The developer of a major Massachusetts offshore wind farm is suing its turbine manufacturer, seeking to force it to stay with the project.
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As if this offshore wind firm didn’t have enough problems Read More »
By Robert Walton, Waste Dive
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed adding “flexibilities” to the rules that govern the management and cleanup of coal ash, the waste that remains when utilities burn coal to generate power. There are approximately 775 coal ash surface impoundments and landfills across the country, according to the agency.
Environmental advocates say the changes could allow utilities to leave submerged coal ash in place, a practice that threatens drinking water.
Coal ash contains mercury, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic, which are linked to cancer and other health problems, according to the EPA.
EPA’s proposal is “another handout to the coal power industry at the expense of our health, water, and wallets,” Lisa Evans, senior counsel at Earthjustice, said in a statement.
Trump’s EPA wants to weaken plant coal ash protections Read More »
By Maxine Joselow, The New York Times
Yesterday I found myself in a strange setting: the ballroom in the basement of a hotel in downtown Washington. I was there to cover a conference hosted by groups that reject the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change.
It might have seemed like a fringe event, except for the high-profile opening speaker: Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and one of President Trump’s possible choices for the next attorney general.
The mood in the room was celebratory. The roughly 220 attendees at the gathering at the Hotel Washington, which is a short walk from the White House, treated Zeldin like a rock star, giving him a standing ovation before he had even spoken.
“We aren’t just following blind obedience to whatever the dire, doom-and-gloom prediction of the day is,” Zeldin said, drawing more applause.
In some ways, Zeldin was echoing his boss: Trump has called climate change a “hoax” and “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.” And his administration has systematically sought to slash federal funding for climate research while dismantling dozens of climate and environmental regulations.
As I reported in an article published today, the event made clear that climate change deniers are seeing a new level of prominence in Trump’s Washington after years of feeling sidelined by the political and scientific establishments.
It was organized by the Heartland Institute, a research organization that has fought mainstream climate science for decades. James M. Taylor, the president of the institute, told me that the Trump administration had done more for his group than any other administration in history.
“This is absolutely a moment of triumph,” he said, adding, “It’s nice to be winning.”
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Climate denial takes triumphal stage in Washington Read More »
As previously reported here and here, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) announced settlements with 3M and DuPont and its related companies (the DuPont Entities), totaling $2.5 billion, to resolve statewide PFAS claims. NJDEP moved to enter the settlements, embodied in Judicial Consent Orders (“JCOs”), in November 2025, and objections were filed by the Association of Environmental Authorities of New Jersey, and several of its members (the “Objectors”).
The Objectors asserted that the settlements would not provide sufficient funding to meet the long-term needs of local governments to address PFAS impacts. In response, the Court required NJDEP to supplement the record by April 2, 2026, with a Supplementary Report that would include evidence demonstrating that the concerns of the Objectors had been considered.
In its most recent filing, NJDEP reported to the Court that since the January 7, 2026, hearing on the JCOs, NJDEP and the Objectors have engaged in multiple mediation sessions, and NJDEP requested more time to continue to meet with the Objectors. On March 31, 2026, the Court issued an Order extending NJDEP’s deadline to file the Supplementary Report to April 16, 2026. The Objectors may file responses to the Supplementary Report by May 11, 2026.
More information on the settlements is available on the NJDEP website here and here.
NJDEP Gets More Time for 3M & DuPont PFAS Settlements Read More »
By Michael Klein, Philadelphia Inquirer, Published April 7, 2026
Sweet Amalia Market & Kitchen, the nationally known oyster stand and eatery in the New Jersey Pinelands, says it has paused its 2026 opening as it awaits a governmental review of its seating plans.
The rustic roadside stand offered indoor and outdoor seating when it opened in 2021 on Harding Highway in Newfield, Gloucester County, a popular route to the Jersey Shore. But in August 2023, lacking the proper permitting, it was ordered to shut down. Two days later, it reopened with takeout and outdoor picnic-table seating, but no indoor dining.
Management announced Monday that it had to remove the picnic tables while the Pinelands Commission, as well as county and local authorities, review Sweet Amalia’s plans to allow seating. Land use in the ecologically fragile Pinelands is highly regulated. On its social media accounts, Sweet Amalia described the region, which spans parts of seven counties, as “a 1.1-million-acre treasure in our densely populated state.”
“They gave us the option to do takeout,” owner Lisa Calvo told The Inquirer. “But given the nature of the food and our customer base, we just didn’t feel like that was a great translation of our business model. The oyster bar business is not takeout. It’s people stopping, enjoying the vibe, hanging out, eating oysters freshly shucked.”
Sweet Amalia grew out of Calvo’s oyster business, Sweet Amalia Oyster Farm, founded in 2012 on the Delaware Bay. During the pandemic, Calvo and partners turned the roadside market in her hometown into a seasonal kitchen and retail operation centered on oysters, seafood, sandwiches, and local goods, an outlet for local growers and producers.
Calvo said she did not have an exact date for the reopening. “We hope everybody will be patient,” she said.
Government overreach? NJ delays opening of famed oyster stand Read More »
By the Patch Staff
NEW JERSEY — If you’re planning your summer beach trips to the Jersey Shore, you’re probably trying to figure out how much those trips are going to cost, including your beach badges.
Here is Patch’s annual guide to beach fees and more.
While most towns are scheduled to open their beaches Memorial Day weekend, many are selling beach badges now at discounted rates.
Lifeguard staffing typically begins Memorial Day weekend and continues on weekends until mid-June due to staff availability, which increases once schools are closed for the summer.
That means that just because it’s warm, it doesn’t mean it’s safe to go in the water. Swimming is banned on ocean beaches up and down the shore when lifeguards are not present, for safety reasons. Rip currents can be present at any time of year and can be deadly.
Here is the list of towns and beaches, with their beach fees for 2026, as of April 1. Daily badge prices may not be available everywhere immediately.
What a day at the Jersey Shore will cost this summer Read More »
