EnviroPolitics Blog

Is your facility subject to new Homeland Security rules?

Don’t assume that the Department of Homeland Security’s new, anti-terrorist security regulations affect only chemical facilities.

Any office, apartment, hospital, college, public works department, small business or other location that uses or stores any of 300 listed chemicals over certain quantities is subject to the rules and must conduct a facility survey and submit certain reports by early January, 2008.

Failure to comply could result in civil or administrative penalties–even a shutdown order!

In an Environmental Alert prepared for its clients, the law firm of K&LGates describes the new program and details the steps facilities must take to comply with the regulations.

We recommend that you check it out. It might help you avoid a lot of grief and expense in January.

SIDEBAR: In an editorial today, the New York Times today ripped the new Homeland Security regulations. Here’s a section of it:

“The rules the department issued last week are far too lax about when facilities need to report stockpiles of chemicals like chlorine, fluorine and hydrogen fluoride to the government. According to the new rules, which watered-down proposed rules that the department had released in April, a chemical plant does not have to report the storage of 2,499 pounds of chlorine, even if it is located in a populated area — or across from an elementary school.

If 450 pounds of chlorine are stolen, enough to cause mass casualties, the theft need not be reported. Chlorine has been used by insurgents in Iraq, and it is high on the list of chemicals that should be kept out of terrorists’ hands.

It is troubling that these industry-friendly rules were developed in part by Department of Homeland Security employees who previously worked for the chemical industry — and who may one day work for it again. Rick Hind, the legislative director of the Greenpeace Toxics Campaign, contends that such employees have had an “undue influence.” The department says it draws on former chemical industry workers simply because of their “relevant prior experience.”

Is your facility subject to new Homeland Security rules? Read More »

Enviro-Events Calendar – November, 2007

The daily electronic newsletter, EnviroPolitics, accepts events information for free listings in its EnviroEvents Calendar. The calendar is updated daily and available 24/7
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November 3
4th Annual Pine Barrens Hall of Fame Awards Banquet 5 to 9 p.m., Braddock’s Tavern, 39 South Main Street, Medford, NJ. Please join us and other lovers of the Pine Barrens in celebrating heroes of Pinelands preservation. The Pine Barrens Hall of Fame Awards have been created to recognize individuals who have played a vital role in New Jersey Pinelands preservation and awareness. The 2007 Awards recognize volunteer citizen activists who whose advocacy for the Pine Barrens helped bring about the creation of the Pinelands National Reserve and the passage of the Pinelands Protection Act of 1979. Citizen Activist Honorees: Nan Hunter Walnut, Col. Elmer C. Rowley, USMCR, and Janet Jackson Gould. Educator Honorees: Terry O’Leary, Christine Raabe and George Young. PROGRAM: 5 pm: Reception (cash bar); 6 pm: Greetings and Dinner; 6:45 pm: Hall of Fame Induction and Recognition of Pinelands Educators Tickets:$45 per person. Net proceeds benefit PPA’s educational programs. Space Is Limited! For more information or ticket purchase, please contact Jane at the Pinelands Preservation Alliance at 609-859-8860 x12.

November 7
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Stakeholder Meeting 10 a.m., New York State Museum Theater, Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York. The primary purpose of the meeting will be to allow the research team led by the University of Virginia and Resources for the Future to present their Phase-II findings and for agency staff to hear stakeholder comment on the draft report of that research and auction design issues. The agenda for the meeting, the draft Phase-II auction research report, and instructions for submitting written comments will be posted at http://www.rggi.org/ by October 26. The comment period will extend to November 15. Directions to the museum and parking information may be found Here. The meeting will start promptly at 10:30 a.m., but as check-in and registration will take some time, please plan to arrive at approximately 10 a.m. when the museum opens To facilitate check-in, please pre-register for the meeting. To pre-register, send an email to nyrggi@gw.dec.state.ny.us . Please include the phrase “Will Attend 11/07/07 RGGI Meeting” in the subject line of your email. There will be no response to this email. It is not necessary to email if you do not plan to attend this meeting. Questions? Contact Mark Lowery, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 518-402-8044, mdlowery@gw.dec.state.ny.us.

November 7
11th Annual SWEP Touchstone Award Reception 6 to 9 p.m., The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20thStreet, Philadelphia, PA. The Society of Women Environmental Professionals of Greater Philadelphia (SWEP) will honor Liz Robinson, Executive Director of the Energy Coordinating Agency of Philadelphia,Inc., with its annual Touchstone Award at a special reception. State Representative Carole Rubley will be the keynote speaker at the event. Representative Rubley serves on the House Environmental Resourcesand Energy Committee. SWEP’s Touchstone award is given annuallyto a woman who has made outstanding and significant contributions inthe environmental professions. Past recipients include women who have made environmental careers in government, business, science and advocacy including: Kathy Klein, Executive Director of the Partnershipfor the Delaware Estuary, Sarah M. Hetznecker, P.G., a leader in the environmental consulting industry, Louise Thompson, Esq. of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Carol Collier of the Delaware Basin Commission, Marilyn Hewitt, P.G. of Roux Associates, and Dr. Ruth Patrick of theAcademy of Natural Sciences. This year’s Touchstone recipient is Liz Robinson, Executive Director of the Energy Coordinating Agency of Philadelphia, Inc. The ECA is a non-profit corporation dedicated to ensuring that low and moderate income people have access to safe, affordable and reliable sources of energy and water. ECA works to develop a sustainable energy future for the region through energy conservation and renewable energy. Together with its citywide network of Neighborhood Energy Centers,ECA provides over 50,000 energy services to more than 30,000 low income households every year. SWEP members: $20/person in advance, $25/person at door. Non-SWEP members: $30/person in advance, $35 at door. RSVP by 5 p.m. Wednesday, October 31 to touchstone.2007@yahoo.com

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Send information on your upcoming event to: Event@EnviroPolitics.com

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November 11-14
NARUC 119th Annual Convention Anaheim, California If you are responsible for regulatory affairs functions at your company, you MUST attend the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ Annual Convention. You will hear federal and State regulators and policymakers, consumer groups, and industry experts give their analysis on climate change, energy efficiency, natural gas markets, and disaster communications. Why read about it in the press when you can be there in person? Register Online – Click Here List of current registrants

November 13-15
2007 WASTEWISE & NPEP Conference: Building Community and Business Partnerships, Marriott Metro Center, Washington, D.C. Welcome Reception will be hosted by Anheuser-Busch and General Motors. Please join us on Tuesday, November 13th from 5– 7 pm at the Marriott Metro Center! PSEG will be hosting the Networking Reception on Wednesday, November 14th at the Capitol City Brewing Company. 2007 award winners include: Rutgers University, the City of Clifton, NJ, New Jersey Natural Gas Company and NJ Resources Corp. Revised agenda Registration

November 14-16
Geothermal Finance and Investment Summit Dolce Hayes Mansion, San Jose, CA. Visit http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=x6qouecab.0.x7ljffcab.gjkehun6.176783&ts=S0289&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.infocastinc.com%2Fgeotherm%2Fregistration.html to view the Summit agenda and register or call 818.888.4444

November 14-16
Carbon Reduction Project – Development & Finance Omni Houston Westside Hotel, Houston, TX. Carbon Reduction Project Development & Finance is the first event to assemble experienced carbon market players, developers and financiers from throughout the world to share their insights into developing, certifying and financing profitable GHG emission reduction projects. Learn how to take advantage of the burgeoning opportunities in both international and US markets. To registeror obtain more information about this unique event, please visit the event website at http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=yknmefcab.0.y4kkmfcab.gjkehun6.176783&ts=S0290&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.infocastinc.com%2Fcarbonred.html, or call (818) 888-4444

November 16
Make Recycling Work for Your Business! 8 a.m. to Noon, Atlantic Cape Community College, Cape May Campus. The Cape May Solid Waste Management Plan designates 41 waste materialsfor mandatory recycling. Find out how your business can source separate these materials and comply with the law. $15 for CMCCofC members. $25 for non-members. A panel of business owners and managers representing Accommodations, Camping, Retail, Restaurant, Marina and small business industries will share their expertise on successful and effective methods of handling recycling materials. Invited speakers include: Guy Watson, NJDEP Bureau of Recycling and Planning; Charles M. Norkis, P.E., executive director, Cape May County MUA; Dominick D’Altilio, president, Association of New Jersey Recyclers, and Bridget O’Connor, Cape May County MUA Recycling Director. Information and registration: 609-465-5017. Brochure: http://www.cmcmua.com/

November 28-30
Wind Power Development Tutorial Hotel Derek, Houston, Texas. What does it really take to bring a wind farm successfully to market? What can the numbers look like, and what kinds of business models and financing vehicles will be best suited to your unique needs? This course will offer utilities and independent developers still new to wind power the essential tools and orientation to move ahead with confidence. It will help existing developers to bulletproof their plans and projects, while potential investors, partners and financiers will gain insights into the inner dynamics of wind business models so they can sharpen their due diligence, credit and valuation analysis. Information and registration at: www.infocastinc.com/winddev.html

November 29-30
5th Annual Volunteer Water Monitoring Summit Camden County Boathouse at Cooper River, in Pennsauken, NJ. Presented by The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, in cooperation with the Watershed Watch Network Advisory Council and Camden County Park Systems. This year’s theme is Protecting NJ’s Water Resources: Improving Communication between Stewards. The goal is to increase efforts between local and governmental agencies. Keynote speaker is Maya von Rossom, the Delaware Riverkeeper. The audience for this forum includes local volunteers, watershed associations, volunteer program coordinators, private and public partners, academics, federal, state and local government representatives and other environmental stakeholders. Agenda and registration at: www.cookce.rutgers.edu/vmsummit For information, contact: Dalynn R. Knigge at: (732) 932-9271 x.622

Enviro-Events Calendar – November, 2007 Read More »

Is your air purifier committing impure acts?

If it emits ozone above certain limits it is, says the California Air Resources Board (CARB) which has enacted the nation’s first regulations for home air purifiers.

CARB says that some air cleaning devices, called ozone generators, have been shown to produce indoor ozone concentrations several times higher than that state’s outdoor air quality standard. The Board’s new regulation prohibits the sale of devices in California that produce enough ozone to harm human health. How high is that? CARB sets the level at .050 parts per million.

Now that California has its air purifier regulation in place, it’s just a matter of time before environmental organizations start advocating for similar restrictions in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.

Maybe they’re necessary. Maybe they’re not. If you have an opinion, let us know by clicking on the “comments” line below.

More information on the CARB rule is available here.

Is your air purifier committing impure acts? Read More »

The tiger in this Princeton tank was soy

Princeton University says its facilities department earlier this fall successfully operated its campus energy plant boilers and gas turbine cogeneration system on soy-based biodiesel.

Energy plant manager Ted Borer said it was the first of its kind in New Jersey for stationary boilers and marked the first time in the world that biodiesel has been used to fuel GE’s LM1600 gas turbine, which originally was developed as the engine for the Stealth Fighter and the Navy FA-18. At Princeton, the turbine is used to generate steam for heating and 15 megawatts of electric power for the campus.

Results are being evaluated to see if biodiesel is a viable alternative to the ultra-low sulfur diesel that currently is used when natural gas supplies are unavailable, but Borer said: “We’re very encouraged by the early results of the test.”

For more, see the Princeton Weekly Bulletin.

The tiger in this Princeton tank was soy Read More »

Thinking about taking NJ-DEP to court?

If it’s over an interpretation of New Jersey’s Grace Period Law, maybe you should reconsider.

In its New Jersey Zoning Watch blog, law firm Saul Ewing reports that the Appellate Division has upheld a civil administrative penalty of $604,110 against a developer for not securing a NJDEP permit for sewer hookup prior to the construction of a major residential development, notwithstanding the fact that there was no discharge of pollutants.

The court rejected the defendant’s argument that the violation was “minor” and exempted under the Grace Period Law, concluding that the defendant’s failure to obtain pre-approval deprived the NJDEP of its authority to decide whether the project may adversely affect sewer infrastructure and statewide water quality.

Blog editor Philip J. Morin, III writes that the decision:

“…is another cautionary reminder of how all-encompassing NJDEP’s role is in land use and development and how deferential to this agency the courts have been and will continue to be in the enforcement of substantial civil penalties, particularly when it comes to the more subjective criteria under the Grace Period Law.”Update: Here’s NJDEP’s news release on the decision

Thinking about taking NJ-DEP to court? Read More »

Environmental odds and ends – Oct 16 07

Interesting recent stories and commentaries on environmental topics in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and beyond:

Eminent Domain Writing in Realty Times, real estate author Peter G. Miller discusses how New Jersey Eminent Domain Case Creates New Hurdle for Developers
Be careful what you wish for. Conservationists have been so successful in the campaign since the early 1990s to stop logging in the West that today many logging companies are collapsing and selling their land to (gasp) developers. In the New York Times, Kirk Johnson reports: “Many environmentalists say they have come to realize that cutting down trees, if done responsibly, is not the worst thing that can happen to a forest, when the alternative is selling the land to people who want to build houses.”
Whitman stumping for nuclear power The former New Jersey governor and EPA Administrator now runs a lobbying/consulting firm and serves as co-chairwoman of the nuclear-industry-funded Clean and Safe Energy Coalition. In a speech at a climate-change conference in New Hampshire last week, she said that, in order to meet a projected 40 percent energy-demand growth, the nation will need 35 to 40 new nuclear plants. In an interview with the Concord Monitor, she noted that renewable sources like wind and solar currently produce 2.5 percent of America’s energy. “So if you double or triple that, which is really putting a strain on that industry, you’re still not going to get to the 40 percent,” she said.
Pennsylvania investing $10M in biofuel production and use Governor Ed Rendell today announced the award of $10 million in grants through the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant program for 24 projects designed to support research into new potential fuel sources–primarily biofuels. He said the grants will leverage another $108 million in private investment to expand the production and use of homegrown biofuels. The largest grant recipient is All American Plazas Inc. which will receive a $1.9 million “production incentive” for 37.5 million gallons of biodiesel. All American Plazas proposes to build three, 44-million-gallon biodiesel production facilities at three truck stops in Pennsylvania. All American Plazas anticipates production of more than 20 million gallons per year at each plant over two years. Other recipients include, Rohm and Haas Company, Sunoco, the Biotechnology Foundation Inc. at Thomas Jefferson University, Green Renewable Energy, Ethanol & Nutrition Holding LLC and numerous school districts and county governments for the incremental cost of purchasing biofuels for their buses and other vehicles. A full list is available here.
New York exploring woody biomass as an alternative energy source The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation is using a federal grant to explore the feasibility of converting leftover wood from logging operations on private lands into a fuel source. The $64,000 award will fund a one-year project to evaluate whether there would be enough potential users in and around the Adirondack Park to make woody biomass a go. The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies newsletter, Conservation News reports that “currently, about two million tons of wood chips harvested from private Adirondack lands go into the low-grade wood market, as pulp or biofuel. Some of that goes to two cogeneration facilities in the North Country. DEC estimates at least another one million tons gets left behind.” Potential customers would be community colleges, prisons, other state facilities with the capacity to store the wood chips and heating and cooling systems capable of incorporating appropriate emissions controls to protect air quality.
Making the case for coal “State law currently requires 18 percent of the state’s power be provided from renewable resources by 2021. That process already has begun, with an increased amount of renewable power phased in each year. However, let’s not forget the critical role coal plays.” So writes Morgan K. O’Brien, president and chief executive officer of Duquesne Light Co, in an op-ed piece in today’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Give us your comments after reading the entire piece here.

Environmental odds and ends – Oct 16 07 Read More »