EnviroPolitics Blog

Enviro bills up for votes in NJ on Monday, Dec. 19, 2016

EnviroPolitics
NJ
Legislative Report

Legislative
information supplied by BillTrak

A-3539 Muoio, E.M. (D-15); Chiaravalloti, N. (D-31)

Requires public and nonpublic schools to test for and
remediate lead in drinking water, and disclose test results. Related
Bill: S-2082

Dec 19, 2016 – Posted:
Assembly

ACR-127 McKeon, J.F. (D-27); Benson, D.R. (D-14);
Eustace, T. (D-38)

Amends Constitution to dedicate all State moneys
received from settlements and awards in cases of environmental contamination
relating to natural resource damages for certain environmental purposes.

Related Bill: SCR-39

Dec 19, 2016 – Posted:
Assembly

ACR-192 McKeon, J.F. (D-27); Spencer, L.G. (D-29);
Muoio, E.M. (D-15)

Determines that DEP’s proposal to amend septic system
density standards in Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act Rules is
inconsistent with legislative intent.

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S-874 Greenstein, L.R. (D-14); Turner, S.K. (D-15)

Directs installation of electric vehicle charging
stations at service areas on State’s toll roads.

Related Bill: A-404

Dec 19, 2016 – Posted:
Senate

S-1602 Weinberg, L. (D-37); Cardinale, G. (R-39)

Modifies powers and allocation of Historic New Bridge
Landing Park Commission.

Related Bill: A-1406

Dec 19, 2016 – Posted:
Senate

S-2300 Stack, B.P. (D-33); Beck, J. (R-11)

Ensures fairness of project deadlines, enhances
transparency, and creates foreclosure protections for Superstorm Sandy victims.

Related Bill: A-333

Dec 19, 2016 – Posted:
Senate

S-2731 Greenstein, L.R. (D-14); Bateman, C. (R-16)

Authorizes New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure
Trust to expend additional sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure
projects for FY2017.

Related Bill: A-4326

Dec 19, 2016 – Posted:
Assembly

S-2732 Codey, R.J. (D-27); Gill, N.H. (D-34)

Amends list of environmental infrastructure projects
approved for long-term funding for FY 2017 to include new projects and revise
allowable loan amounts.

Related Bill: A-4327

Dec 19, 2016 – Posted:
Assembly

SCR-39 Smith, B. (D-17); Greenstein, L.R. (D-14)

Amends Constitution to dedicate all State moneys
received from settlements and awards in cases of environmental contamination
for certain environmental purposes.

Related Bill: ACR-127

Dec 19, 2016 – Posted:
Senate

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DEP doles out enviro settlement dollars along the Passaic

At an chilly outdoor news conference Wednesday alongside the Passaic River in Newark, NJDEP Commissioner Bob Martin and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno made quite a show of the $53 million that the state is returning to local communities along the polluted waterway. The money was won by the state in law suits brought against river polluters.

Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno announces grants for Passaic River improvements (Photo: Dale Mincey/NorthJersey.com)

Was it all staged as a look-what-we’ve-done-for-you-lately reminder to state Senators who will vote on bill on Monday that would require all of the proceeds of such settlements to go in the future to the affected communities?

Maybe so, Governor Christie and several of his predecessors have made a practice of skimming large percentages of pollution settlement money to balance the state’s always-challenged budget. Christie alone diverted $302 million of the $358 million collected from the three Passaic-related settlements

Still, none of the takers were grumbling at the news event.
After all, as DEP chief Martin said, “it is a big chunk of change” and the money will be used on a number of projects that will bring noticeable improvements to waterfronts along the river.

The Record‘s Scott Fallon provides the print details

NJTV NEWS’s Erin Delmore reports in the video below.

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NJ legislature digging into problem of buried, leaking pipes

Special joint legislative committee takes testimony on how bad the problem of old leaking pipes is, how much it will cost to fix and what New Jersey might expect in federal aid.

NJTV NEWS reporter Erin Delmore has the story above.

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NJ environmental bills in committee today – Dec. 15, 2016

Here’s the agenda of environmental bills to be
considered today in committee in Trenton:

SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS

12/15/16 10:00 AM

Committee Room 4, 1st Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ

Meeting time changed to 10:00 A.M.

For consideration:

A-1649 Schaer, G.S. (D-36); Spencer, L.G. (D-29);
Pintor Marin, E. (D-29)

Requires local governments and authorities to obtain
financing cost estimate from NJ Environmental Infrastructure Trust for certain
projects. Related Bill: S-853

S-853 Stack, B.P. (D-33)

Requires local governments and authorities to obtain
financing cost estimate from NJ
Environmental Infrastructure Trust for certain projects. Related Bill: A-1649

___________________________________________

ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS

12/15/16 1:00 PM

Committee Room 11, 4th Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ

For consideration:

A-963 Wolfe, D.W. (R-10); McGuckin, G.P. (R-10)

Requires DOT, NJTA, and SJTA to use only native
vegetation for landscaping, land management, reforestation, or habitat
restoration. Related Bill: S-227

A-2463 Eustace, T. (D-38); Vainieri Huttle, V.
(D-37); Caride, M. (D-36); Muoio, E.M. (D-15); Lagana, J.A. (D-38); Lampitt,
P.R. (D-6); Mukherji, R. (D-33)

Requires owner or operator of certain trains to have
discharge response, cleanup, and contingency plans to transport certain
hazardous materials by rail; requires NJ DOT to request bridge inspection
reports from US DOT. Related Bill: S-806

A-3539 Muoio, E.M. (D-15); Spencer, L.G. (D-29);
Chiaravalloti, N. (D-31); Gusciora, R. (D-15); Caputo, R.R. (D-28); Mukherji,
R. (D-33); Johnson, G.M. (D-37)

Requires public and nonpublic schools to test for and
remediate lead in drinking water, and disclose test results.

Related Bill: S-2082

S-227 Holzapfel, J.W. (R-10); Allen, D.B. (R-7)

Requires DOT, NJTA, and SJTA to use only native
vegetation for landscaping, land management, reforestation, or habitat
restoration. Related Bill: A-963

S-806 Weinberg, L. (D-37); Gordon, R.M. (D-38)

S-2731 Greenstein, L.R. (D-14); Bateman, C. (R-16)

Authorizes New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure
Trust to expend additional sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure
projects for FY2017. Related Bill: A-4326

S-2732 Codey, R.J. (D-27); Gill, N.H. (D-34)

Amends list of environmental infrastructure projects
approved for long-term funding for FY 2017 to include new projects and revise
allowable loan amounts. Related Bill: A-4327

_________________________________________

ASSEMBLY REGULATORY OVERSIGHT

12/15/16 2:00 PM

Committee Room 14, 4th Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ

The committee will receive testimony from invited speakers on the
State’s paid family temporary disability leave benefits program.

For consideration:

ACR-192 McKeon, J.F. (D-27); Spencer, L.G. (D-29);
Muoio, E.M. (D-15); Benson, D.R. (D-14)

Determines that DEP’s proposal to amend septic system
density standards in Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act Rules is
inconsistent with legislative intent.

[Legislative monitoring by BillTrak.com]

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Final federal wind-turbine rule not good news for eagles

Matthew Daily reports for the Associated Press:

The Obama administration on Wednesday finalized a rule that lets wind-energy companies operate high-speed turbines for up to 30 years – even if means killing or injuring thousands of federally protected bald and golden eagles.

Under the new rule, wind companies and other power providers will not face a penalty if they kill or injure up to 4,200 bald eagles, nearly four times the current limit. Deaths of the more rare golden eagles would be allowed without penalty so long as companies minimize losses by taking steps such as retrofitting power poles to reduce the risk of electrocution.

The new rule will conserve eagles while also spurring development of a pollution-free energy source intended to ease global warming, a cornerstone of President Barack Obama’s energy plan, said Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe.

“No animal says America like the bald eagle,” Ashe said in a statement, calling recovery of the bald eagle “one of our greatest national conservation achievements.” The new rule attempts to build on that success, Ashe said, adding that the Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to balance energy development with eagle conservation.

Wind power has increased significantly since Obama took office, and wind turbines as tall as 30-story buildings are rising across the country. The wind towers have spinning rotors as wide as a passenger jet’s wingspan, and blades reach speeds of up to 170 mph at the tips, creating tornado-like vortexes.

Read the full story here

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NJ Pinelands Commission to try again on pipeline proposal

Tom Johnson reports for NJ Spotlight:

The Pinelands Commission is not yet done judging the merits of two natural-gas pipelines proposed to run through parts of the 1-million-acre preserve it oversees.

In its monthly meeting this past Friday, the commission adopted resolutions setting up a process to determine whether a pipeline pushed by South Jersey Gas and another one proposed by New Jersey Natural Gas comply with the commission’s comprehensive management plan.

Its decisions likely will be viewed as pivotal in determining future development within the Pinelands, the largest remaining expanse of open space, woodlands, and vast water resources on the Eastern Seaboard between Boston and Washington, D.C.

The commission’s moves, taken after a previously unannounced closed executive session, followed a state appeals court decision siding with environmental groups that oppose the 22-mile pipeline South Jersey Gas wants to build to convert the former B.L. England coal unit to natural gas.

Essentially, it appears the commission will schedule a public-comment period, expected to end sometime in January after a yet to be announced public hearing on the proposal. But the commission failed to supply details about how and when, irking foes of the projects, who showed up at the Friday meeting.

“Even now, they can’t do this in any reasonable manner,’’ said Carelton Montgomery, executive director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, one of several groups that successfully challenged the South Jersey project approval. “This agency has lost track of how you do things correctly.’’

The pipeline project is probably the most contentious of more than a dozen pending or approved around the state as part of a natural-gas boom in the region that has led to big drops in heating costs for consumers with the exploitation of new supplies in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. The Christie administration has backed the projects —as have business interests — as part of a goal to expand energy infrastructure in New Jersey.

The South Jersey project would allow the B.L. England plant to convert from coal to natural gas, a step that would avert the shutdown of the facility.

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