NJ.com political reporter joining campaign strategy firm

Darryl Isherwood



"Just eight months after joining NJ.com as the site’s senior political reporter, Darryl Isherwood has left ship — and journalism altogether. Mr. Isherwood, former editor of The Observer’s sister-site PolitckerNJ.com, has been lured away from the Star-Ledger’s online platform by Mercury Public Affairs LLP, a move confirmed by a source familiar with the hiring," New York Observer reported yesterday.

Michael DuHaime

"Republican strategist Michael DuHaime is a partner at the public strategy firm, which boasts many large clients, and he runs the Westfield-based New Jersey office. The most important and well-known client for whom the political consultant is responsible is New Jersey Governor Chris Christie."  

In both 2009 and 2013, DuHaime was lead strategist for Governor Christie’s gubernatorial election. He was named Strategist of the Year in 2014 by The American Association of Political Consultants.

Read the full story here

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Christie's new Pinelands nominees trigger enviro alarms

Environmentalists opposed to a proposed natural gas pipeline through a portion of the New Jersey Pinelands are up in arms after leaning that Governor Chris Christie yesterday had nominated two candidates to replace members of the Pinelands Commission who had voted to block the pipeline’s construction.

NJ Spotlight reports today:
The nominations of two new public members would, if approved, replace two Pinelands commissioners who voted against a controversial 22-mile natural gas pipeline through the heart of the more than 1-million-acre reserve to allow the former B.L. England Plant in Cape May to convert to that fuel.

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Christie Salary Veto Could Contribute to Brain Drain at Pinelands Commission


The $90 million project would allow the plant, now owned by Rockland Capital, to remain open, providing needed electricity to a region where power supplies to ensure reliability of the grid are in question, according to proponents.
But critics had a different view.
“This is alarming,’’ said Carleton Montgomery, executive director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, which opposed the project. “The only inference I can draw given the timing and what’s been happening is this is going to help Rockland Capital get their pipeline.’’
 
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John Guth is PADEP's new NW Regional Director

A news release from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection: 

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary E. Christopher Abruzzo announced today that John Guth, Environmental Program Manager for Air Quality, has been named regional director of the agency’s Northwest office effective today, May 19, 2014.

“John’s strong background working with the regulated community, coordinating with local governments, directing and managing staff and serving with the region’s emergency response team has more than prepared him for his new role as regional director,” Abruzzo said. “His vast experience and dedication to the department’s important mission has earned him respect both inside and outside DEP. I am confident that he will continue to serve with diligence.”

Guth began his career at DEP conducting field investigations for the Waste Management Program in 1985, and was promoted to Solid Waste Supervisor in 1993 to supervise employees conducting municipal, residual and hazardous waste inspections, compliance assistance and enforcement. Guth was again promoted in 2002 to the position of Solid Waste Manager. In this role, Guth directed all supervisors in the Solid Waste Program.

In 2004, Guth was promoted to his current position of Environmental Program Manager for Air Quality where he facilitates the implementation of state and federal air quality laws and regulations by issuing permits, plan approvals and compliance enforcement. He has served his entire career with DEP in the Northwest region.

Guth earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental resource management with a minor in soil science from the Pennsylvania State University.

The director of DEP’s Northwest regional office is based in Meadville and manages the Waste Management, Air Quality, Environmental Cleanup and Brownfields, Clean Water, Safe Drinking Water, Waterways and Wetlands and Emergency Response programs for Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Venango and Warren counties.

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Some good news for electricity ratepayers in New Jersey


Even with the diversion of tens of millions of dollars in clean energy funds, the state does not plan to raise a surcharge that pays for it and other utility-related programs, Tom Johnson reports today in NJ Spotlight.

At least that is what the staff of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities told the Office of Legislative Services in a , a bit of good news for electric and gas customers who pays some of the highest energy bills in the nation.
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Explainer: Societal Benefits Charge

Even keeping the surcharge (known as the Societal Benefit Charge) level, the staff said it should be sufficient, combined with anticipated carryover, to continue all existing programs to meet market demand.
That, however, presumably assumes that the Christie administration does not redirect any unspent money to help plug a roughly $807 million new hole in the state budget that needs to be closed by the end of June.
Already, the administration is “lapsing’’ another $117.4 million from the clean energy program in unspent dollars from the current fiscal 2014 budget and proposed fiscal 2015 budget. Since 2008, nearly $1 billion in ratepayer funds have been diverted to the general fund by the Corzine and Christie administrations.
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Energy & Environment Bills on Tap Monday in Trenton


Here’s Monday’s lineup of committees taking up energy and environment legislation in the New Jersey Senate

SENATE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

10:00 AM Committee Room 10, 3rd Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
A-2305  DeAngelo, W.P. (D-14); Pinkin, N.J. (D-18);
Eustace, T.J. (D-38)
Requires adoption of certain rules and regulations by
DCA and DEP concerning blue roofs and green roofs.
Related Bill: S-1416
     
A-2307  DeAngelo, W.P. (D-14); Pinkin, N.J. (D-18);
Eustace, T.J. (D-38)
Requires NJ Environmental Infrastructure Financing
Program to give additional weight in ranking system to projects including green
or blue roofs.  Related Bill: S-1415
      
S-139  Bateman, C. (R-16); Doherty, M.J. (R-23)
Establishes Hunterdon-Somerset Flood Advisory Task
Force.
Related Bill: A-259
   
S-1415  Smith, B. (D-17); Bateman, C. (R-16)
Requires NJ Environmental Infrastructure Financing
Program to give additional weight in ranking system to projects including green
or blue roof.  Related Bill: A-2307
      
S-1416  Smith, B. (D-17); Bateman, C. (R-16)
Requires adoption of certain rules and regulations by
DCA and DEP concerning blue roofs and green roofs.
Related Bill: A-2305
      
S-1513  Smith, B. (D-17); Bateman, C. (R-16)
Prohibits issuance of DEP permits and approvals for
development related to drilling for oil and natural gas off NJ coast.
Related Bill: A-2515
      
S-1714  Smith, B. (D-17); Greenstein, L.R. (D-14)
Creates Office of Clean Energy in BPU.
Related Bill: A-1422
     
S-1794  Greenstein, L.R. (D-14)
Directs installation of electric vehicle charging
stations at service areas on State’s toll roads.
   
S-2004  Holzapfel, J.W. (R-10)
Requires DOT, NJTA, and SJTA to use only native
vegetation for landscaping, land management, reforestation, or habitat
restoration.
      
SR-68  Smith, B. (D-17)
Urges Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to
reject mandatory regionalization for 2015 under summer flounder management
program.

   
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SENATE TRANSPORTATION

5/19/14 10:30 AM
Committee Room 7, 2nd Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
S-307  Gordon, R.M. (D-38); Norcross, D. (D-5)
Establishes State Transportation Infrastructure Bank
within New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust.
Related Bill: A-2268
  
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SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS
5/19/14  1 PM – Committee Room 1, First Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
A-1080  Vainieri Huttle, V. (D-37); Jimenez, A.M.
(D-32)
Prohibits smoking at public parks and beaches.
      
S-1772  Turner, S.K. (D-15); Vitale, J.F. (D-19);
Weinberg, L. (D-37)
Prohibits smoking at public parks and beaches.
Related Bill: A-1080
      
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Maryland governor vetoes wind turbine moratorium

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley vetoed a 13-month moratorium on building wind turbines within 56 miles of the U.S. Naval Air Station Patuxent River, saying the bill is unnecessary and would send a chilling message to renewable energy developers, the Associated Press reports.
"The bill would have delayed construction on wind turbines to wait for a study on how they could affect radar use around the base. Supporters of the bill argued it was important to consider needs of the base, a big economic engine in southern Maryland. But opponents contended it sent a bad message to businesses and harms wind farm development in Maryland."
“There are already safeguards in place to ensure that no renewable energy projects conflict with military facilities — those safeguards render this bill unnecessary,” O’Malley said in a statement.

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