Action on enviro bills hot and heavy in Trenton

The New Jersey Legislature is racing to move as many bills as possible before breaking for its traditional summer recess at the end of June. With only a handfull of committee dates and floor sessions left, the pace is accelerating.

We counted more than 50 separate actions involving environmental bills yesterday. Here are just a few of them:

A-1839 (Greenstein) Provides for civil and criminal penalties for giving false information pertaining to violations of environmental laws.
Jun 14, 2007 – Posted for committee action but held

A-2039 (Chatzidakis) Requires certain State buildings to be designed and managed to meet high performance green building standards.
Jun 14, 2007 – Transferred to committee: Assembly Budget

A-3275 (Panter) Changes composition and revises authority of Fish and Game Council.
Jun 14, 2007 – Reported with Assembly committee amendments

A-3301 (Stender) The “Global Warming Response Act.”
Jun 14, 2007 – Reported as a Assembly committee substitute

A-3595 (McKeon) Authorizes enhancement of State Uniform Construction Code’s energy subcode based on anticipated energy savings
Jun 14, 2007 – Reported by committee

A-3864 (Greenstein) Authorizes municipalities to establish receiving zones for transfer of development rights from Highlands Region or pinelands area; provides for impact fees and other incentives.
Jun 14, 2007 – Reported as a Assembly committee substitute

A-3937 (Fisher) Increases certain fees and penalties of the Mine Safety Act.
Jun 14, 2007 – Reported by committee

A-4022 (Greenwald) Establishes New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium.
Jun 14, 2007 – Reported with Assembly committee amendments

A-4086 (McKeon) Requires purchasing agents to complete a course in green product purchasing.
Jun 14, 2007 – Referred: Senate Economic Growth

A-4156 (Watson Coleman) Establishes minimum energy efficiency standards for certain products.
Jun 14, 2007 – Reported with Assembly committee amendments

A-4211 (Panter) Requires developers to offer solar energy systems in all homes built within a development of 100 or more units.
Jun 14, 2007 – Reported with Assembly committee amendments

A-4265 (Manzo) Provides combined State and local enforcement authority over recycling centers.
Jun 14, 2007 – Reported by committee

A-4329 (Quigley) Concerns certain riparian lands in Jersey City.
Jun 14, 2007 – Reported with Assembly committee amendments

S-2737 (Madden) Permits certain child care centers to receive $1,500 grants from Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund.
Jun 14, 2007 – Reported by committee

S-2743 (Doria) Revises procedures for condemnation of certain property and use of the power of eminent domain by railroads.
Jun 14, 2007 – Reported with Senate committee amendments

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Alternative fuel user pays an unexpected price

Thinking about striking a blow for energy independence by modifying your car or truck to run on vegetable oil? Why not. There are millions of gallons of used veggie oil heading to landfills every day from the bazillions of fast-food fry pits across America. Why not divert some of it to a better fate? Why continue to shell out money to the sheiks when you can switch to the fuel that burns good, smells good and is made right here in the ole U.S. of A?

Charlotte, NC musician Bob Teixeira did. He paid $1200 to convert his 1981 diesel Mercedes. He skipped the fry pits and bought soybean in 5-gallon jugs at Costco, spending about 30 percent more than diesel would cost. And what did it get him?

Would you believe a $1,000 fine for not paying state motor fuel taxes? Bob’s been told to expect an additional $1,000 from the feds and, if he wants to get legal, North Carolina will oblige him but first he has to get a $2,500 bond.

A June 9 story in the Charlotte Observer details Bob’s experience and his decision to pay the fine, get his bond, and keep on burning veggie oil.

So what about you? Are you ready to dump the gas pump?

The greasecar website can tell you how much a conversion kit will cost for your vehicle. Not mechanically inclined? No problem. It lists five certified installers in New York and one in Philadelphia. Sorry, no listings so far for New Jersey.

Know of anyone who’s made the switch in the tri-state area? And what about our state laws? Will governors Corzine, Rendell and Spitzer expect their fair share in highway taxes? Are there bonds, permits, special fees or other financial hurdles to clear?

Kindly click on the comment link below and share what you know.

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Wachovia goes beyond holding your green

According to an article in GreenerBuildings, Wachovia plans to build at least 300 LEED-certified green financial centers by the year 2010. It will begin opening its new California offices in 2007, and by the end of 2008 every new Wachovia financial center opened throughout the U.S. will be built to LEED specifications.

Doesn’t sound like something a banker would do? Consider this:

“Wachovia expects to save up to $80,000 in construction costs for each of the new financial centers over a traditionally constructed branch, in addition to a reduction in operating costs of about 20 percent in the first year. “

Save money and reap the PR benefits of ‘going green’? Even in the slow-to-change world of banking, this could launch a trend.

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Top court’s dredge/wetlands decision clarified

Last year, the Supreme Court issued its so-called “Rapanos” decision on the scope of federal jurisdiction, under the Clean Water Act’s section 404 program, for discharges of dredged and fill material into waters of the United States, including wetlands.

The split decision left a good deal of uncertainty in its wake among environmental attorneys and others. Now, a year later, the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers have jointly issued a long-awaited legal memorandum interpreting the top court’s split decision.

K&L/Gates environmental attorneys Craig P. Wilson and Christopher R. Nestor examined the guidance document and break it all down for their clients (and you) in a recently released Environmental, Land Use and Natural Resources Alert

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States should press ahead on emissions

Yesterday, we asked: “Should states control the tailpipe?”

Today, New Jersey’s largest newspaper, The Star-Ledger, carried an editorial noting President Bush’s “recalcitrance” on binding standards to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The editorial concluded:

It is imperative for New Jersey and other states to forge ahead. California already has passed tough greenhouse gas emissions targets, and New Jersey should follow suit by adopting bills now being considered in the Legislature that would set firm pollution limits, including cutting warming emissions in the state to 1990 levels or below over the next 13 years. As states act alone, industry will pressure Washington to come around because business would prefer a national system over a confusing patchwork of local laws.

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