Some of the top stories appearing in EnviroPolitics from Nov. 26 -30. Captured from newspapers and other information sources in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and beyond.
New Jersey Environment
Trump at the dump Donald Trump prides himself on building and acquiring world-class real estate. But on Thursday his stage was decidedly less appealing –a garbage dump in Lyndhurst, NJ. “We will improve it quickly,” said the New York real estate tycoon of the EnCap site in southern Bergen County where he anticipates building and opening a golf course within two years Story
Top court hears NJ, DE border dispute Attorneys for New Jersey and Delaware argue before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that could determine whether energy company BP can build a liquefied natural gas terminal in Logan Twp., NJ. The dispute centers on an unusual, anachronistic border that gives Delaware some territory on the NJ side of the Delaware River AC Press Inquirer Glouco Times Delawareonline WSJ Law Blog
Waste could light a million NJ homes New Jersey’s garbage, landfill gases and other biomass” – which includes corn, paper, grass clippings and used cooking grease, among others – could one day generate enough electricity to power a million homes and even be used to generate 300 million gallons of fuel for transportation, according to a report released by the state Board of Public Utilities Bergen Record Rutgers report & biomass calculator
Meadowlands developer gets 30-day cleanup extension A troubled $1billion plan to turn landfills into luxury housing and golf courses receives another reprieve Star-Ledger
Bergen Record
More cheers than protests in area eyed for nuke reactor While the prospect of a nuclear reactor might cause an uproar in most communities, it’s largely welcome in a rural
area deep in southern New Jersey Associated Press
NJ seeks power to regulate rail waste facilities Congress and the White House are talking trash over waste dumps that have cropped up near freight-rail tracks in New Jersey
AP Press
New Jersey Politics
Corzine comptroller nominee on hold The nomination of Matthew Boxer to become the state’s first comptroller hits a roadblock amid questions over whether he had a role in payments or promises made on behalf of the governor to the brother-in-law of Corzine’s ex-girlfriend Star-Ledger Bergen Record
Businesses gripe about (lack of) ethics in New Jersey A new study reportsstrong disgust from the business community on how NJ government is run. It recommends several steps for state leaders to take, including a complete pay-to-playban, a uniform ethics code and a bipartisan panel modeled after the federal 9/11 Commission to identify and cure state’s ethical problems Gannett
Giblin’s nephew named in probe State Assemblyman Thomas Giblin’s nephew has been implicated in an alleged kickback scheme as federal authorities continue what sources say is a corruption probe into a union local and the politically active family that has run it for decades Star-Ledger
Pascrell seeks probe of Ashcroft contract NJ congressman asks the House Judiciary Committee to investigate the circumstances that let U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie appoint his former boss, Attorney General John Ashcroft, to a monitoring contract that might be worth as much as $52M Star-Ledger
Suit alleges Doria retaliated against 2 who helped probe Did state Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Joseph V. Doria Jr., as Bayonne’s mayor, arrange for the firing of two employees who aided a probe into corruption? Star-Ledger
Opponents of gay marriage launch all-out NJ campaign A national campaignto block gay marriage came to New Jersey this week as conservative groups beganairing radio ads and bombarded a key lawmaker’s office with as many as 200 phonecalls an hour Star-Ledger
Pennsylvania Environment
PPL to develop renewable energy generating facility at landfill PPL Renewable Energy, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation, will develop and install a 6.4-mw methane-to-electricity generation system at the Community Refuse Service Landfill in Shippensburg
Pocono News
Fuel tax to pay for leaky tanks Anyone fueling up a vehicle in PA soon mayhave to hand over an additional penny per gallon to pay to clean up damage fromleaking underground fuel tanks Evening Sun Senate bill boosts alternate energy A Senate committee approved a bill Tuesday to provide $20M annually in state tax credits for research and development of alternate energy sources Times Tribune
Wave of wind farms A wind farm consisting of 20 turbines to be built in Adams Twp., Cambria County, was issued a DEP permit last week, the latest in a wave of windmill projects spreading across the commonwealth Patriot-News
Specter uses Siemens visit to sell his climate proposal With the U.S. Senate considering several climate bills and an international forum on climate change convening next week, PA Republican Sen. Arlen Specter has been touting his own bill to reduce greenhouse gases Post-Gazette
PPL eyes jump-start power The utility says it doesn’t have enough juice to restart service if it were disrupted by a blackout Times Leader
Penn State gets Critical Zone Observatory Shale Hills in central PA is already a busy area in the university’s managed forest lands, but now a five-year $4.2M National Science Foundation Grant will make it even busier as scientists study how soils form from bedrock and how soil formation affects water movement and groundwater flow to streams PSU
Pennsylvania Politics
A Foxwoods Casino principal sues to regain political access A Blue Bell developer who owns nearly 10 percent of the planned Foxwoods Casino Philadelphiahas asked the state Supreme Court to strike down Pennsylvania’s ban on political campaign contributions by casino owners and executives Inquirer
Rendell yanks penny-per-gallon request on gas sales Governor says his administration would withdraw a request that could have added a penny onto the cost of a gallon of gas to help clean up leaking underground fuel tanks Philly.comPA Supreme Court rejects slots lawsuit Court says a suit seeking to throw out the state slot-machine law has no merit APBig money is rejecting threat to Brady A newcomer considers a primary run against the Philadelphia power Inquirer
New York/Nation/World
Energy competition vs. regulation to spur controversy Influential players in the energy market are preparing for what is likely to be a major fight in the 2008 Legislative session over whether to re-regulate energy costs in New York IthicaJournal.com
After a rough start, Spitzer rethinks his ways NY Times
Coast Guard to test oil from seven ships in spill Newsday
Nobel Prize brings Gore back to White House NPR
Oil spill near Jones Beach draws broad response NYT
Long Island spill source still a mystery LoHud.com
State colleges taking steps to ban Styrofoam LoHud.com
Drought could force shutdown of GA nuclear plants TBJ
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