Environmental Business News for NJ, PA & NY

In addition to our daily, paid-subscription newsletter, EnviroPolitics, we publish three environmental information resources that are totally free but still filled with valuable content.

One of them is Enviro-Business News. It carries summaries and links to news stories and press releases about businesses and organizations that are involved in environmental industries and services. Think: environmental law firms, engineers, consultants, developers, utilities, industries, etc.

We think that signing up for our free Enviro-Business News email alerts is not only a good way to keep up on what’s happening to other folks in environmental businesses, but also a good way to get the word out about your business, organization, project, etc. Yes, we accept and use relevant news releases and we won’t charge you a penny for the service.

Some smart, marketing-minded folks have caught on and supply us with news releases on a regular basis. Others (surprisingly including some subscribers to our daily newsletter) still haven’t gotten around to putting us (editor@enviropolitics.com) on their media distribution list or passing on our address to their PR firm or staffer.

We think they’re missing a terrific opportunity since the folks who read Enviro-Business News are some of the most active and influential leaders in a variety of environmental endeavors. (We could drop some heavy names here, but you know who you are)

Yesterday, we sent out a teaser piece to a number of folks on our email list (if you’re among them, we apologize for the duplication but maybe you still need a reminder to sign up).

It said:

Our latest Enviro-Business News includes these stories:

New Jersey and Pennsylvania law firms to merge
Reed Smith cutting associates’ salaries by 10%
R. Timothy Weston re-elected to university board
Albany-area Home sales fall 23% in April
Transload America executive touts ‘waste-by-rail”
Solar-powered wastewater treatment plant in NJ

To see all the above stories and receive free alerts when new items are added, sign up today and receive this valuable service without charge or obligation.

Just send a blank email to: enviro-business@aweber.com Then watch your email for a one-step confirmation message.

Bonus: Submit news about your company or organization. If it’s suitable, we’ll print it without charge. Send your release to: editor@enviropolitics.com

So, why are you still reading this? You should be signing up RIGHT NOW for this great, free service AND (after subscribing) finding out about the stories behind the headlines above, AND passing our email address onto your PR folks.

Get a move on now. It’s Friday and before you know it you’ll be slapping chicken parts on the barbecue and all this great advice will (poof) go up in smoke.

Oh, in case you’re wondering what the other two free informational resources alluded to way back in paragraph #1, they are our:

Enviro-Events Calendar

(check it out for lots of interesting events coming up this weekend, during the month of June, and beyond)…and, of course….

the excellent, though occasionally self-serving (as in this post) EnviroPolitics Blog that you’re currently reading.

Care to comment? Click on the tiny “comments” line below and have at it.

Environmental Business News for NJ, PA & NY Read More »

A TDR plan for NJ Highlands property owners


Property owners and developers have
an opportunity to weigh in on the New Jersey Highlands Council’s plans for a transfer of development rights (TDR) program based on one operating in the state’s Pinelands region.

The Highlands Council is soliciting (until June 26, 2009) informal public comment on draft procedures for the operation of its Highlands Development Credit (HDC) Bank.

The bank will be the official entity that oversees transactions involving the transfer of development rights.

What are they?

In simplified terms, these rights or “credits” are granted to property owners whose land values have been impaired by the Highlands Act’s development restrictions. Landowners can sell the credits through the bank to developers who will use them to increase the density of projects they build in permitted areas.

The Highlands Council has provided a two-page cover letter summarizing the bank’s operating procedures.

Or, you can read a copy of its 21-page Highlands Development Credit Bank Operating Procedures.

To learn more about the Pinelands Development Credit Bank, which is the model for the Highlands program, check out their 2008 Annual Report

Our most recent posts:
Rebate for home-grown New Jersey solar panels?
NJ Sierra Club says: Stimulate this, not that
Environmental Events in NJ & PA
Is carbon capture the political key to climate bill?
Feds’ $2.4B to ‘stimulate’ carbon capture projects

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A TDR plan for NJ Highlands property owners Read More »

Rebate for home-grown New Jersey solar panels?


New Jersey residents interested in installing solar-energy panels on their rooftops–and those in-state companies that manufacture the panels–would both benefit from a new rebate plan under consideration by the state Board of Public Utilities.
Scott Fallon reports in today’s Bergen Record that:

“The New Jersey Renewable Energy Manufacturing Incentive would give homeowners an additional 25 cents per watt on top of the current $1.75-per-watt rebate. That means a house with a modest 2-kilowatt system could see a $4,000 rebate check to offset the often costly installation.”

Providing impetus to the BPU program is S-2739, legislation sponsored by Bob Smith, chairman of the state Senate’s Environment Committee. The Assembly version of the bill is A-3980 .
A number of other state legislators also have been doing their part to encourage solar energy’s growth.
Solar-energy legislation currently under consideration :
A-2859/S-1538 Concerns biomass, solar, and wind energy generation on farms.
A-2994 Authorizes municipalities to require solar energy elements as condition of site plan or subdivision approval.
A-3062/S-1303 Defines “inherently beneficial use” for purposes of zoning variance and specifically includes facilities and structures that supply electrical energy produced from wind, solar, or photovoltaic technologies.

A-3208/S-2429 Requires the incorporation of solar panels in design and construction of new public school facilities.
A-3218/S-1096 Creates Solar and Wind Energy Commission.
A-3238/S-1065 Permits electric public utilities, electric power suppliers and basic generation service providers to enter into certain agreements with building owners for use of solar energy systems for such buildings.
A-3347 /S-2218 Authorizes DOT, NJ Turnpike Authority, and South Jersey Transportation Authority to permit BPU-certified persons to install and maintain solar photovoltaic panels on noise barriers erected on roads and highways
A-3520 /S-2441 “The Solar Energy Advancement and Fair Competition Act.”
A-3616/S-2499 Encourages purchase of NJ solar panels and wind turbines for State projects and State-funded projects
A-3701/S-1953 Requires all new State buildings to have solar or geothermal energy systems, where feasible.
A-3845/S-2569 Establishes “Solar Equipment Purchase and Installation Assistance Program” in NJ EDA.
Solar-energy bills signed into law earlier this year:

A-1558 which requires developers to offer solar energy systems in certain new home construction, and

A-2550 which permits location of certain wind and solar facilities in industrial zones.

Related posts:
Long Island’s solar grants frying up; PA’s coming

Other recent posts:
Week’s top environmental news in New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, New York and beyond: May 11-15

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Rebate for home-grown New Jersey solar panels? Read More »

NJ Sierra Club says: Stimulate this, not that

In another “we’ll decide what’s good for you” press release, the
Sierra Club today dictated what federal stimulus fund projects
it will accept in New Jersey and which it will “fight.”

The first sentence of the release sets its overall snarky tone:

“As the Governor and politicians pat themselves on the back for stimulus money coming into the state, the NJ Sierra Club is watching closely to make sure those dollars are not spent on projects that will be detrimental to both the environment and the economy.”

Oooohhhhh. I’ll sleep a lot better at night knowing that the Sierra Club is standing between me and those horrible politicians. Imagine the nerve of that bunch, trying to foist upon us millions of dollars worth of environmental improvements that haven’t been approved by the Mother Nature or her New Jersey stand-in, Sierra Club Executive Director Jeff Tittel.

Tittel’s release dictates the terms. He’s down with spending federal stimulus funds to fix leaky sewer systems in urban areas, but, as for those horrid suburbs, :

“Funds going to Rockaway Valley Sewage Authority and Jefferson will allow for new development to hook into sewers in the Highlands . Major expansions of the county utility in Gloucester will lead to sewers in the environmentally-sensitive Delaware Bayshore area. Monies for sewer expansion in Medford , Evesham, and Buena could allow for additional development in the Pinelands. Expanding sewers in East Greenwich Township will promote sprawl on environmentally sensitive farmland. “

Jeff also is not amused by the thought of using the funds for:

“Landfill redevelopment proposals in Gloucester County , Cumberland County , Woodbury, Belleville and Teterboro. ” A redevelopment project in Harrison on a contaminated site also makes his no-no list.

As for the anticipated $469 million for transportation projects, he opposes:

“applying stimulus money towards extending Route 55, and widening 206 in the Highlands as well as the Atlantic City Expressway.” Not urban, not good.

The Sierrans, however, will accept fixing the Pulaski Skyway or improving deficient bridges. Gee, thanks, guys.

Of the $420 million intended for NJ Transit projects, he notes that $130 million of it would be used for a new tunnel to New York City….one “which the Sierra Club opposes as currently designed.” Hint: Change the design, boys, and maybe we’ll change our opposition.

Is all of what the Sierra Club calls for (or opposes) in the release unreasonable?

Probably not. But it’s sure hard to warm up to when its delivered in the style they use so frequently: high-handed, imperious, dictatorial.

Tree huggers are supposed to be warm and fuzzy. This bunch sounds more like Dick Cheney every day.

Our most recent posts:
Feds’ $2.4B to ‘stimulate’ carbon capture projects
For carbon sequestration, it’s test time
USGS report drills into Marcellus Shale concerns
Thousands of climate lobbyists besiege Congress
Alert: NJ’s Licensed Site Professional bill signed

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in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York every business day.
PLUS: Proposed environmental regulation alerts
PLUS: Full tracking of environmental legislation
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NJ Sierra Club says: Stimulate this, not that Read More »

Environmental Events in NJ & PA

How do you keep track of environmental events?
What kind?
All kinds…seminars, workshops, conferences, educational and training sessions–all the stuff that can help you get ahead.
And the fun kind, too –movies, socials, green-drinks, hikes and lots of networking events.
Do you poke around through a bunch of newspapers, newsletters, organizational websites?
Or do you just hope somehow the event will find you?
We’d like to propose a better way. It’s comprehensive, easy and (you’ll like this part) FREE.
It’s the Enviro-Events Calendar published and updated 24/7.
Click on the link above to check it out.
Better still, get on our automatic update list.

We’ll send you email alerts when new events are added.

Don’t worry. We won’t bombard you with them. A few times a week at
most. Just enough so that you don’t miss any great opportunities.

Interested? Send a blank email to: enviro-calendar@aweber.com
Then check your email for a one-step confirmation message.
If it doesn’t appear, take a peek in your junk file.
You’re going to love this service because it makes your life so much easier.
If it’s not for you, you can unsubscribe at any time.
Be sure to tell your friends, too. They need it, too.

Environmental Events in NJ & PA Read More »

Is carbon capture the political key to climate bill?

“With Congress crafting energy and climate legislation, disparate lobbyists are urging lawmakers to think about China and other developing countries as reasons to develop power plants that capture coal’s carbon emissions. If the United States succeeds in building commercially viable coal plants, lobbyists and some independent experts argue, it could export the technology to countries that are building traditional power plants at a rapid clip.”

So reports Scientific American in an interesting article
you can read here

Our most recent posts:
Feds’ $2.4B to ‘stimulate’ carbon capture projects
For carbon sequestration, it’s test time
USGS report drills into Marcellus Shale concerns
Thousands of climate lobbyists besiege Congress
Alert: NJ’s Licensed Site Professional bill signed

———————————————————————————-
Get EnviroPolitics for the top environmental and political news
in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York every business day.
PLUS: Proposed environmental regulation alerts
PLUS: Full tracking of environmental legislation
Sign up now – No-obligation, 30 full days Free Trial

Is carbon capture the political key to climate bill? Read More »

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