EnviroPolitics Blog

63 million pounds! That’s a lot of scraps diverted to NY food banks

NEW YORK (WBNG) — In recognition of Hunger Action Month and New York Climate Week, Governor Kathy Hochul announced a milestone for a program that helps feed New Yorkers while reducing pollution that contributes to climate change.

The Feeding New York State network reached a record 63 million-pound collection milestone, as part of an ongoing New York State Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law.

Feeding New York sources food for New York food banks in several ways, including salvaging perfectly edible food that may be slightly damaged, such as cans or boxes with dents or superficial cosmetic damage.

The Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling law helps reduce waste and climate-altering emissions caused by decomposing food in landfills.

According to the Law, starting Jan. 1, 2027, all businesses and institutions that generate an annual average of 1 ton of wasted food per week must:

Donate excess edible food
Recycle all remaining food scraps if they are within 50 miles of an organics recycling site.

Feeding New York also receives funding from the Department of Environmental Protection to encourage public participation and assist with food collection efforts.

Since 2018, the DEC has provided over $10 million in funding to the food banks.

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. Don’t take our word for it. Try it free for a whole month

63 million pounds! That’s a lot of scraps diverted to NY food banks Read More »

On again, off again Trump is off again on 2 NJ offshore wind projets

By Wayne Parry, Associated Press

The administration of President Donald Trump, which halted an offshore wind farm in New York and New Jersey, then allowed it to resume, is moving against it again.

In a federal court filing Tuesday, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said it intends to reconsider the prior approval of the Empire Wind 2 offshore wind project granted under the Biden administration.

Empire Wind, located off the coast of Long Branch in New Jersey and Long Beach in Long Island, New York, is the only offshore wind project being built off New Jersey’s coast following a string of project cancellations or indefinite postponements over the past two years.

Save Long Beach Island press release

And the same agency says it is reconsidering approval of the Atlantic Shores offshore wind project in New Jersey, which is all but dead in the water after the federal government revoked a critical clean air permit, without which the project cannot be built.

Read the full story

On again, off again Trump is off again on 2 NJ offshore wind projets Read More »

Judge rules radioactive water can be released into the Hudson River

*The former Indian Point Energy Center, located in Buchanan, NY, some 25 miles north of New York City. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Tony Fischer*

By Frank Brill, EnviroPolitics Editor

A federal judge (U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas) ruled on Wednesday, September 24, that New York’s “Save the Hudson” law is invalid. The state law, enacted in 2023, banned the discharge of radioactive wastewater (including water containing tritium) into the Hudson River.

The court found that the state law interferes with federal authority over nuclear matters, specifically radiological safety and waste disposal, which is regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

Holtec International, the company overseeing the decommissioning of the Indian Point nuclear plant, had challenged the New York law. The ruling allows Holtec to discharge treated radioactive wastewater, provided it remains within federal standards/regulations.

Local officials and environmental groups strongly oppose the plan. They warn that the ruling undermines decades of effort to rehabilitate the Hudson, and risks harm to ecosystems, drinking water, and public trust.

Some data points:

• Holtec claims the discharges will comply with federal safety limits.

• Opponents point out that tritium is a radioactive form of hydrogen that can be challenging because it behaves chemically like water, making removal difficult.

• The judge’s ruling underscores that federal law preempts state law when the state law “categorically precludes” a federally accepted disposal method.

Key legal & technical issues

Issue	Description / Tension
Federal preemption	The core of the court’s decision is that the state law is preempted by federal law — states can’t override or block federally licensed/disposed nuclear operations.
Regulatory authority & safety standards	The NRC has exclusive authority in many areas related to nuclear safety, including radiological releases during decommissioning. The question is whether the proposed discharge truly stays within those limits.
Nature of tritium / radioactive water	Tritium (a radioactive isotope of hydrogen) is difficult or impossible to remove from water in many cases, since its chemistry is nearly identical to ordinary water. That means many strategies focus on dilution and monitoring rather than filtration.
Appeal and delays	It’s likely the state or environmental groups will appeal. Meanwhile, Holtec’s decommissioning timeline, budget, and engineering plans may be affected by continued litigation or regulatory scrutiny.

Judge rules radioactive water can be released into the Hudson River Read More »

Targeting blue states, Trump cuts clean energy projects in NJ, DE

By Julia Terruso, Philadelphia Inquirer

The Department of Energy is canceling hundreds of clean energy projects in Democratic-led states, including in New Jersey and Delaware, as President Donald Trump’s administration uses the government shutdown to make additional federal workforce and funding cuts.

Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said on Wednesday that the department would end funding for projects in 16 states totaling $8 billion.

“The Left’s climate agenda is being canceled,” Vought posted on X.

In Delaware, that appears to include two Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy grants, one for the University of Delaware, and one for Chemours, a chemical company, according to a source familiar with the termination plan.

It wasn’t immediately clear what specific work the grants were funding, but the University of Delaware announced in 2021 two renewable energy-related projects backed by $4 million in grants. One explored the decision-making process for adopting solar energy and electric vehicle use, and another is related to the efficiency of solar panels.

Chemours in 2024 announced DOE grants totaling $60 million awarded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support green hydrogen technology.

Sen. Chris Coons (D., Del.) blasted the cancellation in a statement to The Inquirer.

“President Trump promised ‘energy dominance.’ Now, he’s destroying projects that are the key to that dominance, setting back energy innovation and putting us behind our adversaries,” Coons said.

Read the full story

Targeting blue states, Trump cuts clean energy projects in NJ, DE Read More »

Pa could face a ‘double-whammy’ of government dysfunction

Standoffs over funding are piling up in Harrisburg and Washington, while trust in government is eroding.

By Julia Terruso and Gillian McGoldrick, Philadelphia Inquirer

Pennsylvania school districts are taking out loans to keep schools running. Counties have had to furlough staff. Now, add to the ongoing state budget impasse a federal government shutdown threatening Pennsylvanians’ paychecks and some critical social service benefits.

Welcome to the swing state of dual governmental dysfunction, where legislative standoffs at two levels could cause headaches for residents whose distrust in government and frustration with polarization has only grown.

The state budget impasse — with funding nearly three months overdue — has held up billions of dollars in state payments for critical government services, from public schools to county behavioral health programs. The late budget, which is largely due to partisan disagreements between the GOP-controlled state Senate, Democratic-controlled House, and Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, has required many schools to take out loans to keep operating, and some counties have been forced to furlough staff or freeze spending.

Standoffs over funding are piling up in Harrisburg and Washington, while trust in government is eroding.

Now, Congress looks unlikely to meet its Oct 1 deadline to fund the federal government, leaving Pennsylvanians bracing for a political pileup that threatens to stall more paychecks and shutter services in one of the only states with a divided state government.

“It takes disappointed and disillusioned Pennsylvanians and gives them one more data point that makes questions about the viability of their institutions real,” said Chris Borick, pollster at Muhlenberg College.

Read the full story

Pa could face a ‘double-whammy’ of government dysfunction Read More »

Navigating Funding to Address PFAS in Drinking Water

Join NJ Future to learn about accessing funding to address PFAS in Drinking Water.

Recent federal EPA standards, along with a comprehensive legislative package in NJ addressing PFAS, are set to increase costs for water systems as they work to meet stricter MCLs. Private well owners may also face compliance expenses. While funding mechanisms, such as the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, can provide financial assistance, higher rates for consumers might still be necessary, and companies may be held liable through settlements.

Join us to discuss efforts to address PFAS and share the associated costs of treatment. Also, learn from SL Environmental Law Group about how they have successfully connected clients with PFAS settlement funding in other states. As we await the allocation of settlement funds in New Jersey, let’s explore ways to navigate the funding landscape in PFAS.

Panelists: Moderator: Ben Dziobek, Community Outreach Specialist, Funding Navigator, New Jersey Future Panelist: Kenneth Sansone, Senior Partner, SL Environmental Law Group PC

Register Today!

Navigating Funding to Address PFAS in Drinking Water Read More »