EnviroPolitics Blog

Disputed gas pipeline gets NJ Pinelands hearing tonight

A public hearing tonight is expected to attract both opponents and supporters of a proposed 24-inch pipeline through 15 miles of the New Jersey Pinelands. The pipeline would carry natural gas to fuel the B. L. England power plant in Beesleys Point.

The plant currently burns coal and would be forced to close if the pipeline is denied. Environmental groups oppose the pipeline. Union workers support it. Hearing updates can be tracked on Twitter and Facebook via the hashtag #NoSJGas

ABC 6 and NJTV News summarize the proposal and preview tonight’s debate:

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Related environmental news stories:
Pinelands gas pipeline hearing Monday – Press of Atlantic City
Proposed Natural Gas Pipeline Would Cut Through Pinelands – NJ Spotlight
$8M deal could clear way for Pinelands pipeline – Cherry Hill Courier Post

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Disputed gas pipeline gets NJ Pinelands hearing tonight Read More »

Energy & Environment legislation tomorrow in Trenton

Legislation urging the federal government to deny approval for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal off the coasts of New Jersey and New York is one of eight bills to be considered tomorrow when the NJ Legislature’s Environment and Energy Committee meets at 10 a.m. in Room 10 of the State House Annex.

Here’s the lineup:

A-266 Schroeder, R. (R-39); O’Donnell, J. (D-31); Russo, D.C. (R-40)

Requires that fire department be notified of roof mounted solar panels on residential and non-residential structures; requires exterior disconnection for solar panels.

Related Bill: S-507

A-2887 Chivukula, U.J. (D-17); McKeon, J.F. (D-27); Stender, L. (D-22)

Requires Energy Master Plan to include long-term capacity planning and infrastructure planning.

Related Bill: S-2758

A-2953 Wagner, C. (D-38); Eustace, T.J. (D-38)

Provides totally disabled persons with discount on fishing license fees.

Related Bill: S-2709

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S-507 Bucco, A.M. (R-25)

Requires identifying emblems on certain structures to notify firefighters of solar panels; requires exterior disconnection for solar panels.

Related Bill: A-266

S-2709 Pou, N. (D-35)

Provides totally disabled persons with discount on fishing license fees.

Related Bill: A-2953

S-2758 Whelan, J. (D-2)

Requires Energy Master Plan to include long-term capacity planning and infrastructure planning.

Related Bill: A-2887

SR-120 Beck, J. (R-11)

Urges federal and State officials to prevent construction of Port Ambrose liquefied natural gas facility off NJ coast.

For discussion only:

S-3075 Smith, B. (D-17); Bateman, C. (R-16)

Authorizes DEP to extend time for remedial investigation of certain contaminated sites prior to undertaking direct oversight.

Related Bill: A-4543

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Our most recent blog posts:
Capitol Hill Calendar: Tomorrow-Nov. 5, 2013
NJ Gov. Christie’s top-level administration changes
Will Massachusetts be the second state to ban fracking?
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Interview with Clean Ocean Action’s Cindy Zipf (Audio)

Energy & Environment legislation tomorrow in Trenton Read More »

Capitol Hill Calendar: Tomorrow-Nov. 5, 2013

HOUSE ENERGY AND COMMERCE Subcommittee on Energy and Power 9:30 a.m. 2123 Rayburn Hearing entitled "Evaluating the Role of FERC in a Changing Energy Landscape"
9:30 a.m., 2123 Rayburn

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HOUSE SCIENCE, SPACE AND TECHNOLOGY

Markup on the following measures: H.R. 2413, the "Weather Forecasting Improvement Act of 2013"; H.R. 2431, the "National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013"; H.R. 2981, the "Technology and Research Accelerating National Security and Future Economic Resiliency Act of 2013"; and legislation regarding termination liability costs for certain National Aeronautics and Space Administration projects, and for other purposes, 9 a.m., 2318 Rayburn

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Our daily newsletter also tracks NJ & PA legislation—from introduction to enactment

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Our most recent blog posts:
NJ Gov. Christie’s top-level administration changes
Will Massachusetts be the second state to ban fracking?
New snowmobile trails stir conflict in NY Adirondacks
Senator Casey: Extend Broad St. Subway To Navy Yard
Interview with Clean Ocean Action’s Cindy Zipf (Audio)

Capitol Hill Calendar: Tomorrow-Nov. 5, 2013 Read More »

NJ Gov. Christie's top-level administration changes

Gov. Chris Christie today announced changes at the top levels of his administration, nominating a new attorney general and naming a new
chief of staff.

Amy Cradic - Formerly with DEP now Gov Christie's

Kevin O’Dowd Regina Egea Amy Cradic

The Republican governor picked his current chief of staff, Kevin O’Dowd,
to become attorney general and Regina Egea, currently director of the authorities unit, to take the chief of staff position. Former NJDEP Assistant Commissioner Amy Cradic will become the new deputy chief of staff.
Christie encouraged the state Senate to confirm O’Dowd by the end of the current session on Jan. 14. Senate President Steve Sweeney today had nice things to say about O’Dowd which could signal that the confirmation may go smoothly. That has not been the case for
a number of the governor’s judicial appointments whose nominations have been blocked or delayed in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

Prior to joining the Christie Administration, O’Dowd served as the Chief of the Securities and Healthcare Fraud Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. During his seven years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, O’Dowd prosecuted various crimes ranging from healthcare, securities and financial fraud matters to international child pornography distribution, cyber crimes and narcotics trafficking violations. ——————————————————————————————————————————-
For more information like this, try a FREE, 30-day subscription to EnviroPolitics.
Our daily newsletter also tracks NJ & PA legislation—introduction to enactment _______________________________________________________________________ Prior to her current assignment, Egea was Chief of Staff to the State Treasurer. There, her responsibilities included general management of all Treasury operations and she also played a leading role in developing and implementing the pension and benefit reforms that Governor Christie signed into law in June 2011. Before joining state government in February 2010, Egea was a Senior Vice President with AT&T in Bedminster where she led its global sales segment marketing team. Since March of 2012, Cradic has served as Gov. Christie’s Senior Policy Advisor for Energy, Environment, Transportation, Labor, State Planning, Tourism and Gaming, Intergovernmental Relations and Federal Issues. Prior to joining the administration she was worked for six years at the Department of Environmental Protection where she was Asst. Commissioner for natural and historic resource programs, overseeing an operating budget of $90 million and a 900 full-time and 750 part-time staff.

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NJ Gov. Christie's top-level administration changes Read More »

Will Massachusetts be the second state to ban fracking?

Legislation that would impose a 10-year moratorium on hydraulic fracturing is making its way through the Massachusetts state legislature, Grist reports.

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On Wednesday, the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture passed the bill, which would also prohibit the dumping of fracking wastewater in the state.

“Although the state isn’t seen as a rich source of shale gas, there could be limited deposits in western Massachusetts,” the Associated Press reports.

As EcoWatch explains, “Local concern about fracking has grown since the U.S. Geological Survey identified shale gas deposits in the Pioneer Valley last December. Moreover, as New York mulls large-scale fracking next door, drilling operators could soon view Western Massachusetts as a convenient dumping ground for toxic fracking wastewater.”

If the full state legislature passes the bill and Gov. Deval Patrick (D) signs it, Massachusetts would become the second state in the nation to ban fracking. Vermont banned it last year, despite having negligible fracking potential.

In New Jersey, the state legislature last year passed a bill banning the treatment
of fracking waste but Gov. Chris Christie vetoed the measure.

See the full story: Will Massachusetts become the second state to ban fracking?

Related environmental news stories:
Critics Blast Plan to Ship Fracking Wastewater on … – NJ Spotlight
New Jersey Residents Demand Fracking Waste Ban | EcoWatch
New York bans fracking, but environmental and economic benefits find their way

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Will Massachusetts be the second state to ban fracking? Read More »

New snowmobile trails stir conflict in NY Adirondacks

The use of tracked groomers is causing controversy in the Adirondacks

For Dick Rosteck, a new snowmobile trail through the Adirondacks is "the greatest thing since homemade apple pie" and volunteering his time to groom it with a tracked vehicle
is a labor of love, reports Mary Esch of the Associated Press.

"But some environmental groups see such trails as snowmobile superhighways cut through the woods at the expense of habitat and the tradition of trails scaled to leave little mark on the wild lands. They’re suing to stop the state from downing what they claim are too many trees to make way for them, and they also want to ban the use of tracked groomers, which drag a heavy steel frame to smooth trails for a safer, more comfortable ride.

"At stake is continued work on a network of new trails linking tourism-dependent communities in the park, a project that has taken years to plan and collaboration between regulators, environmentalists and snowmobile enthusiasts.

"Snowmobilers say the legal attack comes from a group of environmental purists who have little tolerance for motorized means of enjoying the back country. Among those disputing that characterization is Peter Bauer, executive director of Protect the Adirondacks, one of the groups that has sued.

"We are in no way looking to end snowmobiling or grooming on the Forest Preserve," Bauer said. "It is about making state agencies obey state law and protecting the Forest Preserve from further damage from the construction and grooming of excessively wide road-like trails."

"He said tracked groomers are illegal under the Adirondack State Land Master Plan, which governs activities on the 2.6-million-acre patchwork of state-owned Forest Preserve within the 6-million-acre Adirondack Park."

Read the full story at:
New Adirondacks snowmobile trails stir conflicts over tree-cutting, tractor-like groomers