EnviroPolitics Blog

Long-serving NJ Assembly Environment Chairman, Harry A. McEnroe, dies at age 90.

Sponsor of ‘The McEnroe Act,’ his landmark legislation provided legal and financial direction to the state’s 21 counties at a time when solid waste disposal in New Jersey was transforming from reliance on landfills to incorporate resource recovery incinerator facilities.

Former NJ Assemblyman Harry A. McEnroe

By Frank Brill, EnviroPolitics Editor

Harry A. McEnroe had a successful history in Essex County Democratic politics before entering the state legislature. He was Chairman of the South Orange Democratic Party for many years and was an Essex County Freeholder from 1973 to 1979. The following year he began a 16-year career in the New Jersey State Assembly, serving from 1980 to 1996.

As chairman of the Assembly Environment Committee, McEnroe was called upon to referee a struggle between competing interests as the solid waste industry, New Jersey’ 21 counties, and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) were caught up in dynamic changes initiated with the DEP’s desire to shut down landfills and force all solid waste to yet-unbuilt resource recovery facilities (waste incinerators).

When the courts ruled that counties could no longer direct where waste was sent (waste flow), McEnroe’s legislation sought to provide stability by requiring long-term contracts between counties and resource recovery developers and by instituting new taxes to support their construction and operation.

McEnroe was respected as a gentleman who listened to all sides of issues and tried to fashion equitable solutions. He was ably served by a cadre of young lawyers and researchers in the state’s Office of Legislative Services

For more, read:
Harry McEnroe, 8-term Essex assemblyman, dies at 90 (New Jersey Globe)
Harry A. McEnroe, Longtime Assemblyman (Star-Ledger obituary)

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All new Maersk ships will be able to run on carbon-neutral fuels

By Jack Wittels, Bloomberg Green

A century after the global shipping fleet ran largely on coal, the world’s largest shipping line is taking a historic step toward not using fossil fuels for propulsion.

All newly constructed vessels owned by A.P. Moller-Maersk will have to be able to use carbon-neutral fuels, such as clean methanol and ammonia, as well as traditional oil-based products, the company said in a statement. The shift comes just three months after the industry’s main regulator set new decarbonization rules that were criticized for their lack of ambition.

“If you don’t do this, ten years from now we risk becoming irrelevant,” said Morten Bo Christiansen, vice president and head of decarbonization at Maersk. “Our customers need us to do this.”

Alongside ammonia and clean forms of methanol, Maersk said so-called alcohol lignin blends were another primary candidate for future fuels.

Liquefied natural gas, or LNG, which has been embraced by some other shipping lines, is not part of Maersk’s strategy: “We don’t need another fossil fuel,” Christiansen said.

About half of Maersk’s 200 biggest customers have set science-based or zero-carbon carbon targets for their supply chains, or are in the process of doing so. The firm wants to have net-zero emissions from its operations by 2050, and helped found a research center focused on decarbonizing the industry.

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Pascrell, Rice lead NJ, NY members demanding federal action on offshore wind energy

From a Congressional news release

U.S. Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Kathleen Rice (D-NY-04) today led a bipartisan contingent of New Jersey and New York lawmakers requesting urgent action on offshore wind development.

The Members sent a letter to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), a federal agency within the Department of the Interior, requesting that the agency designate final Wind Energy Areas in the New York Bight and hold new lease auctions for potential developers.

“Growing America’s offshore wind industry is a vital path to reducing our reliance on dirty fossil fuels and modernizing America’s infrastructure for future generations. Right now under Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey is leading the way in expanding clean energy, especially for offshore wind,” said Rep. Pascrell. “I look forward to working with President Biden’s administration to build on his offshore wind commitments that will support jobs and fight the negative impacts of climate change. I was proud to see my offshore wind tax incentive enacted into law in the year-end relief bill, and am pleased to partner with Rep. Rice to lead our delegations in encouraging the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to help our state and region. Because at the end of the day, protecting our planet for our children and grandchildren must be our ultimate goal.”“

As a leader in the fight against climate change, New York State has legally committed to generating 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035–enough energy to power up to six million homes,” said Rep. Rice. “But there is no way that New York, New Jersey, or any other state can meet ambitious goals unless the federal government issues new wind energy area designations. The prolonged delays that we experienced during the Trump Administration stalled efforts at the state level, harming both the environment and the economy in the process. That’s why I led this letter with Congressman Pascrell and our delegation colleagues demanding action and requesting a briefing with BOEM to get the ball rolling again. I’m confident that the Biden Administration will heed our call for action and follow through on its promise to prioritize offshore wind.

”The Biden Administration has already taken positive steps related to offshore wind. On January 27, President Biden signed an executive order directing the Interior secretary to identify steps to double offshore wind production by 2030.“The U.S. needs a post-COVID economic recovery and holding an offshore wind lease sale in the New York Bight is a significant step towards a tremendous energy and economic opportunity,” said Erik Milito, President of the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA). “It has been more than two years since the most recent offshore wind lease auction. BOEM should issue the final Wind Energy Areas (WEA) and hold lease auctions in the New York Bight as quickly as possible. NOIA thanks Representatives Rice and Pascrell and the other signatories for their leadership in advancing new wind opportunities for our nation.”

“The tides are shifting towards the clean energy economy,” said Mariah Dignan, Long Island Organizer for Climate Jobs NY. “With the White House laser-focused on taking action on climate by creating thousands of good union jobs, we can kick- start that here with new offshore wind lease areas in the NY bight.”

The letter was also signed by: U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06), Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Albio Sires (NJ-08), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Tom Reed (NY-23), Donald M. Payne Jr. (NJ-10), Grace Meng (NY-06), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Thomas R. Suozzi (NY-03), Joseph D. Morelle (NY-25), Andy Kim (NJ-03), Tom Malinowski (NJ-07), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16), Mondaire Jones (NY-17), and Ritchie Torres (NY-15)

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Bill extending NJ Infrastructure Bank funding to aviation and marine projects set for final Senate vote tomorrow

Measure Also Makes Changes Inspired by COVID-19

(TRENTON) – Legislation to expand the purview of the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB) and make changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is scheduled in the State Senate tomorrow. In December, it passed the Assembly, 79-0.

The NJIB is an independent State financing authority which supports the construction of environmental and transportation infrastructure projects across New Jersey. The bill, A5057, would authorize the NJIB to also finance aviation and marine projects, as well as make it easier for NJIB to provide emergency, relief or disaster loans to clean water, drinking water or transportation projects in the event of an emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill also would make general changes to the program to make certification requirements more consistent, align loan maturity requirements with federal standards and allow NJIB to sell bonds via negotiated sale without constraint of a failed competitive sale.

Sponsors of the bill, Assembly Democrats Joseph Danielsen (D-Middlesex, Somerset), Shanique Speight (D-Essex) and Adam Taliaferro (D-Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland) released the following joint statement:

“The NJIB acts as a vehicle to help get vital infrastructure across the finishing line. Expanding the scope of NJIB programs to include aviation and marine projects will create jobs, boost our economy and strengthen our infrastructure. Also, as we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, our agencies must always be prepared to respond to public emergencies. This bill will ensure the NJIB has the authority and tools it needs to provide relief in times of crisis.”

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PA Environmental Quality Board Feb. 16 meeting cancelled

Today’s scheduled meeting of the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) has been cancelled.

EQB meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month. Meetings will only be held when there is a sufficient number of agenda items for consideration. Until further notice, all meetings will be held as virtual and will convene at 9:00 a.m. The meeting dates are as follows:

February 16, 2021 – Canceled
March 16, 2021
April 20, 2021
May 18, 2021
June 15, 2021
July 13, 2021
August 17, 2021
September 21, 2021
October 19, 2021
November 16, 2021
December 21, 2021
Contact: Laura Griffin, Regulatory Coordinator, Environmental Quality Board, P.O. Box 8477, Harrisburg, PA, 17105-8477, laurgriffi@pa.gov, (717) 772-3277

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#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

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