The two, four-mile spans of the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge cross the Chesapeake Bay between Sandy Point State Park and Kent Island.
By Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun
After passing the U.S. Senate, a bill that would have established the Chesapeake National Recreation Area fell short in the 118th Congress. But advocates are hoping to ride the momentum into next year.
“We’re closer than ever to elevating the Chesapeake Bay to iconic American landscapes like Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Great Smoky Mountains and the Grand Tetons,” wrote Joel Dunn, outgoing president and CEO of the Chesapeake Conservancy, in a statement. “As advocates look to the next Congress, this momentum has brought together a bipartisan coalition of elected officials, local communities, national and regional advocates with a shared goal.”
On Dec. 18, the bill received unanimous support on the floor of the U.S. Senate, but the House of Representatives did not vote on the bill before leaving Washington for the holidays.
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Two Greek shipping companies have pleaded guilty to federal charges of falsifying records and obstruction of justice, agreeing to a $3.4 million fine for concealing the illegal dumping of oily waste off the coast of New Jersey.
Avin International and Kriti Ruby Special Maritime Enterprises pleaded guilty in Newark federal court on Monday to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
Between May and September 2022, the Motor Tanker Kriti Ruby vessel was owned by Avin International and operated by Kriti Ruby Special Maritime Enterprises. The oil tanker transported petroleum products between the United States, Europe, and Africa. During this time, the ship stopped at a port in Jacksonville, Florida, and at a petroleum terminal in the Sewaren section of Woodbridge.
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Editor’s Note: New England is taking itself out of the offshore wind energy game with avowed enemy about to take power. See stories below
Connecticut Takes a Pass on Offshore Wind in Latest Auction
By Adnan Memija | Offshorewindbiz
In its latest renewable energy procurement round, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) selected projects totalling 518 MW of new solar generation and 200 MW of new electric storage capacity.
However, DEEP closed its solicitation for offshore wind resources without selecting any bids.
Its neighbouring states, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, contracted 2,878 MW of capacity across three different projects in a multi-state coordinated offshore wind solicitation in September.
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“While DEEP did not select an offshore wind project in the multi-state RFP, we applaud the offshore wind selections made by Massachusetts and Rhode Island earlier this year. Connecticut remains committed to offshore wind, a critical source of energy supply that is helping to reduce emissions, improve grid reliability, bolster our energy supply, and support economic development in our state and region,” said DEEP.
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A south Bethlehem industrial building that had an uncertain future has been sold to a German pharmaceutical technology company.
GfM Bremen, which specializes in the micronization process for the pharmaceutical industry, bought the former IQE Building at 119 Technology Drive for $5.52 million, commercial real estate company NAI Summit said Monday. The building will be the company’s U.S. headquarters and operations center.
The building features 32 clean rooms, warehouse space, office area, a machine shop and generator backups — amenities highly sought after by life sciences companies. IQE, a semiconductor manufacturing company, moved its Bethlehem operations to Greensboro, North Carolina, in 2023 as part of its global consolidation strategy.
“It’s a very, very strategic space with clean rooms and space that’s already permitted for advanced manufacturing, either hardware technology or life sciences,” said Don Cunningham, president and CEO of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp.
Cunningham said LVEDC worked with GfM to bring the company to the Valley. The company, which is headquartered in Bremen, Germany, was founded in 1985 and is a second-generation family business.
The company specializes in grinding down particles used in pharmaceuticals, as well as foods and cosmetics.
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Bills supporting New Jersey farmers and the agricultural industry passed with overwhelming support in the Assembly on Thursday.
The Assembly approved measures establishing a new loan program for the next generation of farmers, protecting farmers from costly nuisance lawsuits, and recognizing the 40th anniversary of the Jersey Fresh program. All three are sponsored by Assemblyman Alex Sauickie. Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia joins him as a sponsor of the beginning farmer loan program.
“New Jersey is the Garden State for good reason and farmers need our support to ensure the future success of the industry,” Sauickie (R-Ocean) said. “These bills recognize the costs of starting a commercial farm, the costs of operating a farm, and the strongly effective campaign that helped make New Jersey produce famous.”
Under A4229, the state’s Economic Development Authority is required to work with the Department of Agriculture to develop a beginning farmer loan program to help state residents new to farming purchase agricultural land and machinery, or make improvements to existing farm operations.
“New Jersey’s Farmland Preservation Program has helped protect more than 2,800 farms, but we cannot rely on that program alone to maintain the industry. We need to encourage a new generation of farmers,” Fantasia (R-Sussex) said. “For new farmers in New Jersey, a big barrier to expansion is higher costs. This loan addresses that barrier.”
The second bill responds to housing mandates in established farming communities, which have the potential to increase meritless nuisance lawsuits, says Sauickie.
His bill (A4603) allows commercial farmers to recover reasonable costs and attorney fees associated with bad faith lawsuits by enhancing New Jersey’s 1983 Right to Farm Act. The act affirms accepted commercial farming practices and operations do not constitute a public or private nuisance.
“As New Jersey mandates more and more residential development in traditionally rural areas, complaints over noise or other aspects of farming operations will continue to rise. The financial costs of defending against these claims can be very hard on farmers,” Sauickie said.
Lastly, the Assembly celebrated the success of the Jersey Fresh program by passing a resolution (ACR138) marking its 40th anniversary this year.
“The Jersey Fresh program helped rightly distinguish locally-grown produce from other, and in my opinion inferior, produce for sale. It helped shine a light on the quality and availability of our fruits and vegetables, and our family-owned farms. It’s been a resounding success,” Sauickie said.
In 1984, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture established the Jersey Fresh program, the first in the nation state-sponsored agricultural marketing program. The Jersey Fresh label is placed on locally harvested produce to help consumers identify farm-fresh food.
All bills are waiting to be considered in the Senate.
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New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington DC residents are being urged to avoid consuming certain oysters after a recall linked to a norovirus outbreak, federal officials announced.
The oysters, distributed by S&M Shellfish Co. of San Francisco, were shipped to retailers and restaurants across several states, including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and 12 others.
Norovirus Symptoms and Risks
Norovirus can cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. Symptoms typically appear 12 to 48 hours after exposure and last one to three days. Young children, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of dehydration caused by the illness.
The FDA warns that norovirus-contaminated food may appear normal in taste, smell, and appearance, increasing the risk of accidental consumption.
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