EnviroPolitics Blog

Corbett transition team tilts toward industry insiders?

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette took a look at incoming Republican Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett’s transition team and concluded yesterday that its membership tilts toward “insiders — lobbyists, lawyers and industry types.”

The Governor-elect’s spokesman Kevin Harley insisted that the committees include “a cross-section of Pennsylvanians who are subject-matter experts and who were willing to serve on the committees.”

Of the 377 members, 26 are minorities and 56 are women.

Corbett’s Energy and Environmental Committee

The Post-Gazette says that “of the 29 members, just a handful represent environmental groups, while the rest come from the scrap industry, energy companies, a water and sewer utility, coal mining, gas drilling, the National Rifle Association and from lobbying and law firms that represent clients who often have business before state regulatory boards that the committee is meant to study.”

“It’s almost all lobbyists and industry executives,” said Jan Jarrett, CEO of PennFuture, a prominent statewide environmental group with no representation on the transition team.

Ms. Jarrett noted that many of the committee members have business pending before the Department of Environmental Protection, the Public Utility Commission and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

“These are agencies that have to be independent watchdogs and these people picked to make recommendations about them either have business before them or will have business before them,” she said. “The fact is it’s hard to separate one’s self-interest from the public interest, and there are very few public-interest advocates on the committee.”

The committee, she said, will study how state agencies regulate the industries they work for.

“The industry standpoint is that Department of Environmental Protection regs are too burdensome, too expensive and too onerous. The very people making recommendations to the new governor are people who have an interest in lightening the touch of the regulatory arm,” Ms. Jarrett said.

Read the full story here

Yesterday’s action on NJ environmental and energy bills
Enviro-Events Calendar for NJ, PA, DE & NY
Obama says frack on, DRBC, but study, too

Susan Boyle recognized by Philadelphia SWEP group

—————————————————————————————————
Like this post? You’ll love our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics
Try it free for 30 days!
No obligation. Cancel anytime with a single click
————————————————————————————————-

Corbett transition team tilts toward industry insiders? Read More »

GE told to dig deeper to remove PCBs from the Hudson

The EPA says that what General Electric thought was enough isn’t when it comes to digging out PCBs from the Hudson River.

NBC New York’s Brian Thompson reports today that:

After months of study, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency said it has a better idea for cleaning up the Hudson River from New York City 200 miles north to Hudson Falls.

That entire length of the river has been classified a Superfund Site following decades of pollution with PCBs from two transformer plants operated by General Electric (the parent company of NBC New York) before the chemical was labeled a possible carcinogen, and before there were regulations for its disposal.

GE began dredging off a small stretch of the river at its most polluted point last summer in a Phase One test of the procedure after working for years with the EPA on the best way to effect the clean up.

Now, the EPA says Phase 2 dredging must go deeper in order to reduce the amount of PCB-laced silt that gets stirred up and floats downstream.

“We’ve said from the start that a clean Hudson is non-negotiable, and the path we have laid out today relies on the best science to ensure this dangerous pollution is addressed in an effective way,” said EPA Region 2 Administrator Judith Enck in a statement.

Here’s a copy of the EPA’s news release on the next phase of the Hudson River cleanup.

Our most recent posts:
Yesterday’s action on NJ environmental and energy bills
Enviro-Events Calendar for NJ, PA, DE & NY
Obama says frack on, DRBC, but study, too

Susan Boyle recognized by Philadelphia SWEP group

—————————————————————————————————
Like this post? You’ll love our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics
Try it free for 30 days!
No obligation. Cancel anytime with a single click
————————————————————————————————-

GE told to dig deeper to remove PCBs from the Hudson Read More »

Yesterday’s action on NJ environmental and energy bills

Interested in what happened to the environmental and energy legislation considered yesterday in committees of the the New Jersey Legislature?
See: Environmental & Energy bills in committee today in NJ

We’ll have all the results in today’s issue of EnviroPolitics.

To receive a free copy of today’s issue, sign up here

This afternoon, we’ll not only send you a copy of today’s newsletter but we’ll tack on 29 more daily issues.
All, of course, with no fee or obligation.

It’s our way of enticing you to try–for a full month–a publication that we know you’re going to enjoy and, better still, profit from.

Sign up now. You’ll soon learn how the region’s leading environmental attorneys, engineers, consultants, political and business leaders stay on top of environmental, energy and political news, issues, legislation and regulations.

Get EnviroPolitics FREE for 30-days

Yesterday’s action on NJ environmental and energy bills Read More »

Environmental & Energy bills in committee today in NJ

Below is the lineup of environmental and energy legislation scheduled for votes in committees of the New Jersey State Legislature today, December 16, 2010.

For the most thorough coverage of environmental legislation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, subscribe to our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics
It tracks all enviro-legislation–from introduction to enactment.
Try it now for 30 days without cost or obligation.

ASSEMBLY TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND UTILITIES
12/16/10 10:00 AM
Committee Room 9, 3rd Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ A-3139 Quijano, A. (D-20); DeAngelo, W.P. (D-14); Ramos Jr., R.J. (D-33 Permits development of solar and photovoltaic energy facilities and structures over landfills and quarries. Related Bill: S-2126 A-3442 Chivukula, U.J. (D-17); McKeon, J.F. (D-27); Bramnick, J.M. (R-21); Greenwald, L.D. Establishes a long-term capacity agreement pilot program to promote construction of qualified in-State electric generation facilities. Related Bill: S-2381 S-2126 Whelan, J. (D-2); Haines, P.E. (R-8) Permits development of solar and wind facilities and structures on landfills and quarries. Related Bill: A-3139 S-2381 Smith, B. (D-17); Bateman, C. (R-16) Establishes a long-term capacity agreement pilot program to promote construction of qualified in-State electric generation facilities. Related Bill: A-3442
SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS
12/16/10 10:30 AM
Committee Room 4, 1st Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ S-1914 Kyrillos, J.M. (R-13) Streamlines process for State and local agency business permits related to economic development projects. Related Bill: A-2853 S-2555 Smith, B. (D-17); Bateman, C. (R-16) Authorizes various public entities to utilize competitive contracting procedures for certain energy savings improvement projects. Related Bill: A-3605

ASSEMBLY BUDGET
12/16/10 12:00 Noon
Committee Room 11, 4th Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
A-2853 Burzichelli, J.J. (D-3); Milam, M.W. (D-1); Albano, N.T. (D-1); Moriarty, P.D. (D-4); Giblin, T.P. (D-34) Streamlines process for State and local agency business permits related to economic development projects. Related Bill: S-6 A-3605 Oliver, S.Y. (D-34) Authorizes various public entities to utilize competitive contracting procedures for certain energy savings improvement projects. Related Bill: S-2555
For the most thorough coverage of environmental legislation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, subscribe to our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics
It tracks all enviro-legislation–from introduction to enactment.
Try it now for 30 days without cost or obligation

Our most recent posts:
Obama says frack on, DRBC, but study, too
Susan Boyle recognized by Philadelphia SWEP group
Enviro-Events Calendar for NJ, PA, NY & DE

Is your town missing this energy-savings opportunity?
No Teddy Bear’s Picnic Saturday in New Jersey

Environmental & Energy bills in committee today in NJ Read More »

Obama says frack on, DRBC, but study, too

“The Obama administration supports a full study of the effects of gas drilling in the watershed that provides drinking water for Philadelphia and New York City, but it doesn’t want to wait until it’s finished for drilling to begin.”

Mike Soraghan of Greenwire broke the story yesterday in the New York Times’ Green blog.

Gen. Peter “Duke” DeLuca of the Army Corps of Engineers outlined the position in a letter (pdf) written to Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) and released today.

The letter offers the first indication of the administration’s position on gas drilling in the Northeast since the day after the Nov. 2 midterm election when President Obama highlighted gas drilling as a potential area of common ground with Republicans (Greenwire, Nov. 4).

DeLuca, the Army Corps’ North Atlantic division engineer, is the federal representative on the Delaware River Basin Commission, which is developing regulations for gas drilling in eastern Pennsylvania and upstate New York.

Hinchey and local environmentalists want the commission to keep its drilling moratorium until its staff does a “cumulative impacts” study, a process that could take years. Drilling supporters want the commission to move ahead as quickly as possible and dislike that the commission has blocked drilling in Pennsylvania while drilling continues rapidly in the rest of the state.

DeLuca’s letter, dated Nov. 24, received by Hinchey yesterday and released today, says that he has consulted extensively with other agencies and developed an administration position on drilling in the 13,539-square-mile watershed.

“The administration’s position is to continue fully supporting the need for a cumulative impact study,” DeLuca wrote. “Simultaneously, all these agencies support the DRBC’s decision to develop and release draft natural gas regulations.”

What do you think about the Obama administration’s approach? Let us know in the comment box below. If one isn’t visible, click on the tiny ‘comments’ link to activate it.

Our most recent posts:
Susan Boyle recognized by Philadelphia SWEP group
Enviro-Events Calendar for NJ, PA, NY & DE

Is your town missing this energy-savings opportunity?
No Teddy Bear’s Picnic Saturday in New Jersey

—————————————————————————————————

Like this post? You’ll love our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics
Try it free for 30 days!
No obligation. Cancel anytime with a single click
————————————————————————————————-

Obama says frack on, DRBC, but study, too Read More »

Susan Boyle recognized by Philadelphia SWEP group

Susan Boyle, a Senior Practice Leader at GEI Consultants, Inc, has been recognized as the 2010 Touchstone Award recipient by the Greater Philadelphia Society of Women Environmental Professionals (SWEP).

The award is presented in recognition of women who have made or are making a significant contribution to the environmental field.

As the former New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Assistant Commissioner, National Brownfields Association chief operating officer, and current member of the New Jersey Licensed Site Remediation Association Board of Directors, Ms. Boyle was recognized for her leadership, expertise and experience in the environmental field for more than 25 years.

Prior to joining GEI, Ms. Boyle spent many years as a familiar figure within the New Jersey environmental arena where she developed a reputation for effectively managing conflicts, producing successful forums for the discussion of public policy, and for supporting both colleagues and initiatives.

The Touchstone Awards are an integral part of Greater Philadelphia SWEP’s mission to support and promote the leadership and achievement of women professionals in the environmental field.

Touchstone Award recipients are distinguished by their professional commitment, leadership, and achievement from all areas of environmental practice, including government, private industry, and non-profit sectors. Ms. Boyle received her award on November 4l in a ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of the Touchstone Awards.

Related:
A Tribute to the Touchstones

Our most recent posts:
Enviro-Events Calendar for NJ, PA, NY & DE

Is your town missing this energy-savings opportunity?
No Teddy Bear’s Picnic Saturday in New Jersey
NJ officials on the hot seat over winter energy program

Environmental and energy bills up for votes in Trenton

Susan Boyle recognized by Philadelphia SWEP group Read More »

Corbett transition team tilts toward industry insiders?

GE told to dig deeper to remove PCBs from the Hudson

Yesterday’s action on NJ environmental and energy bills

Environmental & Energy bills in committee today in NJ

Obama says frack on, DRBC, but study, too

Susan Boyle recognized by Philadelphia SWEP group

Subscribe For Latest Updates