Feds probing Delaware River Port Authority spending



You assume that the tolls and fares you pay are used to support the four bridges and the PATCO commuter rail line connecting Philadelphia and South Jersey. But did you know that $500 million of your money was doled out by the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) over 15 years to underwrite museums sports stadiums, a concert hall, a cancer center, the Army-Navy football game, and other non-transportation projects?

 
Would you like to know why it was sent and who benefited? 

 
Apparently, the federal government shares your curiosity.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports today that a federal grand jury is investigating   

millions of dollars of politically connected ‘economic development” spending.
 

Paul Nussbaum writes:

"The DRPA’s chief attorney and inspector general sent a memo to DRPA
employees last Thursday warning them to preserve all documents related to
the agency’s economic development projects.

DRPA chief executive John Matheussen said Wednesday, "I can confirm that
we have been served with a subpoena by the U.S. Attorney General’s Office.”
He declined to discuss the timing or scope of the subpoena issued last week
by the office of U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger of the eastern District of
Pennsylvania.

Nussbaum also notes:

Last year, New Jersey state Comptroller Matthew Boxer issued a report critical of political cronyism and mismanagement at DRPA, saying that "in nearly every area we looked at, we found people who treated the DRPA like a personal ATM, from DRPA commissioners to private vendors to community organizations. People with connections at the DRPA were quick to put their hand out when dealing with the agency, and they generally were not disappointed when they did."

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Feds probing Delaware River Port Authority spending Read More »

The Dave Matthews Band and NJ/NY Baykeeper rock on





Two organizations you would not expect to see sharing a news release today did.

Dave Matthews

The NY/NJ Baykeeper, the environmental group dedicated to protecting and restoring the Hudson and Raritan estuary, announced it has received a $16,057 grant from the Dave Mathews Band‘s Bama Works Fund, through its special Hurricane Sandy Relief
grants.

The funding will be used to relocate and rebuild Baykeeper’s
Aquaculture Facility that was destroyed by Superstorm Sandy. The group said the funding also will it to achieve our goal to place 50,000 research oysters in
the waters of Naval Weapons Station Earle.  


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The Baykeeper’s news release provides the following details:

Baykeeper’s Aquaculture facility
houses its 450 gallon tanks used for setting oyster larvae onto shell for
oyster restoration projects. Once the oyster larvae have been set on the shell,
and grown for about two months, they are ready for release onto newly
established oyster beds, or reefs, around the region.  

 In August 2010, NJ DEP, because
of alleged concerns about poaching, banned research, restoration, and education
projects using oysters in waters where shellfish harvesting is
prohibited.  As a result, Baykeeper approached the Navy about placing
oyster nets at Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Earle, which is under 24/7 security,
and therefore eliminates any poaching risk. 

 Oyster survival research
began at NWS Earle in October, 2011. Baykeeper and its research partner,
Rutgers University, recently received a permit from New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection to utilize 10.7 acres of Navy property
for oyster restoration and research.  Because NWS Earle is the only
research site available to Baykeeper, the aquaculture facility is moving from Highlands
and being rebuilt on NWS Earle property.  This summer Baykeeper will place
50,000 research oysters in the waters of NWS Earle.  

 “Our oyster research is
continually supported by acts of generosity,” said Meredith Comi, Oyster
Restoration Program Director. “Bama Works is helping us to rebuild
and NWS Earle is the new home for our research. We are so grateful,” Comi
added.  

Oysters are filter feeders that
can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day, removing pollutants.  By
filtering particles out of the water, oysters reduce turbidity which promotes
plant life. They are vital to the ecological integrity of the Hudson-Raritan
Estuary and Baykeeper has been working to restore oyster beds in NY and NJ
waters since 1999. Oysters naturally build up in reefs that provide refuge for
juvenile fish and protect the shoreline by dampening storm energy and
preventing erosion. 


Sorry fans, no soundtrack from Dave accompanied the release.  

The Dave Matthews Band and NJ/NY Baykeeper rock on Read More »

Michael Krancer stepping down as Pa's DEP secretary

Michael Krancer -Lehigh Valley News photo
In a news release today Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett today announced that Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Krancer will step down April 15 to return home to Montgomery County and will resume the practice of law with Philadelphia-based  Blank Rome LLP.
 
No reason was given for Krancer’s departure but there will be speculation that the governor, whose poll results have been desultory in recent months, is looking to reshape his image as he seeks re-election to a second, four-year term.
 
Krancer has been an unflinching supporter of the natural gas industry and other business development interests in the state and has clashed on several occasions with the federal Environmental Protection Agency and with state-based environmental organizations.
E. Christopher Abruzzo, deputy chief of staff for Governor Tom Corbett, will serve as acting secretary until Corbett names Krancer’s successor.
 
“Secretary Krancer has been an invaluable member of our team and I am grateful for his service,’’ Corbett said in the news release. “His impressive efforts at DEP have taken the agency back to basics, protecting the environment and making the permitting process more efficient.
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The governor’s news release continued:

Corbett appointed Krancer to his cabinet in January 2011, where Krancer oversaw many major initiatives, including the reorganization of the agency, which created an Oil and Gas deputate and improved consistency statewide in enforcing that industry’s regulations. Krancer also oversaw the Permit Review Process and Permit Decision Guarantee, which have brought timeliness and consistency to the permitting process for all agency-regulated activities.

In April 2011, Krancer and the governor issued a call to Marcellus Shale operators to stop delivering shale gas drilling wastewater to plants that were not equipped to fully treat it, which resulted in a sea change overnight and improved the health of Pennsylvania’s waterways.

Krancer also made brownfields redevelopment and abandoned mine reclamation projects around the state a priority and oversaw the implementation of the Covered Device Recycling Act. Krancer and his agency were also instrumental in facilitating new investments and potential investments around the state, including his role in Governor Corbett’s team efforts to save the three southeastern Pennsylvania refineries and attract to them new environmentally responsible investors, employers and projects.

 
Related news stories:

PA DEP’s Krancer: Climate change is real –


Our most recent environmental news posts:  
Sandy’s cedar forest damage helps young boat builders
Wearin’ our green — St. Patrick’s Day Roundup 
An interview with NYC recycling ‘czar’ Ron Gonen 
Did Supreme Court ruling rein in EPA enforcement? 
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary welcomes directors 

Michael Krancer stepping down as Pa's DEP secretary Read More »

Sandy's cedar forest damage helps young boat builders

Bob Williams photo
Hurricane Sandy left so much damage behind that it’s hard to keep up with accounts
of the storm’s human and environmental toll. Maybe that’s why a story in yesterday’s Philadelphia Inquirer makes you feel so good.

Staffer Edward Colimore writes:

William S. Haines Jr. knew what he wanted to do when he saw hundreds
of Atlantic white cedars blown down by megastorm Sandy on his land in Chatsworth, Burlington County.

He’d restore the forest by selling the highly sought-after wood and turn a negative into a positive.

Then Haines learned of another restoration effort by an organization that uses wood to build young lives – and decided to donate cedar trees to the cause.

The Philadelphia Wooden Boat Factory, an educational nonprofit in the city’s Frankford section, teaches boat-building classes to underperforming and economically disadvantaged high school students to help them develop problem-solving skills and character.

"This is a great project for those who don’t have the same opportunities that we’ve had," said Haines, who oversees the largest cranberry operation in New Jersey and one of the top five in the country. "This seemed like an easy thing to do."

Just five paragraphs in, you determined to keep reading, since you’re pretty sure you’ll like the outcome.

You will.  Read the entire piece here.

Philadelphia Inquirer: Alejandro A. Alvarez

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Our most recent environmental news posts:  

An interview with NYC recycling ‘czar’ Ron Gonen

Did Supreme Court ruling rein in EPA enforcement? 
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary welcomes directors 
As another storm hits, NJDEP says: Don’t forget to call

What you need to know about the EPA’s Gina McCarthy 

Sandy's cedar forest damage helps young boat builders Read More »

Wearin' our green — St. Patrick's Day Roundup

From this normally green- (as in environment) related blog, today some green updates of another sort–to help you celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day…

St. Patrick’s Day — History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts
Discover the history behind St. Patrick’s Day, observed by the Irish for 1000 years. Find out about the customary St. Patrick’s Day meal, popular holiday traditions and more.

St. Patrick’s Day 2013: 5 Things You Didn’t Know – ABC News

ABC News St. Patrick’s Day 2013: 5 Things You Didn’t Know
His birth name was actually Maewyn Succat — it wasn’t until he was in the Church that it was changed to Patricius, or Patrick. St. Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland, was born in Kilpatric …

In Time for St. Patrick’s Day, a Visit From Obama’s Irish Cousin …
Henry Healy is just one of many Irish visitors in town for St. Patrick’s festivities, but he is the only Irishman or woman who can say his cousin is the president of the United States.

Revelers from NYC to Dublin mark St. Patrick’s Day 
NEW YORK—Crowds cheered and bagpipes bellowed during New York City s annual St. Patrick s Day parade

Pointers for St. Patrick’s Day parade – Boston Herald

Chicagoans celebrate St. Patrick’s Day | WGN-TV
What would be a cold and cloudy St. Paddy’s Day celebration in Chicago started early Saturday morning for local and state leaders. Mayor Emanuel, Governor Quinn, and Senator Dick Durbin headed to mass at Old St. Pats

For Best St. Patrick’s Day, Live in These 5 Irish-American Cities …
St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, and the cities with the most Irish-American influence are bound to have the most revved-up parties.

Roundup: Traditional And Alternative St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations …
Feel the luck of the Irish all throughout Philadelphia this weekend and beyond with this lofty lineup of events

St Patrick’s Day Down Under: Beyond the glad tidings – The Irish Times

Pubs profit on St. Patrick’s Day weekend
Area pubs say they’re raking in double the profits this two-day St. Patrick’s Day weekend. They just hope Mother Nature doesn’t ruin their plans.

St Patrick’s Day 2011 – Riverdance Flashmob (Central Station, Sydney, Australia)

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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in NJ, PA, NY & DE, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics. Our daily newsletter also tracks NJ & PA environment and energy bills–from introduction to enactment
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Our most recent environmental news posts:  
An interview with NYC recycling ‘czar’ Ron Gonen
Did Supreme Court ruling rein in EPA enforcement?  
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary welcomes directors 
As another storm hits, NJDEP says: Don’t forget to call

What you need to know about the EPA’s Gina McCarthy

Wearin' our green — St. Patrick's Day Roundup Read More »

An interview with NYC recycling 'czar' Ron Gonen


In May of 2012, Ron Gonen joined New York City’s Department of Sanitation
in the newly created position of deputy commissioner for recycling and sustainability.
The founder and former CEO of RecycleBank was charged with doubling the city’s
recycling rate (currently about 15%) by 2017.

Quite a challenge. How are things going? Find out in this Q and A with Waste and Recycling News editor John Campanelli.

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We’ve all heard about New York City’s plans to ban Styrofoam. But did you know that the city soon will be using a privately-constructed recycling facility that will handle all recyclables, including all types of plastics ("No more reading that stupid thing on the bottom of the container, you can’t figure it out," the mayor says).

Watch the video below in which Mayor Michael Bloomberg (at 56:04) talks about the new recycling center being built by Sims** to handle all recycling in the city.The plant will be the largest of its kind in North America–and will be powered both by solar panels and a wind turbine ("the largest since the Dutch built windmills in New Amsterdam," Bloomberg quips).                          

New York also plans to test the feasibility of collecting and composting household (and public school) food waste. Currently more than 1 million tons of food waste annually is sent to landfills at a cost to taxpayers of $80 per ton. A pilot curbside program launches this spring in Staten Island. If it works out, the mayor says the program will go citywide.

** (Full Disclosure: Sims is a client of our sister consulting firm, Brill Public Affairs).



What do you think about NYC’s sustainability plans?  Let us know in the comment box below. If one is not visible, activate it by clicking on the tiny ‘comments’ line.

Related environmental news stories:
New York’s ‘Recycling Czar’ Talks About Styrofoam Ban, Compost Program
Plastic Bag Ban for NYC to Follow Soft Drink Ban?  
Foam cups, containers eyed amid NYC recycling push 
Broadway will feel the crunch (on trash)  
Portland commercial food waste likely headed to Washington facility

Our most recent environmental news posts: 
Did Supreme Court ruling rein in EPA enforcement? 
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For all you fans of the Alaskan polar bear


An interview with NYC recycling 'czar' Ron Gonen Read More »