Recycling of computers & TVs now law in Pennsylvania

If you live in Pennsylvania, you soon will no longer be allowed to put your old television or desktop or laptop computer at the curb with your household trash. 

Under HB 708, which Governor Ed Rendell signed into law on November 24, these electronic products now must be recycled.

The new law requires manufacturers of computers and television to to register with the Department of Environmental Protection, pay a $5,000 annual registration fee, and individually or collectively develop a statewide program for their products’ recycling.

“Our goal is to keep these cumbersome devices out of our landfills and to provide consumers and businesses employing 50 or fewer people with a safe means of disposal,” said bill sponsor Chris Ross (R-Chester County).   
DEP will maintain a list on its website of each manufacturer and the brands the manufacturer uses for devices covered under the act.  The new law, Ross says, goes into effect in 60 days.

Pennsylvania now joins a number of other states, including New Jersey, which ban the disposal of televisions and computers as solid waste and require manufacturers to provide for the recycling of the products.

Related:
Your chance to weigh in early on NJ E-Waste regulations

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New environmental & energy legislation in New Jersey

The first environmental and energy bills listed below were introduced on Nov. 22, 2010. You can view the contents of an entire bill by clicking on the bill number.
 
They are followed by bills “proposed for introduction.”  These will not be formally introduced the next time that the Assembly meets in a voting session. Public copies of  ‘proposed’ bills are not available until them. 
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.

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 INTRODUCTIONS
A-3500  Prieto, V. (D-32)
Expresses legislative intent that “The Planned Real Estate Development Full Disclosure Act” notice provisions apply to housing cooperatives.
         Nov 22, 2010 – Referred: Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Gaming
A-3508  Albano, N.T. (D-1)
Requires deeds to include description of property based on survey completed within five years when it is presented for recording.
       Nov 22, 2010 – Referred: Assembly Housing and Local Government
A-3521  Chivukula, U.J. (D-17)
Excludes proceeds of sales or exchanges of solar renewable energy certificates from taxation under gross income tax and corporation business tax.
     Nov 22, 2010 – Referred: Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities
S-2427  Van Drew, J. (D-1)
Authorizes mayors to veto proposed actions of municipal authorities.
Related Bill: A-3541
     Nov 22, 2010 – Referred: Senate Community and Urban Affairs
S-2433  Van Drew, J. (D-1)
Allows municipalities to reexamine municipal master plan every 10 years.
Related Bill: A-3272
     Nov 22, 2010 – Introduced in Senate
     Nov 22, 2010 – Referred: Senate Community and Urban Affairs
S-2441  Weinberg, L. (D-37); Sarlo, P.A. (D-36)
Requires BPU orders to be issued in writing and posted on Internet.
Related Bill: A-2849
     Nov 22, 2010 – Introduced in Senate
     Nov 22, 2010 – Referred: Senate Economic Growth
PROPOSED INTRODUCTIONS — All on Nov 22 2010
A-3538  Holzapfel, J.W. (R-10); Wolfe, D.W. (R-10)
“Save Barnegat Bay Act”; establishes Save Barnegat Bay Fund, dedicates portion of sales tax on lawn fertilizer, authorizes special license plates, dedicates portion of beach tag fees, and provides for donations.
   
A-3540  Milam, M.W. (D-1)
Requires that utilities authorities and water supply districts offer a separate rate structure for senior citizens and disabled persons.
    
A-3545  Milam, M.W. (D-1); Albano, N.T. (D-1)
Requires State Treasurer, in consultation with State Comptroller, to promulgate rules and regulations concerning best practices for awarding independent State authority contracts.
Related Bill: S-1884
     Nov 22, 2010 – Proposed for Assembly introduction
A-3553  Milam, M.W. (D-1); Albano, N.T. (D-1)
Establishes in DEP the Environmental Policy Review Board to review proposed environmental regulations for consistency with planning policies.
Related Bill: S-350
A-3556  Albano, N.T. (D-1)
Concerns violations of the moratorium on taking, landing, or possession of horseshoe crabs.
Related Bill: S-1184
     Nov 22, 2010 – Proposed for Assembly introduction
A-3557  Albano, N.T. (D-1)
Revises moratorium on taking, landing or possession of horseshoe crabs or the eggs of horseshoe crabs.  Related Bill: S-1186
A-3582  Burzichelli, J.J. (D-3)
Requires assessment of administrative penalty amount by administrative law judge for environmental violations. Related Bill: S-2409

 
S-2445  Vitale, J.F. (D-19)
Appropriates $4 million for Sayreville flood control.
Related Bill: A-3138
     Nov 22, 2010 – Proposed for Senate introduction
S-2451  Ciesla, A.R. (R-10)
Changes law regulating size limits of lobsters.
      
S-2467  Smith, B. (D-17); Cardinale, G. (R-39)
Concerns calculation of value for conveyance of certain State-owned lands.
   
SJR-56  Turner, S.K. (D-15)
Designates a portion of Delaware and Raritan Canal as “Joseph P. Merlino Trail.”
Related Bill: AJR-22

Environmental legislation up for votes today in Trenton
Follow NPR down New Jersey’s tragic Passaic River
Enviro-Events Calendar for NJ, PA, DE & NY

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Yesterday’s votes on environmental bills in Trenton

Below is a summary of action taken in the New Jersey Legislature yesterday on environmental and energy bills.

(Click on the bill number to see a full version of the legislation. N.B.: The most recent amendments may not yet be available)

For the most thorough coverage of environmental legislation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, subscribe to our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics, which tracks all enviro-legislation from introduction to enactment.

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A-2290  McKeon, J.F. (D-27); Gusciora, R. (D-15); Vainieri Huttle, V. (D-37)
Establishes standards for certain fertilizer applications, provides for certification of professional fertilizer applicators, and regulates sale and labeling of certain fertilizers.
Related Bill: S-1411
     Nov 22, 2010 – Assembly amendment (voice vote) (voice vote) (McKeon)
     Nov 22, 2010 – 2nd reading in Assembly
A-2305  Milam, M.W. (D-1); Albano, N.T. (D-1); Riley, C.M. (D-3); Wilson, G.L. (D-5)
Expands “Jersey Fresh” program to include “Made With Jersey Fresh” designation of certain baked goods and other food products.
Related Bill: S-1179
     Nov 22, 2010 – Substituted for another bill: S1179
     Nov 22, 2010 – Passed by the Senate (36-0-0)
     Nov 22, 2010 – Passed by both Houses (Sent to the Governor)
A-2664  Riley, C.M. (D-3)
Revises penalty for destruction of, or damage to, trees, saplings, shrubs or other plants; repeals current law thereon.
     Nov 22, 2010 – Motion to table (voice vote) (DeCroce)
     Nov 22, 2010 – Motion to table (47-32-0) (Quigley)
     Nov 22, 2010 – Passed by the Assembly (76-2-1)
     Nov 22, 2010 – Received by the Senate
     Nov 22, 2010 – Referred: Senate Environment and Energy
A-3130  Burzichelli, J.J. (D-3); Quijano, A. (D-20)
Concerns Watershed Property Review Board in DEP.
     Nov 22, 2010 – Passed by the Assembly (79-0-0)
     Nov 22, 2010 – Received by the Senate
     Nov 22, 2010 – Referred: Senate Environment and Energy
A-3196  DeAngelo, W.P. (D-14); Greenstein, L.R. (D-14)
Allows corporation business tax credits as incentives for redevelopment of distressed shopping centers.
     Nov 22, 2010 – Recommitted: Assembly Appropriations
S-212  Whelan, J. (D-2); Milam, M.W. (D-1); Albano, N.T. (D-1); Quijano, A. (D-20); McKeon, J.F. (D-27); Gusciora, R. (D-15); Watson Coleman, B. (D-15)
Allows construction of wind dependent energy facilities on piers within 500 feet of mean high water line of tidal waters.
Related Bill: A-868
     Nov 22, 2010 – Passed by the Assembly (77-0-0)
     Nov 22, 2010 – Received by the Senate
     Nov 22, 2010 – 2nd reading in the Senate to concur with amendments
S-2108  Smith, B. (D-17); Bateman, C. (R-16)
Clarifies liability for discharges of hazardous substances that enter NJ waters.
Related Bill: A-3124
     Nov 22, 2010 – Senate floor substitute (voice vote)
     Nov 22, 2010 – 2nd reading in Senate
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
     Nov 22, 2010 – Passed by the Senate (25-10-0)
     Nov 22, 2010 – Received by the Assembly
     Nov 22, 2010 – Referred: Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities


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Scared straight: Out of believing the climate-change story

                                                               Paul Souders – Corbis

Time writer Bryan Walsh reported yesterday that:

“According to forthcoming research by the Berkeley psychologists Robb Willer and Matthew Feinberg, when people are shown scientific evidence or news stories on climate change that emphasize the most negative aspects of warming — extinguished species, melting ice caps, serial natural disasters — they are actually more likely to dismiss or deny what they’re seeing. Far from scaring people into taking action on climate change, such messages seem to scare them straight into denial.“

Walsh remembers working on scary, global-warming stories that reach a peak in 2006 when Time titled its cover story on climate change, crowned with a photo of a lonely polar bear on an ice floe, Be Worried. Be Very Worried. 

“I know why we used the language we did,” Walsh recalls. “Scientists were telling us that global warming really had the potential to wreck the future of the planet, and we wanted to get that message across to readers — even if it meant scaring the hell out of them.”

But all those scare tactics–based on the truth or not–may have had the opposite effect. In his piece,Climate-Change Strategy: Be Afraid — but Only a Little, Walsh reports on how Willer and Feinberg conducted their research and he speculates on how it might effect the future debate over climate change.

 
Environmental organizations whose stock in trade has been the Chicken Little Sky is Falling Approach might do well to give this story and the research it reports on some long, hard thought.  
 
What do you think?  Let us know in the comment box below.
 

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Environmental legislation up for votes today in Trenton

Environment and energy 

legislation up for votes today 
in the Assembly and Senate

 
ASSEMBLY VOTING SESSION – Today – 11/22/10 – 1 PM
For consideration:

A-2664  Riley, C.M. (D-3)
Revises penalty for destruction of, or damage to, trees, saplings, shrubs or other plants;
repeals current law thereon.
      
A-3130  Burzichelli, J.J. (D-3)
Concerns Watershed Property Review Board in DEP.
      
S-212  Whelan, J. (D-2); Milam, M.W. (D-1); Albano, N.T. (D-1); Quijano, A. (D-20)
Allows construction of wind dependent energy facilities on piers within 500 feet of mean high water line of tidal waters.
Related Bill: A-868
   
SENATE VOTING SESSION – Today – 11/22/10 – 2 PM
For consideration:

A-2305  Milam, M.W. (D-1); Albano, N.T. (D-1); Riley, C.M. (D-3); Wilson, G.L. (D-5)
Expands “Jersey Fresh” program to include “Made With Jersey Fresh” designation of certain baked goods and other food products.
Related Bill: S-1179
      
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

Environmental legislation up for votes today in Trenton Read More »

Follow NPR down New Jersey’s tragic Passaic River

National Public Radio’s Art Silverman locates the headwaters of New Jersey’s
Passaic River and follows the waterway to the sea, through its industrial history
and layer-upon-layer of environmental abuses.

It’s not a pretty story but it’s lively and instructive, and it introduces us to a song
or two about the river and to a few quintessential New Jersey characters.

Listen to the story here. Then check out its video companion below.

Related:
Halliburton objects, so PA limits fracking disclosure rules  

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