Ag and Enviro bills in committee today in Trenton

ASSEMBLY AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

9/19/16  2:00 PM
Committee Room 15, 4th Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
A-773  Andrzejczak, B. (D-1); Land, R.B. (D-1)
Clarifies that use of propane-powered noise making
device is allowed as non-lethal method of wildlife control on farmland.
A-784  Andrzejczak, B. (D-1); Land, R.B. (D-1)
Establishes multi-species depredation permit.
A-2178  Taliaferro, A.J. (D-3); Space, P. (R-24)
Removes statutory limitation on number of permits that
may be issued by Division of Fish and Wildlife for the taking of beaver.
 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ASSEMBLY ENVIRONMENT AND SOLID WASTE

9/19/16  2:00 PM
Committee Room 9, 3rd Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
A-1628  Rodriguez-Gregg, M. (R-8); Holley, J.C.
(D-20)
Codifies DEP’s New Jersey Recycling Awards Program to
annually recognize outstanding recycling achievements.
A-1751  Greenwald, L.D. (D-6); Vainieri Huttle, V.
(D-37); Webber, J. (R-26)
Requires DEP to submit annual financial report on
status of certain fund balances.
A-2448  Eustace, T. (D-38); Pinkin, N.J. (D-18);
Gusciora, R. (D-15)
Establishes “Milkweed for Monarchs” program.
Related Bill: S-1986
A-2449  Eustace, T. (D-38); Gusciora, R. (D-15)
Establishes “Adopt a Monarch Butterfly
Waystation” program.
Related Bill: S-1732
A-3295  McKeon, J.F. (D-27); Benson, D.R. (D-14);
Kennedy, J.J. (D-22)
Concerns low emission and zero emission vehicles;
establishes Clean Vehicle Task Force.
Related Bill: S-985
S-1986  Cruz-Perez, N. (D-5); Cunningham, S.B. (D-31)
Establishes “Milkweed for Monarchs” program.
Related Bill: A-2448

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Will sediment tests turn this river into a Superfund site?


A
federal contractor has finished collecting about 370 samples of sediment from
the Hackensack River to determine the extent of pollution in the riverbed and
whether it should become a Superfund site.

James M. O’Neill reports for The Record:

The contractor, using a 40-foot barge, gathered core samples from Newark Bay up past the Overpeck Creek for 10 weeks this summer. The data from the samples are just starting to trickle in to federally certified labs, and it’s too early to determine what the information will lead to.


“The data is still raw, so we can’t draw any conclusions yet,” said Michael Sivak, acting head of the Environmental Protection Agency’s special projects branch for the region.

Bill Sheehan, the Hackensack Riverkeeper and the one who first petitioned the EPA to consider the Hackensack for Superfund status, said EPA officials have told him that Judith Enck, the EPA administrator for the region, wants to have a decision made one way or another about the Hackensack by year’s end, since no matter who wins the presidency, there will be a new administration in the White House in January.

“We’re certainly moving forward as quickly as we can, and we know that this project is a priority for many people, including Bill Sheehan and Administrator Enck,” Sivak said.

“However, we don’t anticipate all the data right away,” he said. “We need to validate the data, which can take several weeks, and we expect the information to be coming in through the fall and early winter. We don’t have a timetable for a decision, but we are working to do it as soon as possible.”

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Enviro, energy bills up for votes today in NJ Legislature


Here are today’s agendas for environment and energy legislation in the
New Jersey Assembly and Senate:

ASSEMBLY VOTING SESSION


A-210  DeAngelo, W.P. (D-14); Gusciora, R. (D-15); Benson, D.R. (D-14)
Concerns installation and maintenance of solar panels in common interest communities.

A-223  DeAngelo, W.P. (D-14); Benson, D.R. (D-14); Quijano, A. (D-20)
Requires NJ Clean Energy Program’s Residential New Construction incentives be made available Statewide.

A-231  Danielsen, J. (D-17); Pinkin, N.J. (D-18)
Establishes position of State Oceanographer.
Related Bill: S-987

A-793  Andrzejczak, B. (D-1); Land, R.B. (D-1)
Requires Dept. of Agriculture and DEP to work with US Army Corps of Engineers to establish joint permit application process for aquaculture projects.
Related Bill: S-316

A-794  Andrzejczak, B. (D-1); Land, R.B. (D-1)
Requires Dept. of Agriculture and DEP to adopt joint permit application and review program for aquaculture projects.
Related Bill: S-317

A-1641  Schaer, G.S. (D-36); Jimenez, A.M. (D-32); Wimberly, B.E. (D-35)
Requires electric public utilities to provide priority power restoration to certain medical facilities, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes.
Related Bill: S-876

A-2057  Gusciora, R. (D-15); DeAngelo, W.P. (D-14); Lagana, J.A. (D-38)
Permits new cigar lounges to be opened under certain circumstances.

A-2082  Mukherji, R. (D-33); Pintor Marin, E. (D-29); Webber, J. (R-26)
Requires OAL to maintain Internet database summarizing all State rule-making actions.
Related Bill: S-2023

A-2220  Benson, D.R. (D-14); Webber, J. (R-26)
Authorizes local units of government subject to “Local Public Contracts Law.” and “Public School Contracts Law” to use electronic procurement technologies.
Related Bill: S-1729

S-987  Smith, B. (D-17)
Establishes position of State Oceanographer.
Related Bill: A-231

SENATE VOTING SESSION

S-1969  Turner, S.K. (D-15)
Requires NJ Clean Energy Program’s Residential New Construction incentives be made available Statewide.
Related Bill: A-223

SR-53  Bateman, C. (R-16)
Urges State and local governmental entities to utilize programs that collect and reuse often un-recycled and difficult-to-recycle waste.

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New York State urged to ban use of fracking wastewater


A group of New York State lawmakers is teaming up with environmental groups to ask Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration to ban the use of wastewater from hydrofracking and other oil and gas extraction from being spread on public roadways.
Karen DeWitt reports for WBFO:

The state Department of Environmental Conservation just closed a public comment period to revise regulations covering solid waste management facilities. Environmental groups and several state lawmakers said those new rules also should address whether wastewater from the production of natural gas and from oil drilling can be used in the state to de-ice roads in the winter and control dust in the summer.

They say the waste can still be dumped in landfills or in municipal wastewater treatment plants.
Mike Dulong, from the group Hudson Riverkeeper, said there should be a complete ban. He also said a loophole that does not characterize the wastewater as a hazardous substance should be closed.
“We don’t want to be the dumping ground for the oil and gas industry,” Dulong said.
According to a report by Environmental Advocates of New York, over a half-million tons of solid fracking waste and 23,000 barrels of liquid waste were dumped in New York landfills between 2010 and 2015. The fracking waste, or “brine,” also was found to be used in some places to de-ice roads.
The environmental groups say fracking waste has been found to contain “highly toxic and carcinogenic chemicals” such as benzene, formaldehyde and ethylene glycol. They say it also is radioactive, containing radium-226 and radium-228, which are linked to several types of cancer.
But at a joint legislative hearing on water contamination held in Albany on September 7, Cuomo’s environmental commissioner, Basil Seggos denied that the state allows the use of any fracking wastewater from gas drilling for roads or any other purpose in New York. Seggos, testifying under oath, was answering a question from Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh.
“No fracking waste is being dumped in New York state,” said Seggos. “Those who perpetrated that are just flat wrong.”
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Worse times appear to be coming for Atlantic City

Atlantic City has failed to dissolve the Municipal Utility Authority as collateral for the $73 million bridge loan from the state.

The city is asking for leniency. If they don’t get it, the city council president says: We’ll get what we deserve because of those councilpersons who failed to take it seriously.


Michael Hill of NJTV NEWS reports.

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Pedaling for Pleasure and Purpose – Saving the Jersey Pines













         Tour de Pines Bicycle Tour

The Pinelands Preservation Alliance holds a 5 day bike tour of the Pinelands every October. Ride one day, two days or all five!The 2016 Tour de Pines, sponsored by Pinelands Preservation Alliance, celebrates Pinelands Month in October with five consecutive single day bicycle tours of the New Jersey Pinelands. 


This year the Tour will run from September 28 to October 2nd. Proceeds benefit the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, a nonprofit organization working to protect the resources on New Jersey Pinelands since 1989. There is no other bike ride like this in New Jersey!


Each day’s ride will range from approximately 45-53 miles per day and begin and end at the same location. Cue sheets are provided to all registered riders allowing you to go at your own speed. Participants provide their own transportation, food and lodging as this is an unsupported ride. But just because it is unsupported doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of great benefits!

Other important things to know:

  • Shorter Loops between 22-27 miles are available for Sept. 28th, Oct. 1st, and Oct. 2nd.
  • GPX files of all rides will be available for download after you register.
  • NEW RIDE starting from Hammonton Lake Park and updates to old favorites!


Participants may elect to ride one, two or all days of the Tour. All rides start at 9:00 a.m.



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