Moving closer to completing a two-year process to invalidate rules proposed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the state Legislature hit the pause button
on Monday, March 7, when the DEP announced at a hearing that it would withdraw its controversial changes and make significant modifications to them.

Ray Cantor, chief assistant to DEP Commissioner Bob Martin, told the Senate Environment and Energy Committee in Trenton “You never get something right
the first time you do it.’’

Cantor said that the department continues to work its way through thousands of pages of public comments submitted on its proposed floodwater and storm hazard rules and expects to reissue a revised set sometime in May.

Listen here to Cantor’s summary of the DEP process and areas where they anticipate changes to be made.

After hearing the department’s commitment to redo the rules, as well as testimony, pro and con, from business and environmental advocates, Chairman Bob Smith said the committee would hold off on voting on the resolution (SCR-66) until the panel has a chance to review DEP’s revised proposal.

Following the hearing, EnviroPolitics, interviewed three of the participants.

Senator Bob Smith, Chairman, NJ Senate Environment and Energy Committee

Dennis Toft, environmental attorney, Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi

Jeff Tittel, New Jersey Sierra Club

State DEP withdraws rule changes, avoids clash with lawmakers