NJ lawmakers approve first-in-the-nation EV battery recycling bill

By Frank Brill, EnviroPolitics Editor

TRENTON – The New Jersey legislature has passed a first-in-the-nation bill that creates industry guidance for the recycling of lithium-ion vehicle batteries. The Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Battery Management Act (S3723/A5365) provides a framework for the collection, transportation, remanufacturing, reuse, recycling, and responsible disposal of propulsion batteries found in electric and hybrid-electric cars and trucks.

“New Jersey has taken a forward-looking, and holistic view of the true value of these batteries,” said Senator Bob Smith, Chairman of the New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee and sponsor of the bill. “We developed guidance for those in the growing recycling industry that will support innovation, job creation, and environmental stewardship from reusing materials and parts.”

This bill aims to support the creation of a circular economy surrounding EV batteries in New Jersey by keeping EV batteries out of landfills, re-using materials to decrease the cost of new batteries, incentivizing job creation in the State, and reducing reliance on foreign mining and the importation of rare minerals.

As the first EV batteries are now starting to reach the end of their useful lifespans, New Jersey will require battery producers to submit a battery management plan to the State Department of Environmental Protection. These management plans will include planned methods for the acceptance and transport of batteries. It must also outline the means of recycling, reuse, or repurposing of batteries. It allows for new material or other recycling companies to utilize the batteries or components and supports manufacturers in their recycling efforts.

*NJ State Senator and EV battery sponsor Bob Smith*

Smith expects that as EV adoption continues to increase domestically, the need for lithium-ion batteries will grow.

“With the EV Battery Management Act, New Jersey will be poised to take advantage of this increasing demand through the recycling of critical materials and other components.,” he said.

Keep up with news about electric vehicles and battery recycling

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Despite Tesla’s self-driving embarrassment, this company ramps up

By Keenan Willard, NBC5

In the wake of several high-profile setbacks for self-driving car companies, one Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) company is going the other way, building up a fleet of autonomous delivery vehicles on Metroplex streets.

Estonian company Clevon is expanding its self-driving couriers to new areas in DFW in the coming months, using the Fort Worth area to launch its efforts to build a national delivery network.

On the busy streets by Alliance Airport, another vehicle whisks a package off to its destination. But this one stands out easily: because there’s no one behind the wheel.

“Our on-demand electric vehicle is working as a robot courier,” said Sander Sebastian Agur, Clevon’s CEO and co-founder.

This is the autonomous delivery vehicle from Clevon, an Estonian company that made its US headquarters in Fort Worth in 2022.

Their robot-piloted vehicles have been delivering packages on the street in the Northlake community since July, sing human-assisted oversight.

Read the full story here

If you liked this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Don’t take our word for it, try it free for an entire month. No obligation.

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The EPA is concerned about using coal ash as fill. Here’s why.

Coal ash has long been used as filler material in residential areas, schools, highways, bridges and various infrastructure projects. The Environmental Protection Agency now says coal ash fill may create an elevated cancer risk. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

By Robert Zullo, News from the States

Coal ash, what’s left over after coal is burned to generate electricity, is one of the largest waste streams in the U.S., with hundreds of millions of tons of it lying in hundreds of sites across the country.

However, a lot of that ash, which can contain a host of toxic metals, isn’t just sitting around in landfills or disposal pits, it’s also been a cheap source of fill material, with 2 million tons of it being used for that purpose in 2021 alone, according to the American Coal Ash Association, a trade group.

EarthJustice, an environmental group, citing the association’s numbers, says 180 million tons of coal ash has been used for fill since 1980. Ash has been used on everything from a golf course in Virginia to playgrounds in Tennessee and much of an entire Indiana town.

But in a draft risk assessment published last month by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of a proposed broader revision of its coal ash management rules, the agency now says using coal ash as fill may create elevated cancer risk from radiation.

Read the full story here

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Manchin is battling Biden — again. This time over EV batteries

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) speaks during the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 28. | AP

BY CHRISTIAN ROBLES, Politico Power Switch

When the energy nerds of the world write tales of Joe Biden’s presidency, a chapter will be devoted to Sen. Joe Manchin’s regular jabs over electric vehicles.

Since the passage of last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, the irascible chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee has challenged the Treasury Department over how it interprets “Made in America” requirements for electric car batteries.

The West Virginia Democrat is now asking the Government Accountability Office to issue a legal opinion on whether Congress can undo Treasury’s actions, writes Timothy Cama. The letter targets Treasury guidance for how car companies should interpret language in the law that requires that minerals and parts used to make EV batteries are sourced primarily out of the U.S. or through its trading partners.

The global supply chain for EVs began revolving around China long before automakers shoveled billions of dollars into electric car and battery assembly plants and before the U.S. government spent taxpayer money on developing a U.S. market to replace gasoline-fueled cars. So Manchin has made a sport of arguing that Biden and auto manufacturers are coddling China by pushing for too much flexibility, as the U.S. hands out generous tax benefits to EV buyers.

The White House has been grappling with how to balance a climate policy that requires more zero-carbon cars on the road and the equally desirable push for electric cars to be built on the back of U.S.-based manufacturing.

Manchin, representing a state rooted in a fossil fuel economy, has been a persistent thorn in Biden’s side and complicates the White House goal of zeroing out U.S. carbon pollution by 2050. They’ve crossed each other over a methane fee program and a tax credit for hydrogen production. He’s pushed back through letters, regulatory comments, and legislation.

Read the full story here

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Winners of the 24th Annual NJ Environmental Excellence Awards

NJ Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette has announced the winners of the 24th Annual Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards as well as the recipient of the prestigious Richard J. Sullivan Award during an awards ceremony at the Historic Masonic Temple in Trenton.

“The achievements of this year’s award winners capture the essence of environmentalism in New Jersey and set a shining example for us all to follow,” said Commissioner LaTourette. “It’s an honor to celebrate their determined efforts to protect the state’s natural resources and help others connect to nature.”

The Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards are awarded annually to individuals and organizations that demonstrate commitment and leadership on a variety of environmental issues, including environmental justice, climate change, sustainability, and education.

Named for New Jersey’s first DEP Commissioner and pioneering leader in environmental protection, the Richard J. Sullivan Award was given to Walter Mugdan, who served the public through a decades-long career with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, working the last seven years of his career as Deputy Regional Administrator for Region 2.

In his final role with the EPA, Mugdan played a critical role in addressing groundwater and mine water contamination at the Ringwood Mines/Landfill Superfund site, and in adding the Lower Hackensack River to the National Priorities List. Mugdan retired in September.

The Sullivan Award honors an individual who demonstrates exceptional leadership and outstanding accomplishment in safeguarding public health, protecting and enhancing New Jersey’s diverse natural resources, and creating vibrant, sustainable communities that provide economic opportunity for all.

In addition to the Sullivan Award, the 2023 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award winners for each category are:

James J. Florio Emerging Environmental Leader: Julia Totora 

Julia, a student from Pitman, participated in projects such as making leaf packs for school groups to investigate macroinvertebrates and creating a petition and letter-writing campaign seeking to eliminate plastic foam trays from her school district’s lunchrooms. On Earth Day 2023, she provided hands-on water quality education to residents of her town by leading a water testing project at a local creek and taught residents how water quality is related to their health and the health of the lake, stream and local wildlife.

Clean Air: Anna Grossman

Grossman, a resident of Montclair, supported the township’s local advocates and organizations to eliminate the local use of gas-powered leaf blowers. Grossman organized workshops and electric lawncare demonstration days, spoke at town council meetings and arranged expert testimony at public comment sessions, and coordinated a webinar with health and electric lawn care experts. In May, Grossman set up a social media and web presence, Sustainable Montclair, to support advocacy efforts on this and other local environmental causes. As of Sept. 4, gas-powered blowers and sprayers are banned year-round in Montclair.

Read the full list here

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Thousands Without Power, Roads Flooded, Schools Delayed In North Jersey, PA and Del. After Storm

Rain from a Sunday, Dec. 17 storm closed roads and delayed school openings across New Jersey on Monday, Dec. 18.

<p>Flood warnings across New Jersey</p> — Flood warnings across New JerseyPhoto Credit: *National Weather Service*

By Cecilia Levine, Daily Voice 12/18/2023 8:19 a.m.

According to the PSE&G outage map, the following areas did not have power:

Bergen: 3,764 (Most in New Milford, Elmwood Park, Garfield)
Hudson: 4,095 (Most in Bayonne, North Bergen)
Passaic: 2,718 (Most in Clifton, Passaic)
Union: 660

The following roads and highways were closed due to flooding as of 8:10 a.m. Monday:

Route 73 in Maple Shade at Main Street
Route 33 westbound, east of Route 526 in East Windsor
Route 130 between Route 38 and Browning Road in Pennsauken
Route 30 east from Ben Franklin Bridge in Camden to Airport Circle
Route 35 north of Strickland Boulevard in Toms River
Route 78 ramp north at Exit 49 in Springfield
Route 22 at North Drive in North Plainfield
Route 10 at School Street in Hanover
Route 23 near Coituss Road in Riverdale

The following North Jersey schools were closed or delayed:

Ridgefield Park: Delayed
Ridgewood: Delayed
Wyckoff: Delayed

Philadelphia area also hammered by storm

By Justin Heinze, Patch Staff

EASTERN PA — Torrential rain continued in parts of eastern Pennsylvania Monday morning as a multi-day storm brought flooding, flight delays, road closures, and power outages to the region.

More than three inches of rain fell in much of the area, with localized totals getting up to five inches in some areas, the National Weather Service said. Flood warnings were issued in Philadelphia, Chester, and Delaware counties, along with eastern Montgomery and southeastern Bucks counties.

Philadelphia International Airport saw 24 flight delays Monday morning due to the storm.

“Flooding is ongoing,” the National Weather Service’s Mt. Holly branch said Monday morning. “Do not drive through flooded roadways or go around barricades where roads are closed. The rain will taper off later this morning into the afternoon.”

Lehigh Valley had one of the area’s highest rainfall totals at 5.48 inches. King of Prussia had 3.2 inches, and the Philadelphia airport had 2.5.

Flooding impacted multiple parts of the Schuylkill River and other major creeks. The following waterways had reached minor or moderate flood stage by 10 a.m., according to the National Weather Service’s Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services:

Schuylkill River in Philadelphia: 10.79 inches (6.9 inches before storm)
Schuylkill River in Norristown: 14.6 inches (9 inches before storm)
Schuylkill River in Pottstown: 10.38 inches (3.5 inches before storm)
Perkiomen Creek at Graterford: 13.8 inches (2 inches)
Perkiomen Creek at East Greenville: 9.4 inches (3 inches)
Neshaminy Creek at Langhorne: 12.4 inches (2 inches)
Delaware River at Washington Crossing: 8.2 inches (1.9)
Delaware River at Washington Street, Philadelphia 9.5 inches (variable, 1-7 inches)
Chester Creek: 11.8 inches (3 inches)

PECO reported outages impacting 3,283 customers in the region as of 10:15 a.m.

Flood warnings remain in place in southeastern Pennsylvania until 1:30 p.m.

Here’s the full forecast for the remainder of the day, according to the National Weather Service:

Showers, mainly before 1 p.m. High near 59. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Tonight will be partly cloudy, with a low around 35.

How much rain fell in the Lehigh Valley?

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