EnviroPolitics Blog

Week’s top environmental & political news

Some of the top environmental and political news stories
for New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and beyond
appearing in EnviroPolitics from January 28 – February 1.

New Jersey Environment

South Mountain deer hunters have harvested 102 Sharpshooters killed 38 deer yesterday during the second day of a hunt being held at the Essex County-owned South Mountain Reservation Star-Ledger

Developer pays $76.5M for GM tract Nearly three years after closing its assembly plant in Linden, General Motors Corp. has sold the 100-acre property to Duke Realty, a commercial real estate investment trust, for $76.5 million, officials said Star-Ledger

State to investigate destruction of nest The deliberate destruction of a bald eagle nest in Cumberland County triggers a probe by New Jersey and federal wildlife officials, along with reward offers that climbed to $3,500 last night Star-Ledger Inquirer

Enviros want Highlands freeze until master plan is done A coalition of 53 environmental groups wants Gov. Jon Corzine to issue an executive order to protect NJ’s Highlands until a master plan to preserve open space and woodlands in the seven-county area is finalized this year Star-Ledger Bergen Record

PSE&G cost-recovery bid faces opposition A bid to block the state’s largest electric utility from recovering hundreds of millions in disputed costs from ratepayers gains support from an unlikely coalition of consumer and business groups Star-Ledger

DEP chief outlines her goals, without funds to realize them The state environmental protection commissioner said yesterday she has seven priorities for 2008, but lacks the additional money and staff needed to do the work Star-Ledger

Power export to raise bills? Public Service Enterprise Group wants to export electricity from a power plant it runs in Bergen County to New York City, a step consumer advocates fear could threaten reliability and drive up electric bills in NJ Jersey Journal

Nuclear energy debate revived for Oyster Creek In the next few weeks, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is expected to decide whether to grant a 20-year license extension to the nation’s oldest commercial nuclear station, a step even the plant’s most ardent foes expect to happen Star-Ledger

Cleanup effort lags on source of pollution Four years ago, NJ approved far-reaching new rules aimed at reining in storm water — its greatest water pollution problem and largest source of ocean, bay, river and lake swimming bans. But many towns have failed to win approval for their plans AP Press

New Jersey Politics

GOP stews while Chamber backs Corzine’s toll plan It’s a decision that has Republicans puzzled—the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce supporting Democratic Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s plan to increase tolls on some of the nation’s busiest highways. “Their endorsement is inexplicable,” said Sen. Joseph Kyrillos, R-Monmouth Associated Press Chamber Statement

Friend says former Newark mayor set aside land The woman accused of conspiring with former Newark mayor Sharpe James to rig discounted city land deals told FBI agents he ordered city officials to set aside certain lots specifically for her to buy, according to evidence disclosed yesterday Star-Ledger

New Jersey politicians quick to switch horses As the field of presidential contestants narrowed yesterday, much of NJ’s political class worked to realign itself with the new reality. Codey switches to Obama; other Dems rush back to Clinton Star-Ledger

Ashcroft, Christie are focus of monitoring deals hearing House Democrats announce plans for a special hearing to examine the Justice Department’s use of private monitors in out-of-court settlements and asked former attorney general John Ashcroft to testify about the multimillion-dollar monitoring fees he is collecting for work in a New Jersey case Star-Ledger

Rutgers board OKs stadium expansion Star-Ledger Cartoon
> Opinion: Rutgers needs new game plan Norman Glickman

Codey pitches bailout plan: Lease lottery As Gov. Jon Corzine went to Camden County last night to make his case for higher tolls to revamp the state’s finances and fund transportation projects, Senate President Richard Codey advanced another idea to raise cash: leasing the state lottery Star-Ledger

Corzine: Budget to take toll on Trenton status quo While the debate rages over the big toll hikes in his plan to restructure the state’s finances, Gov. Jon Corzine predicts a less publicized part of the proposal — a state budget that includes deep cuts — may cause even more controversy Star-Ledger

Pennsylvania Environment

Drilling to begin for area’s natural gas Natural gas reserves that are located throughout parts of Northeastern PA could pump millions of dollars into the local economy, researchers say Times Tribune

Group: State needs more high-voltage power lines to avert shortages Utility–led coalition says residents and businesses could run short of electricity by 2011 without the upgrades Patriot News

Power line project promises protests PPL Utilities is girding up for its largest project in 25 years — a 60-plus mile, 500,000-volt power line from Berwick to the state border — and it’s likely to raise environmental and health concerns along the way Times Tribune

Conservation group: Delaware River plan dangerous to trout Slaking the thirst and ensuring the safety of millions of people living along the Delaware River are not the only burdens to be met by a controversial draft of a plan for its management Pocono Record

Railroad drops site for wind turbine Norfolk Southern Corp. has crossed the Enola freight yards in East Pennsboro Twp. off its list of potential sites for a wind turbine Patriot-News

DEP fines Hawbaker on air violations Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. has been fined $61,850 by the state Department of Environmental Protection for multiple air quality violations at its asphalt plant and quarry in Spring Twp Centre Daily Times

Pocono Medical Center fined for waste dumping Hospital must pay a $100,000 fine for improperly handling medical waste in 2006, the state DEP announced Friday Pocono Record

Firm wants to wrap up remediation The company responsible for the cleanup of a 2005 petroleum pipeline explosion in South Whitehall Township has applied to the state to have the soil remediation at the site declared complete Morning Call

Pennsylvania Politics

Gaming board takes control over Mount Airy casino State gambling regulators met with executives at Mount Airy Casino Resort on Thursday to discuss a power transfer now that its owner has been charged with perjury and at least temporarily stripped of his license Associated Press

Dougherty resolves to unseat Fumo State Sen. Vince Fumo offers a brief reaction to the news that John Dougherty, head of the electricians’ union, is running for his Senate seat: Bring it on Philly.com

Nutter, Council moves aim at trades diversity Mayor Nutter will name a 30-member commission to assess ways to increase diversity in the construction industry as part of a plan to get the Convention Center expansion moving, according to sources familiar with discussions under way Philly.com

Medicaid will not cover errors in PA Rendell said hospitals will no longer be paid for costs to correct serious medical mistakes Inquirer

New York/Region/World

Plan calls for $8 entry fee to New York City Associated Press

Air Force pitches coal-to-liquids plant Air Force officials have laid out an ambitious plan to develop a privately financed coal-to-diesel plant at Malmstrom air base within the next four years at a cost of $1 billion to $4 billion Business Week

More testing of seafood to address mercury concerns A number of restaurants and retailers in different parts of the country have started testing the fish they sell in response to concerns about the amount of mercury in seafood, and the Environmental Protection Agency is beginning to examine the mercury content in fish sold in the New York City region NY Times

Ex-Assemblyman spreads largess as a lobbyist NY Times

In NY state’s woods and streams, a modern-day Artemis Patricia Riexinger is the first woman director of the New York State’s Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources, a traditionally masculine domain New York Times

Week’s top environmental & political news Read More »

Enviro-Events Calendar for NJ & PA

February, 2008 listing of environmental forums, seminars, educational sessions, networking and other events in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Originally appearing in the daily, electronic newsletter, EnviroPolitics.

February 2
Historic Whitesbog Village Tour Meet at 1 p.m. Whitesbog Village, at the General Store. Discover how Whitesbog became one of the biggest blueberry and cranberry production centers in New Jersey at the turn of the 20th century on this guided tour. You’ll also learn about the personalities behind Whitesbog, such as Elizabeth White, who co-developed the cultivated blueberry with Dr. Frederick Coville, and its Italian immigrant workers. Tour includes visits to the Agricultural Museum, Suningive (Elizabeth White’s home), and the Interpretive Cottage, which depicts how Whitesbog’s worker families lived in the early 1900s. RSVP recommended for parties of 10 or more. Fee: $5/person. Call (609) 893-4646 for more information. Whitesbog is located at Mile Marker 13 on Route 530, Browns Mills

February 6-8
Wind Power Finance & Investment Summit Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego, CA. The Wind Power Finance & Investment Summit attracts the industry’s leading project developers, lenders, investors, financial innovators, and other industry players and is acknowledged as the best deal-making and networking event of the year. Year after year, leading wind players gather to discuss cutting edge developments in wind power finance and investment markets, share their perspectives on what it takes to profit from the record-breaking flow of wind deals, and connect with other decision-makers.

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Post Your Event Here – No Charge – Open to All
Send information on your upcoming event to:
Event@EnviroPolitics.com
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February 12
Thank You Delaware Bay The Nature Conservancy and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary on February 12 will launch an exciting new program, Thank You Delaware Bay, designed to showcase the value and benefits of the Delaware Bay. Citizens are encouraged to join in the effort to protect this precious resource. The program includes a new website, print ads, and television commercials – all of which will be unveiled at the event. We hope you can attend. Feel free to forward this invitation to others you believe would be interested. Call or e-mail with any questions you may have. Melanie Rapp, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Public Affairs Office at 302-739-9902.

February 12-14
PA Landscape & Nursery Conference, The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College, PA. Friends. Ideas. Inspiration. Registration Information

February 14
“Southeast NJ’s Economy: Competition for Land & Resources” 9 to 11 a.m., Stockton College Library Center, Atlantic City. PlanSmart NJ brings together the public, private and nonprofit sectors to examine the future of Ocean, Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland counties through the lens of a revolutionary planning framework developed by PlanSmart NJ as part of its Smart Growth Economy Project. Flyer Agenda Online Registration

February 14
Site Remediation Basics 9-4:30. Fee charged. NJDEP representatives will explain the regulations and guidance documents you will need when conducting site investigations and remediation activities. You will learn how to comply with the Industrial Site Recovery Act, the Underground Storage of Hazardous Substance Act and the Spill Compensation and Control Act, and associated Administrative Consent Orders and Voluntary Cleanups. Case studies will provide “real-world” examples of how to prepare and submit work plans and report packages. Agenda and Registration

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See full listing of events at: Calendar
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February 16
Moonlight Walk (Snow Moon) Meet at 5 PM, Whitesbog Village, at the General Store. Join a seasoned guide for a 3-5 mile walk around Historic Whitesbog Village, birthplace of the cultivated blueberry. Learn the stories and folklore of the Pinelands while uncovering its unique wildlife and plant life. Bring water, light snacks, and flashlight. RSVP by Friday, Feb. 15 strongly recommended. Call (609) 893-4646 and leave full name, phone number and number of people in party. Fee: $5/person. Whitesbog is located at Mile Marker 13 on Route 530,Browns Mills, NJ

February 20
The Future of Brownfields in New Jersey is the focus of the next Environmental Business Council of CIANJ “Members Only” Luncheon from 11:30 to 1 at the Commerce & Industry Association of NJ, 61 South Paramus Rd, Mack Cali IV, Paramus, NJ. Dr. Judith Auer Shaw, Senior Program Associate at the National Center for Neighborhood and Brownfields Redevelop-ment, Rutgers University and a former NJ DEP Site Remediation Program official will offer an in-depth overview of the state’s key brownfields and neighborhood redevelopment initiatives, and will identify future opportunities for business in our region. Event cost is $25 for CIANJ members and guests. Buffet lunch included. For more information, call Rosemary Dreger or Debra Romano at CIANJ at 201-368-2100.

February 22-23
Headwater Ecosystems: Protection, Management and Research, Penn Stater Conference Center, State College, PA. The conference is designed to promote the sharing of ideas among diverse groups with common interests, such as nonprofit organizations, Trout Unlimited chapters, sportsmen’s groups, and watershed associations, along with environmental professionals from conservation districts, agencies, and consulting firms. This year’s conference will focus on the protection and management of our headwater ecosystems and highlight the emerging research and successful partnerships that keep our headwater streams healthy. Draft Agenda Here
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Just send an email containing the phrase “enviro-events” to:
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Enviro-Events Calendar for NJ & PA Read More »

Quo vadis, Paulsboro (NJ) Refinery?

The Wilmington (DE) News Journal carried a report today that had to be a bit unsettling for management and employees at the Valero Refinery in Paulsboro, NJ. It read in part:

The nation’s largest refiner is reassessing its plans for the Paulsboro Refinery along the Delaware River in New Jersey, part of an ongoing “hard look” at plants eligible for major improvements or open for a possible sale.

In a brief comment during a morning earnings briefing, Valero Energy Chief Executive Officer Bill Klesse stopped short of listing Paulsboro among the plants already under consideration for “strategic alternatives,” a classification that includes sale.

But Klesse set Paulsboro apart from refineries considered to be “core” producers for Valero and those that are tightly integrated with core plants.
“Delaware City is a key refinery for us. We’re trying very hard to improve it. The assets there have lots and lots of potential, and our people are doing a good job,” Klesse said while outlining the company’s fourth-quarter and year-end performance.
“However, at the Paulsboro Refinery, we’re trying to decide what the long-term future is.”

Here’s the full News Journal story.
Also: Valero Rises After Profit Drops Less Than Estimated

Quo vadis, Paulsboro (NJ) Refinery? Read More »

Maryland LNG case could have wider impacts

AES Corporation, a company that wants to build a LNG terminal in Bethlehem Steel’s former shipyard in Baltimore, MD will be in federal district court today challenging Baltimore County’s coastal zoning plan which was recently amended to prohibit LNG plants and other facilities, such as oil refineries, from being located in environmentally sensitive coastal areas.

The case is being closely watched for impacts in other jurisdictions, like New Jersey, where similar prohibitions have been enacted or are contemplated.

The Baltimore Sun reports:

When an energy company and Baltimore County government square off in a federal appeals court today, the arguments might have widespread interest beyond whether a liquefied natural gas terminal should be built on Sparrows Point.

According to some experts, energy companies and local governments nationwide are interested in how successful Baltimore County is at using a federally and state-mandated program designed to protect coastal areas to defeat the controversial LNG project.

“I think folks will be watching to see if this can be used as a template to oppose any type of project,” said Bill Cooper, president of the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas, a Washington-based trade association.

The county’s modified coastal zone management plan has withstood one court challenge. But lawyers for Baltimore County and AES Corp., the company that wants to build the LNG plant, will present their arguments this morning to a panel of judges at the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va.

Donald Santa, a former member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and president of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, agreed that both companies and local governments will be monitoring the outcome of the federal appeal.

“If Baltimore County were to prevail, it would invite local jurisdictions to enact similar statutes,” Santa said. “That could frustrate the ability to locate LNG facilities in any locality.”

Maryland LNG case could have wider impacts Read More »

Jersey company helps save FL desalination plant

The Tampa Bay Water Desalination Plant, the largest facility of its kind in the nation, had its second grand opening Friday, Jan. 25, in Tampa, Florida.

It’s first took place in 2003, but early design problems led to clogging of the plant’s reverse-osmosis membranes that were supposed to strain salt from bay water to make drinking water. Developer bankruptcies followed and the plant was closed within two years.

The New Jersey-headquartered American Water, through its joint-venture subsidiary American Water-Pridesa, was contracted to fix the problem. The solution came primarily through the addition of pretreatment techniques similar to those employed to remove sediment from river and lake water used as potable sources. The company will continue to operate the plant under an 18-year agreement.

The desalination plant is expected to cover at least 10 percent of the drinking water needs of the more than 2.4 million people in the Tampa Bay area and it has built-in expansion capacity which may come in handy if the area’s drought conditions, which stretch back to 2006, persist or worsen.

The 25-million-gallon-per-day facility, originally expected to cost $110 million, topped out at $158 million. That amount could have been far higher had the plant not been co-located with with Tampa Electric’s Big Bend power plant. The newly refurbished plant uses warm water from Tampa Electric, which has already gone through the power plant’s condensers, so it takes less energy to desalt it.

For more on the project, check out:
Desalination Plant Has Formal Opening Ceremony
Tampa Bay desalination plant rises again
New Water Plant To Improve Supply

Jersey company helps save FL desalination plant Read More »

NJ lawmakers plug into alternative energy bills

If you’re a fan of alternative energy, you would have enjoyed today’s meeting of the New Jersey Assembly’s Environment and Solid Waste Committee.

The committee released legislation combining three bills–A1612, A385 and A1781–that exempt from local property taxes any equipment added to a residence, commercial or industrial property, or mixed-use building if the equipment produces renewable energy for the building’s heating, cooling or general energy needs.

To qualify for the exemption, the property owner would make written application to his/her municipal construction code official who would issue a certification and could inspect the equipment to make sure that the application is valid.

One committee member objected on grounds that residents who cannot afford to install alternative energy systems should not be required to shoulder the taxation burden that is avoided by those who can afford the installations.

Also released was A-1559 which authorizes municipal planning boards to adopt a green buildings and environmental sustainability element in their municipal master plans which, among other things, would promote the installation of renewable energy systems.

Finally, the committee reported A-1629 which authorizes the Commissioner of Community Affairs to amend the Uniform Construction Code’s energy subcode to establish enhanced energy-saving construction requirements, the added cost of which may reasonably be expected to be recovered through energy conservation over a period of not more than seven years.

NJ lawmakers plug into alternative energy bills Read More »