and Chair of the Delaware River Sojourn Steering Committee. “This year, the Sojourn is themed ‘Our Nation’s River,’ a nod to the integral role the Delaware River had in the founding of our nation, as well as its importance to communities today.”
The Sojourn allows participants to experience the river’s varied communities and characteristics as it flows downstream. This year’s itinerary includes three days in the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, a day in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and two days paddling the Lower Delaware Wild and Scenic River, including a chance to paddle the site of George Washington’s historic crossing. The trip will culminate with a paddle on the river’s tidewaters near northeast Philadelphia.
In total, over 75 miles of the Delaware River will be paddled, split into daily trips averaging 10 miles each. The all-volunteer National Canoe Safety Patrol provides critical on-water and on-land safety support.
“The Sojourn is a fantastic way to experience this iconic river and inspire more people to help protect our shared waters,” said Kristen Bowman Kavanagh, the DRBC’s Executive Director and a repeat sojourner. “DRBC proudly supports the Sojourn’s commitment to advancing stewardship and promoting the efforts of partners across the basin. We are excited to be a sponsor and lead several programs highlighting our work.”
This year’s enrichment programs celebrating “Our Nation’s River” include a presentation on the Fort Delaware Museum of Colonial History, a visit to Washington Crossing Historic Park (Pa.), a preview of the new Visitor’s Center at Washington Crossing State Park (N.J.), a talk about William Penn and Pennsbury Manor, and a program on the 911 National Memorial Trail.
The Sojourn also highlights the connection between outdoor recreation and local businesses. From kayak rental and livery Northeast Wilderness Experience (Honesdale, Pa.), and bussing from We Transport (Sparrowbush, N.Y.), to catering provided by Konrad’s Kitchen, (Yulan, N.Y.), Humpty Junior’s (Columbia, N.J.), Colonial Farms (Washington Crossing, Pa.) and Cathedral Kitchen (Camden, N.J.), it takes partnership across industries to make the Sojourn successful.
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“The Delaware River Sojourn appreciates the support of its donors and grantors, which helps keep registration costs low and allows us to offer package pricing, making the event even more accessible,” said Dejay Branch, Upper Delaware Preservation Coalition and Sojourn fiduciary. “We encourage folks to register for this family-friendly event soon, as space is filling quickly.”
Along with the DRBC, Northampton County Parks, Recreation & Conservation and individual donors, the regional grocery cooperative ShopRite has sponsored the Sojourn since 2013. Grant funding comes from the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic Rivers Program and PPL.
First held in 1995, the Delaware River Sojourn is one of the longest-running programs of its kind. The nonprofit annual event is planned by a steering committee with representatives from federal, state, and county agencies, local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and individual volunteers. Schmidt has served as the DRBC’s representative since 2006. Registration fees for the 2026 Delaware River Sojourn are $100 per day for adults and $70 per day for children. For full details and registration, visit https://delawareriversojourn.com/.
The DRBC is a federal-interstate government agency responsible for managing the water resources within the 13,539-square-mile Delaware River Basin, regardless of political boundaries. The five Commission members are the governors of the Basin states (Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) and the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ North Atlantic Division, who represents the federal government. Learn more at www.drbc.gov.
Get your paddle on! Delaware River Sojourn: June 20-26 Read More »
By Kathryn Krawczyk, Canary Media
This week, Florida utility giant NextEra Energy — the country’s top renewable energy developer, and a major gas plant builder — announced plans to acquire Dominion Energy, which serves Virginia and the Carolinas. If the firms secure state and federal approvals, they’d become the world’s largest regulated utility and the third-biggest energy company in the U.S.
The colossal consolidation has a clear impetus: data centers. Dominion is tasked with delivering power to what’s known as “Data Center Alley,” but as former U.S. Energy Department leader Jigar Shah told E&E News, the utility has failed to adopt grid enhancements and other technologies that would help it do so. NextEra isn’t scooping up Dominion for that outdated grid; it’s “buying the keys to America’s data center capital,” Shah wrote on LinkedIn.
So what does it all mean for customers? The utilities are promising $2.25 billion in bill credits for Dominion ratepayers, more investments in power reliability, and large-load tariffs to ensure data center demand doesn’t raise residential power bills.
But environmental and consumer advocates are skeptical. NextEra subsidiary Florida Power & Light has a “deeply troubling track record” of alleged “election manipulation, surveillance of journalists, co-optation of civil rights organizations and the use of dark money networks to capture regulators and defeat energy competition,” says the nonprofit Clean Virginia. The Energy and Policy Institute notes that Florida Power & Light customers have faced years of rate increases even as the utility pulls in record profits, and highlights Dominion’s history of massive political spending.
Plus, while NextEra has led the way on building solar and battery storage — tech that can be brought online much more quickly than gas plants — both it and Dominion have gigawatts of polluting fossil-fueled development in the works.
All those concerns will likely come up as the deal seeks regulatory approvals.
NextEra has already been lobbying to get on the Trump administration’s good side, including via inauguration and ballroom contributions. The merger’s toughest scrutiny may instead come from states, which have blocked NextEra’s attempts at acquiring three other utilities over the past few years. With energy affordability concerns and opposition to data centers already rising to a fever pitch, regulators in Virginia and beyond may just keep NextEra stuck in the present day.
NextEra Energy wants to buy its way into Data Center Alley Read More »
From the NJ Senate Republicans
NJ State Senator Latham Tiver (R-Atlantic, Burlington) announced that he’ll be introducing legislation to help farmers mitigate the harm of agricultural emergencies after a deep Spring freeze devastated crops for New Jersey farmers and businesses.
The legislative bill package would authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to declare an agricultural emergency and establish a six-month sales tax holiday on fertilizer to take effect during such emergencies (S-4353). Additionally, the legislation would direct the Department of Agriculture to identify available funding sources, including any federal, state, and private funding sources, to help affected farmers (S-4354).
“Our agricultural community took a major beating from April’s catastrophic deep freeze, damaging developing crops and putting farmers and agricultural businesses behind the eight ball,” said Senator Tiver. “Farmers represent the lifeblood of our State, and this package of legislation will help our Garden State growers mitigate damage during unprecedented weather events so they can continue producing the best Jersey Fresh products families across New Jersey rely on every day. When we stand for farmers, we stand with the very meaning of the Garden State.”
Read drafts of the bills online (S-4353) here and (S-4354) here.
Bills seek to help New Jersey farmers weather the spring freeze Read More »
By Jeff Tittel, The Jersey Vindicator, May 17, 2026
New Jersey’s drought crisis is no longer simply about a lack of rain. It is about decades of political failure, weak environmental planning, overdevelopment, polluted waterways, and a state government that continues to ignore the growing threat to our water supply.
Today, the entire state is experiencing drought conditions, with nearly half under severe drought, and those conditions continue to expand. Reservoirs remain below normal, groundwater levels are depleted, and stream flows in many regions are 75% to 90% below normal. Yet despite these warning signs, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has failed to implement the aggressive conservation measures, planning reforms, and pollution controls needed to protect public health and the environment.
New Jersey has serious water problems and could become the first state on the East Coast to run out of water. This is because we face major issues with both water quality and quantity due to overdevelopment and a legacy of toxic pollution. The drought is exposing the reality that New Jersey’s water system is badly broken.
Opinion: Will New Jersey run out of water? Read More »
