EnviroPolitics Blog

Tom Johnson of NJ Spotlight and former NJBPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso (posthumous) to be honored at MSSIA holiday party

In 1954, three visionary scientists—Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson—forever changed the landscape of energy by inventing the modern photovoltaic cell at Bell Laboratories in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Their groundbreaking work was the culmination of several pivotal milestones in the development of solar power, all of which took place right here in New Jersey. To honor their legacy, the Chapin, Fuller, Pearson Medal was created, celebrating those who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of solar energy in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Over the past twelve years, the Medal has been awarded sparingly, only to those who have truly transformed our solar industry. Previous recipients include such esteemed figures as Assemblyman (later BPU Commissioner) Upendra Chivukula, Senator Bob Smith, and NJBPU President Jeanne Fox. This year, MSSIA is proud to recognize two more remarkable individuals: Tom Johnson of NJ Spotlight and former NJBPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso (posthumous), medal will be accepted by NJBPU President Christine Guhl- Sadovy and Joe Fiordaliso Jr. Tom and Joe Sr.’s tireless dedication and exceptional contributions have helped shape the solar industry in New Jersey and set a standard for the future.

We are deeply grateful for the support of our annual event sponsors, including Gold level: Advanced Solar Products IBEW local 400, & ConnectDER, Silver Level: Amergy Solar, Ecological Systems, & Greenskies Clean Focus, and Bronze level: Offit Kurman, NJPACE & Opal Energy Group. As this is a special occasion that we have combined with our holiday party, we are still welcoming additional sponsors who wish to elevate this event and be part of this momentous celebration. Sponsorship opportunities for this event start at just $250. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact our coordinator at coordinator@mssia.org for details on registering a sponsorship.

The Mid-Atlantic Solar and Storage Industries Association (MSSIA) is dedicated to advancing solar energy and energy storage as the primary energy sources in the Mid-Atlantic region, to create a sustainable energy future for all segments of the population while generating economic growth and high-quality jobs.

Register today!

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Tom Johnson of NJ Spotlight and former NJBPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso (posthumous) to be honored at MSSIA holiday party Read More »

Another whale bites the beach at the Jersey Shore

By Eric Scott, NJ 101.5

People walking on a popular South Jersey beach came upon a stranded whale Tuesday afternoon.

Cape May Police got the call to respond to Sunset Beach around 3:30 p.m.

A crew from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center responded shortly after.

The whale appeared to be a juvenile Minke whale, but MMSC officials could not confirm that. Video posted to Facebook shows the whale was not much larger than the bystanders who were standing next to it.

If you like 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. Please do not take our word for it, try it free for a full month.

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If you are selling or remediating property in NJ, you must read this

Proposed rule change represents a notable transformation of reporting obligations that would likely have a chilling effect on the state’s commercial real estate market.

By Melissa Clarke, Saul Ewing

In October 2024, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) published a proposed rule (the “Proposed Rule”) that would amend its site remediation rules to codify and implement provisions of the legislation known as SRRA 2.0, which became effective on August 23, 2019. Most notably, the Proposed Rule would amend the Administrative Requirements for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites (ARRCS), N.J.A.C. 7:26C, to require prospective purchasers of real property conducting pre-closing environmental due diligence to, upon the discovery of a previously unidentified discharge of hazardous substances, immediately notify the NJDEP and the record owner.

What You Need to Know:

•NJDEP proposed a new rule that would, among other things, require a prospective purchaser of real property who obtains specific knowledge during pre-closing due diligence of a discharge of hazardous substances on the property to immediately notify NJDEP and the contract seller (record owner) of the discharge, potentially triggering further investigation and remedial obligations.

•Until now, reporting obligations have not extended to prospective purchasers performing environmental due diligence.

•The Proposed Rule, if adopted as is, could discourage real estate deals in New Jersey.

•The comment deadline for the Proposed Rule is January 31, 2025.

Read the full article

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U.S. Sanctions Five Gulf Cartel Members Over Illegal Fishing

A Coast Guard aircraft captures imagery of a lancha near South Padre Island, Texas, on Sept. 30, 2021by

By Mike Schuler, gCaptain

The U.S. Treasury Department has taken decisive action against Mexico’s Gulf Cartel, sanctioning five key members for their involvement in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing operations that serve as a front for human smuggling and drug trafficking activities.

The operation, centered at Playa Bagdad near the U.S. border, involves the use of small, swift boats called “lanchas” for illegal fishing of red snapper and shark species in U.S. waters. These same vessels are utilized for smuggling drugs and migrants across the border.

“Today’s action highlights how transnational criminal organizations like the Gulf Cartel rely on a variety of illicit schemes like IUU fishing to fund their operations, along with narcotics trafficking and human smuggling,” said Acting Under Secretary Bradley T. Smith.

Among those sanctioned are brothers Ismael “Mayelo” and Omar “Samorano” Guerra Salinas, who oversee operations at Playa Bagdad, and Francisco Javier Sierra Angulo, who leads the cartel’s activities in Matamoros. Two lancha camp owners, Raul Decuir Garcia and Ildelfonso Carrillo Sapien, were also designated for enabling illegal cross-border fishing operations.

The sanctions, implemented under Executive Order 14059, block all U.S.-based assets of these individuals and prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with them. This enforcement action results from collaboration between multiple U.S. agencies, including the Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit.

The Gulf Cartel’s illegal fishing operations not only generate millions in annual revenue but also contribute to environmental damage through the inadvertent death of other marine species. The organization has a documented history of violence, including involvement in the kidnapping and murder of American citizens in March 2023.

The Treasury Department participates in the U.S. Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing, established by the SAFE Act to coordinate anti-IUU fishing efforts. In 2022, President Biden’s National Security Memorandum identified IUU fishing as a major threat to ocean health and global fisheries, impacting economic growth and food systems worldwide.

“Treasury, as part of a whole-of-government approach to combatting transnational criminal organizations, remains committed to disrupting these networks and restricting these groups’ ability to profit from these activities,” added Smith.

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For an entire year, Trenton NJ’s drinking water went untested

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The drinking water in New Jersey’s capital city and some surrounding communities went largely untested for more than a year, the utility belatedly told roughly 200,000 affected customers, noting that it fired a worker who falsified the relevant reports.

Trenton Water Works said in a letter to customers last week that it became aware of the problem a year ago and that an investigation determined that the water sample collector fudged reports meant to monitor for disinfection byproducts, E. Coli and other things from October 2022 through last December. A majority of the water samples taken by the utility during that time were deemed to be invalid, it said.

The worker, who wasn’t named in the utility’s letter and who hasn’t been charged, was put on leave and then fired.

The utility said the water is safe now and that customers don’t need to take any action.

Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora called the falsification of reports “inexcusable.” He told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the matter was referred to state environmental officials, who passed it along to the state attorney general’s office.

“We’re trying to do everything we can to prosecute the bad guy,” he said.

He added that the utility has more than 100 employees.

“One of them did something extremely bad we’re extremely upset, and it’s embarrassing. At the same time, there were other water samples taken not indicating any sounding of alarms.”

Asked why it took a year to tell the public about the false reports, the mayor said the city followed state Department of Environmental Protection regulations.

“The notice itself is required by DEP,” he said. “But there was no indication of an imminent threat.”

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BOEM identifies enviro measures for NY Bight wind energy

offshore wind farm — *BOEM continues its efforts for offshore wind as the industry faces uncertainty under the new administration (file photo)*

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today issued a Record of Decision identifying environmental measures expected to be applied to future wind energy development of the six lease areas offshore New York and New Jersey in an area known as the New York Bight. The bureau continues to push forward offshore wind projects with some experts saying the goal is to secure as much of the development before the end of the Biden administration in January 2025.

The six lease areas in the New York Bight cover over 488,000 acres and were sold in a record auction at the peak of interest in offshore wind energy receiving total bids of over $4.3 billion. BOEM continues to estimate that full development of the six lease areas could generate up to 7 GW of offshore wind energy, enough to power up to two million homes.

For the first time, BOEM conducted a regional analysis of offshore renewable energy development and operations over multiple lease areas designed to expedite the projects in the NY Bight. BOEM reported in January 2024 that it decided to take this step to complete a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) because of the close proximity of the six lease areas and the timing of when BOEM expects to receive future project plans for review.

The Draft PEIS analyzed programmatic avoidance, minimization, mitigation, and monitoring measures that BOEM may require as conditions of its approval for any proposed offshore wind projects in the New York Bight. It was followed in October with the completed environmental review to assess potential wind development activities within six wind lease areas. The Proposed Action for the PEIS identified avoidance, minimization, mitigation, and monitoring measures that BOEM reported it may require as conditions for approval for activities proposed by lessees in the individual construction and operations plans submitted for these six lease areas. Additional environmental analyses specific to each proposed project would build on the PEIS.

Today’s record of decision identifies 58 previously applied avoidance, minimization, mitigation, and monitoring measures BOEM plans to apply across the six lease areas. To reduce potential environmental impacts, developers can consider these measures in the Construction and Operations Plans they submit to BOEM for subsequent review.

Read the full story here

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