New Jersey college courses going green

Two New Jersey universities are shaping special curricula to appeal to students with a serious interest in the environment.

Future engineers at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken will soon be able to take an environmental minor which is being designed to help them learn how electrical, chemical or mechanical engineers do their work to improve the environment as they develop or manufacture products or build electrical systems.

Monmouth University offers a bachelor of science degree in marine and environmental biology and policy. Students in this area of study focus on how the urban environment interacts with a coastal area and the public policies that develop or that are needed from that interaction. In conjunction with the new undergraduate degree, the university has established the Urban Coast Institute to conduct research and study the interaction of the coastal environment and tidal waters in an urban setting.

You can read more about these alternative educational offerings and others–including computer gaming and training for the casino industry–in Schools offer non-traditional majors which appeared in today’s Bergen Record.

New Jersey college courses going green Read More »

Smart New Jersey kids: Go to law school

The New Jersey Law Journal reports that first year associates at northern Jersey law firm McCarter & English will earn $135,000 starting in January.

And that just gets the firm in the running for the best new talent in the coming year, as other New Jersey firms are paying even more.

Topping the list is the Newark firm, Latham & Watkins, which hired six new associates this year and paid them an average $160,000!

For a list of what other Jersey firms are paying their new recruits, check out this Law Journal chart.

Smart New Jersey kids: Go to law school Read More »

Enviro-Events Calendar – September, 2007

Reprinted from:

EnviroPolitics
A daily compendium of environmental and political news and information
www.enviropolitics.com
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September 20
Global Warming, Telling the Local Story 8:30 to noon, Trenton Marriott. Shrinking your town’s carbon footprint depends to a large degree on successfully working with the press to inform, engage, educate and persuade the public about how to address the issues. To help you do that, ANJEC and the New Jersey Press Association will bring together New Jersey journalists, environmental commissions and municipal officials for a special half-day workshop featuring an all-star panel of experts and a keynote presentation by Governor Jon Corzine (invited). Fee for ANJEC members $35, non members $40 Half price special: 50% off your registration if you attend with a credentialed journalist. To register, call ANJEC at 973-539-7547 or email: info@anjec.org

September 20
Drafting Real Estate Purchase Contracts 9 to 10:30 a.m., Builders League of South Jersey offices, 114 Haddontowne Court in Cherry Hill, NJ. Allen P. Fineberg, a real estate shareholder at Flaster/Greenberg in the firm’s Cherry Hill, office, will present the seminar sponsored by the Builders League of South Jersey. The presentation will address land purchase agreement issues and will offer tips on how to minimize risks. Topics will include title and survey issues, environmental problems, development approvals, financing, defaults,escrows, option payments and due diligence investigations. There is a $25 fee to attend the seminar and a continental breakfast will be offered preceding the presentation at 8:30am. For more information, directions or to register, contact Marlene Spencer, director of marketing and operations at the Builders League of South Jersey at 856-616-8467; e-mail marlene@blsj.com

September 20
Real-Time Measurement of Radionuclides in Soil ITRC Internet-based training 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. For registration and information: Open http://www.itrcweb.org/ or http://cluin.org/studio/seminar.cfm. Then click on “Internet-based Training. CEU certificate can be obtained for a fee by contacting the registrar.

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September 21
Business Recycling Guidelines for Compliance 7:30 to 11 a.m., Somerset County OEM, 402 Roycefield Road, Hillsborough. Sponsored by the Somerset County Division of Solid Waste Management. Registration at 7:30. Welcoming remarks at 8 by Jeff Horn, President and CEO Somerset County Business Partnership; Guy Watson, Bureau Chief, NJDEP Recycling & Planning, and Dominick D’Altilio, President ANJR (Association of New Jersey Recyclers). At 8:30, “What a Business Needs to Know: Why You need a Waste Audit & How to Contract for Recycling Services” with Wayne DeFeo of DeFeoAssociates. At 10, Dawn Prandi, Environmental Health Coordinator, will discuss “Penalties and New Mandatory Items for Businesses: Used Consumer Electronics, Mercury-containing devices, Fluorescent tubes.” At 10:30, Ed Clerico of Carriage Farms-C & D Recycling will discuss Best Practices. At 11, Visit displays and dialog with exhibitors. The fee is $10 for SCBP members & Other Local Chambers of Commerce and $20 for non-members. No fee for State and Local Government Employees.

September 21
LEED for Schools Workshop 8:30 to 5, Trane Conference Center, 4 Wood HollowRoad, Parsippany, NJ Hosted by the US Green Building Council’s NJ Chapter. School districts are demanding green facilities that save money while protecting the environment, improving health and performance of students, and creating a better learning environment. Gain the knowledge needed to maximize green building practices for improving school design and performance. For complete details and registration information, click here

September 21
NJ Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards – Deadline for Submission -The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is pleased to announce the application process for the 2007 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards. The program was established to recognize outstanding environmental performance, program sand projects in the state. The awards recognize individuals, businesses, institutions and communities who have made significant contributions to environmental protection in New Jersey. Winners of the 2007 Governors Environmental Excellence Awards will be invited to a presentation ceremony and press event hosted by the Governor in the fall.Tentative plans call for a ceremony and reception to be held in Princeton at Drumthwacket, the official residence of the Governor. To download an awards application or to learn more about the awards program including past winners and project descriptions, visit the awards website at http://www.nj.gov/dep/eeawards/ The awards program is co-sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Corporation for Advanced Technology (NJCAT) and the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.

September 22-23
Pennsylvania Renewable Energy & Sustainable Living Festival, Kempton, PA General Information Hourly Schedule Exhibitors Lectures and Workshops September 24 The New Jersey Paper Recycling Association will hold its next meeting at La Riviera Restaurant in Clifton, NJ. Guest speaker will be Melanie Harman, director of sales, recycling, for Weyerhaeuser Co. She will discuss the future of recovered paper. Anyone interested in attending is asked to contact George Chen, the NJPRA president, at (973) 340-8003, or by email at gttic@aol.com.

September 24-26
Air Quality VI: International Conference on Mercury, Trace Elements, SO3, Particulate Matter, and Greenhouse Gases Arlington, Virginia. Organized by: Energy & Environmental Research Center. Conference participants will gain up-to-date information and benefit from discussions on potential health risks, available and developing control technologies, control strategies and research needs, and current and pending regulatory policies. This year’s event will focus on: air quality impacts on policy; health and ecosystems; emission prevention and control; measurement methods and atmospheric reactions and modeling; and greenhouse gas issues. Web Site: www.undeerc.org/AQVI/ Contact: LaRae Foerster, lfoerster@undeerc.org Phone: 701-777-5246 Fax: 701-777-5181

September 25-27
Energy from Biomass and Waste is the subject of an international exhibition and conference to be held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Exhibit Hall B, in Pittsburgh, PA. Manufacturers of environmental technology will join with stakeholders from waste management, municipalities, energy-intensive industries, and the farm economy to discuss the value of waste. Waste-to-energy facilities and landfill-gas-recovery sites are what first comes to mind, but there are more options for waste as a resource: biofuels from plastics waste; so-called refuse-derived fuels made from residential waste and used to substitute coal in power plants; bioenergy from wastewater; and biogas from cow manure and chicken litter for heat and power generation. The “Waste to Value” session of the EBW Conference will focus on available technologies, best-practice reports, financing, market trends, and legislative issues. To view the program and to register go to: http://www.ebw-expo.com/

September 25-28
New Jersey Clean Energy Conference, Hyatt Regency, New Brunswick, NJ. Now, more than ever, it’s critical that businesses and municipalities develop strategies for improving their energy performance. Join us at the 3rd annual New Jersey Clean Energy Conference & Leadership Awards and learn about climate change solutions, how businesses and communities can reduce their carbon footprint, and how to improve your bottom line through clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives. USGBC-NJ is a proud sponsor of this event. For conference message, click here. For conference details and on-line registration, click here. (Early bird rates until September 1, 2007)

September 26
Environmental Business Council Roundtable Breakfast Meeting 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the PSEG Training and Development Center, 234 Pierson Avenue, Edison, NJ. The Environmental Business Council (EBC) of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ) meets the last Wednesday of every other month to discuss emerging environmental issues, regulatory changes and new developments that impact the New Jersey business community. Lanny Kurzweil, of McCarter & English, LLP will serve as Moderator of the Roundtable and Tracy Straka, Creamer Environmental, serves as EBC Chairperson. Refreshments at the September 26th Roundtable will be provided courtesy of The EnTech Group, Inc. EBC Members and roundtable attendees include many of the most influential business people in the New Jersey environmental community including environmental consultants, contractors, private industry and the legal and insurance communities. The meetings are free of charge to CIANJ/EBC members and $30 for non-members. Registration is required and can be handled online at www.cianj.org/events

September 26
Strategies to Minimize Greenhouse Gas Emissions 7 to 9 p.m., Freedom Hall – Upper Merion Township Building, 175 West Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia, PA. Moderated by Southeast (PA) Regional Roundtable Steering Committee member Doug Blazey, the meeting will focus on technologies and techniques that would sequester carbon, reduce energy demand, or substitute cleaner energy rather than “debate” how real is occurrence of global warming. Confirmed speakers include: Keith Williams, Buzzi UniCement USA; Allison Berkowitz, ERG and Thomas J. Tuffey, PennFuture. Individuals in need of an accommodation as provided for in the Americans With Disabilities Act who would like to attend this meeting, should contact DEP Community Relations Coordinator Lynda Rebarchak at 484-250-5820 to discuss how DEP can meet their needs. In case of inclement weather, meeting cancellation information will be available by calling 484-250-5820 after 4 p.m. the date of the meeting.

September 26-28
Sustainable Brands Conference ’07 Join us in New Orleans as Sustainable Life Media, Inc. brings together 500 business leaders from across the country and all industries to strategize ways to create competitive advantage through eco-innovation, set against a backdrop where the devastating effects of environmental change can be seen on every street corner. Event Website

September 29
Moonlight Walk A three- to five-mile walk around Historic Whitesbog Village and its surrounding bogs. Learn about the ecology and folklore that makes this slice of the Pinelands special. September’s moon is the Harvest Moon – a visual treat forboth nature lovers and casual visitors alike. Meet at the Whitesbog Village General Store at 7:30 PM. Fee is $5 per person. Guests are advised to bring water and insect repellent. Light refreshments available. Registration in advance recommended; mail http://us.f802.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=WhitesbogPreservationTrust@comcast.net or call 609-893-4646

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Enviro-Events Calendar – September, 2007 Read More »

Will Bush veto Lautenberg’s rail trash bill?

Tough state regulations give the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection the clout it needs to regulate the operations of trash transfer stations –except when those operations are on rail lines. As interstate entities, railroads are subject only to federal law.

This has caused problems for towns in Hudson and Burlington counties where neighbors have complained about sloppy operations at the transfer stations, but the DEP has been frustrated by the courts in its attempts to clamp down.

Enter NJ Senator Frank Lautenberg, who has introduced legislation that would give states the right, for one year, to regulate waste operations along rail lines. His measure, S. 1789, passed the Senate on Wednesday and was folded into the 2008 Transportation and Housing Appropriations legislation.

Its fate, however, is in question. According to a story by Jason Harris in today’s Burlington County Times, President Bush has threatened to veto the appropriations bill and specifically opposes Lautenberg’s S. 1789. A statement from Bush’s office, written to appropriations bill sponsor, Senator Robert Byrd, D-WV, says in part:

“The administration . . . objects to allowing States to regulate solid waste stored along rail property, preempting authority granted to the Surface Transportation Board,” the statement said. “A multiplicity of standards across states would create confusion for stakeholders and potentially create an undue burden on interstate commerce.”

Will Bush veto Lautenberg’s rail trash bill? Read More »

Penn State has nation’s first green stadium

The race to be the first stadium, professional or college, to be LEED-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council has been won by a new baseball stadium at Penn State.

Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, a $30 million, 110,000-sf baseball park on the campus of Penn State University in State College, Pa., was awarded certification in July.

Designed by L. Robert Kimball & Associates, Pittsburgh, and built by Barton Malow, Southfield, Mich., the 5,500-seat ballpark is a dual pro/college stadium, shared by Penn State’s baseball team and the State College Spikes, a minor league club.

Building Design and Construction reports that:

“Green initiatives include the use of waterless urinals and low-emitting materials; reusing rock dug out of the outfield as fill material to level the playing field; connecting the stadium to an existing gray water system that also serves nearby Beaver Stadium; shared parking with the existing Bryce Jordan Center; diverting 76% of construction waste for recycling; and adding trees in parking areas to reduce the heat island effect.”

Penn State has nation’s first green stadium Read More »

Move over, Jersey beach washups

A washup of assorted garbage closed a few New Jersey beaches for part of the Labor Day weekend, putting a sad end to what otherwise was a pretty clean beach summer. But vacationers certainly didn’t have to deal with the likes of this.


“Foam swallowed an entire beach and half the nearby buildings, including the local lifeguards’ centre, in a freak display of nature at Yamba in New South Wales,” according to the Daily Mail.

The Australian newspaper reported that the giant bubble bath, stretching 30 miles into the Pacific, suddently transformed shoreline north of Sydney into the “Cappuccino Coast.”

The newspaper said scientists blamed the frothy concoction on “impurities in the ocean, such as salts, chemicals, dead plants, decomposed fish and excretions from seaweed”

Hey, Jersey’s got all that stuff and more. How come we don’t get cool foam like this?

Move over, Jersey beach washups Read More »

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