Suspended bee researcher receives ‘courage’ award

A federal entomologist from South Dakota has received an award for civic courage stemming from his complaints about attempts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to block his research.
Jonathan Lundgren
Jonathan Lundgren, a research entomologist at the USDA’s North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory in Brookings, received the Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage, Dana Ferguson reported in the Argus Leader.
The award is given to a few recipients each year who “with integrity and at some personal risk, take a public stance to advance truth and justice and who challenge prevailing conditions in pursuit of the common good.”
Lundgren, 40, said the award could bring additional dialogue about academic and scientific freedom. Lundgren’s receipt of the award comes a month after he filed a whistleblower retaliation complaint with the federal Merit Systems Protection Board against the USDA.
Lundgren published research earlier this year that showed the adverse effects of certain insecticides on monarch butterflies and bees. He said Monday that the USDA attempted to hamper his efforts to publish the research and barred him from speaking with the media about his work. The department also suspended Lundgren for 14 days in August for publishing the report the department deemed “sensitive” and for having errors in travel authorization forms related to his presentation of the report, he said.
In his complaint to the board, filed by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) on his behalf, Lundgren says he was suspended after lodging a complaint with the Scientific Integrity Officers for the USDA’s Agriculture Research Service. PEER is a national alliance of local state and federal resource professionals.
“There was official effort to stop me from talking about science that was creating inconvenient results,” Lundgren said. “I was sort of forced into filing complaints and standing up for what I thought was right.”
Lundgren said he was surprised by the news that he’d received the award. 
“I was completely blindsided,” Lundgren said. “I’m just an entomologist in South Dakota for goodness’ sakes.”

   
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Active day for enviro, energy bills today (12/10) in Trenton
Will rising seas drown the Statue of Liberty?
Career tips from a governor who learned the hard way

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Surprise! Congress extends renewable energy tax credit


The U.S. solar and wind
power industries will mark the holidays with heightened spirits after receiving
multi-year extensions of their coveted renewable energy tax credits from a
divided Congress, Daniel Cusick reports for ClimateWire.
. 
On Friday, the House and
Senate agreed by significant margins to grant extensions to the 30 percent
investment tax credit (ITC) for solar energy and the 2.3-cent-per-kilowatt-hour
production tax credit (PTC) for wind power. 

Other technologies—including geothermal, marine energy and small
hydropower—received one-year extensions to their 30 percent ITC under the joint
spending and tax measures passed Friday and expected to be signed by President
Obama this week.

[Editor’s Note: President Obama signed the bill on Dec. 18]

The largest beneficiaries of Congress’ year-end gifting were the solar and wind
sectors, both of which will see their tax credits extended to at least the end
of the decade.

“This is one of the
most significant stimulus policies for the renewable sector I’ve seen in the
past 10 years,” said Alex Klein, senior director of renewable power
research at the consulting firm IHS Inc. 

The PTC for wind energy will remain at full strength through 2016, followed by
incremental reductions in value for 2017, 2018 and 2019 before expiring in
January 2020. The ITC for solar will continue at 30 percent levels for both
commercial and residential systems through 2018, then taper off in yearly
increments to settle at 10 percent in 2022. 

“With predictable policies now in place, we will continue advancing wind
turbine technology, driving down our costs and passing the savings on to
American families and businesses in all corners of the country,” Tom
Kiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, said in a statement.

On a Friday morning
conference call with reporters before the Senate vote on the tax extenders
package, Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries
Association, said the industry group was “pretty excited about what’s
happening here, but we’re not across the finish line yet.”

The finish line came just a few hours later, as the Senate voted 65-33 in favor
of a $1.15 trillion omnibus spending bill and companion $629 billion tax bill
that should keep the government running through September (Greenwire, Dec. 18).

The House of Representatives agreed to the package in an earlier vote of
316-113.

Building a bridge for the Clean Power Plan
In addition to the spending
and tax provisions, Congress also formally lifted a ban on U.S. crude oil
exports, something Republicans and oil-state Democrats had sought.

Experts said the
renewable energy provisions will result in billions of additional dollars in
tax breaks for wind and solar power developers, something many Republicans were
remiss to hand out. At the same time, the extenders should stimulate hundreds
of billions of dollars in new renewable energy investment and help drive the
nation’s transition away from traditional fossil fuels in favor of cleaner
forms of energy, observers said.

Malcolm Woolf, senior vice president for policy and government affairs at
Advanced Energy Economy, a national business group, said, “Investors and
project developers now have the market signal they need for investment,
business growth and jobs in the coming years.”

Several experts noted that one of the benefits of the ITC and PTC extenders is
that they provide a bridge for renewable energy expansion between now and the
first set of state compliance deadlines for U.S. EPA’s Clean Power Plan in
2022. The CPP will require a 32 percent cut in utility-sector carbon emissions
from 2005 levels by 2030, with some states seeing reduction requirements as
high as 45 to 47 percent.

While states will be able to use a variety of approaches to reduce carbon
emissions, experts predict that utilities not already investing in wind and
solar power will begin shifting significant amounts of capital to the
technologies, especially as installation costs continue to fall and issues
around intermittency and grid interconnections are resolved.

“There will be a lot of build in markets where there’s a need for CPP
compliance,” Klein said. “We expect a lot of incremental wind build
in Texas and a lot of growth in solar in the Southeast and the Midwest.”

SEIA’s Resch said, “A big part of what we need to do going forward is help
states understand … the value proposition behind solar energy.”

Julia Hamm, president and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association, said in
a statement that the five-year ITC extension “will allow for broader participation
and deployment of solar applications across the country, especially in regions
where local markets are less mature.”

Praise for a ‘level of predictability’
Market projections from
SEIA and partner GTM Research indicate the U.S. solar market will add roughly
72 gigawatts of new capacity between 2016 and 2020, pushing the country’s net
solar capacity to more than 100 GW, or roughly 3.5 percent of all electricity
produced in the United States.

Solar sector investment is expected to rise by $40 billion between 2016 and
2020, according to SEIA, and after 2020 should draw an average of $30 billion a
year. Solar employment is also poised to nearly double over the same period, to
roughly 420,000 jobs.

Wind industry officials did offer specific numbers on the PTC extension but
made clear the multi-year deal provides companies “with a level of
predictability needed to keep U.S. factories open while adding new wind
projects to the pipeline.”

Mike Garland, AWEA’s board chairman and CEO of Pattern Energy Group Inc., one
of the nation’s major wind energy developers, said the five-year PTC extension
“will allow us to make more supply commitments and build more projects,
creating more jobs.”

AWEA credits the PTC for spurring a more than 300 percent increase in U.S. wind
power since 2008—from 16.7 GW to 69.5 GW by the third quarter of 2015.

Related stories:
In surprise move,
Congress extends renewable energy tax credit
Congress horse trading: Lifting oil
ban for extending wind and solar credits 


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NJ court strikes down beach access rules, so what now?

As concerns go, it may be farthest from most minds today on Christmas Eve,
but a court ruling this week could have a significant impact on public access
to New Jersey beaches for upcoming summers.



Brent Johnson and Samantha Marcus report in the Star-Ledger that:


A state appellate court Tuesday threw out rules put in place by Gov. Chris Christie‘s administration that opponents argued limited public access to New Jersey’s beaches and waterways.
In the latest chapter of a fight that has stretched on for decades, a three-judge panel ruled that the state Department of Environmental Protection overstepped its authority by issuing the 2012 guidelines, which govern how people are allowed to access the state’s waterfronts. 
The decision favors a pair of nonprofit environmental groups that claimed the rules allowed companies and private property owners to take over swaths of New Jersey’s shorelines and deny access to the public.
Andrea Leshak, a staff attorney for Hackensack Riverkeeper, which filed the suit alongside  with the NY/NJ Baykeeper, said the decision is a victory for beachgoers.
“It will be good for the typical beachgoer in that their public access is not limited by DEP rules,” she said.
The court battle began in 2007, when the DEP under then-Gov. Jon Corzine adopted rules expanding the DEP’s authority allowing more public access to New Jersey’s beaches and waterways.
Those rules were praised by some for creating new access points. However, others, including those in the business community and some shore towns, who have been accused of trying to limit public beach access with limited parking and restrooms were critical.The rules required towns to build parking lots and bathrooms every half mile along New Jersey’s 127-mile coastline. They also required industrial companies that operated on waterfront property and couldn’t provide access to give money to create parks or walkways in other areas.
Avalon, in Cape May County, sued, and a state appellate court agreed the DEP went too far with the bathroom and parking requirements, ruling that the regulations were “not statutorily authorized and therefore invalid.”
In 2012, the DEP under Christie — who defeated Corzine three years earlier — adopted new rules, effectively leaving it up to individual towns to create their own access plans. Hackensack Riverkeeper and NY/NJ Baykeeper filed suit.
The DEP argued in the case that it “has been implicitly recognized as the proper governmental authority to manage lands held in public trust.” 
But on Tuesday, the appellate panel said the DEP didn’t have authorization from the state Legislature to implement the rules.

“DEP was not authorized to promulgate the rules under the public trust doctrine,” Judge Carmen Messano wrote for the panel. “The rules far exceed the Legislature’s limited delegation of authority to DEP under (Coastal Area Facility Review Act) to regulate land uses in the coastal zone.”    

Read the full story here

Not all environmental groups agreed with the ruling.  Wayne Parry of the Associated Press reports: 

Ralph Coscia of Citizens Right To Access Beaches (C.R.A.B.) said no one appears to be in charge of protecting public beach access now.


“The court said DEP doesn’t have the authority to make these rules,” Coscia said. “The next question is if they don’t, who does.”


Tim Dillingham of the American Littoral Society, an environmental group that sided with the department, voiced similar concerns.


“Who will now act as the trustee to protect these interests if not the state Department of Environmental Protection?” he asked. “The decision would appear to create a void, and in the absence of any state leadership, could promote a return to town-by-town and development-project-by-development-project litigation over the public’s ability — or inability — to access the waterfront.”


Groups on both sides of the issue called on the Legislature to clearly define who represents the public’s right to access beaches and waterways. 


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Active day for enviro, energy bills today (12/10) in Trenton


Lots of committee action on energy and environment bills in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature tomorrow (12/10) in Trenton. 


Here’s the lineup:


SENATE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY  (COMMITTEE CANCELLED)
10:00 AM
Committee Room 4, 1st Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
Please note room change.
For consideration:
A-2687  DeAngelo, W.P. (D-14); Pinkin, N.J. (D-18)
Provides for replacement of incandescent light bulbs in
public school buildings with energy-efficient light bulbs.
     
For discussion:
SCR-175  Lesniak, R.J. (D-20); Bateman, C. (R-16)
Determines that Fish and Game Council’s proposal to
allow use of enclosed foothold traps is inconsistent with plain language and
legislative intent of 1984 law banning animal traps of steel-jaw leghold type.
Related Bill: ACR-250
    

SENATE COMMUNITY AND URBAN AFFAIRS
11:00 AM
Committee Room 1, 1st Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, New Jersey
For consideration:
A-3257  Cryan, J. (D-20); Andrzejczak, B. (D-1);
Mazzeo, V. (D-2); Burzichelli, J.J. (D-3) 
Expands type of use qualifying as low intensity
recreational use on lands in Pinelands agricultural production areas.  Related Bill: S-2125
     
S-2125  Van Drew, J. (D-1); Lesniak, R.J. (D-20)
Expands type of use qualifying as low intensity
recreational use on lands in Pinelands agricultural production areas.  Related Bill: A-3257

    
ASSEMBLY COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
1:00 PM
Committee Room 16, Fourth Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, New Jersey
For consideration:
A-2719  Gusciora, R. (D-15)
Provides for industrial hemp farming.
     
A-2919  Gusciora, R. (D-15)
Establishes an industrial hemp license.
    
SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS
1:00 PM
Committee Room 4, 1st Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
For consideration:
S-2858  Weinberg, L. (D-37); Gordon, R.M. (D-38)
Requires owner or operator of certain trains to have
discharge response, cleanup, and contingency plans to transport certain
hazardous materials by rail.
Related Bill: A-4283
    
SENATE COMMERCE
1:00 PM
Committee Room 6, First Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
Committee Room changed from 10 to 6.
For consideration:
A-2023  Greenwald, L.D. (D-6); Benson, D.R. (D-14)
Revises definition of “responsible charge” as
it pertains to licensed professional engineers 
and licensed architects.
     

ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS
2:00 PM
Committee Room 11, 4th Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
For consideration:
A-1583  Spencer, L.G. (D-29); Wimberly, B.E. (D-35);
Lagana, J.A. (D-38)
Authorizes creation of stormwater utilities for certain
local government entities.
Related Bill: S-579
      
A-4703  Spencer, L.G. (D-29); Tucker, C.G. (D-28);
Pintor Marin, E. (D-29)
Increases value of Economic Redevelopment and Growth
Grant program tax credits to $650 million; restricts $50 million of tax credits
to certain qualified residential projects.
Related Bill: S-3172
     
A-4763 
Revises “Electronic Waste Management Act.”
Related Bill: S-2973
     
S-579  Smith, B. (D-17); Bateman, C. (R-16)
Authorizes creation of stormwater utilities for certain
local government entities.
Related Bill: A-1583
     
SENATE ECONOMIC GROWTH
10:30 AM
Committee Room 1, 1st Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
For consideration:
A-2586  DeAngelo, W.P. (D-14); Quijano, A. (D-20);
Benson, D.R. (D-14)
Establishes “Energy Infrastructure Study
Commission.”
Related Bill: S-1796
    
A-4079  Eustace, T. (D-38); Andrzejczak, B. (D-1);
Taliaferro, A.J. (D-3) 
Directs Department of Agriculture to publish on its
website “New Jersey Gleaning Week” and “Farmers Against Hunger
Day” page.
Related Bill: S-2819
     
AJR-93  Eustace, T. (D-38); Andrzejczak, B. (D-1);
Taliaferro, A.J. (D-3) 
Designates third week of September as “New Jersey
Gleaning Week.”
Related Bill: SJR-73
     
AJR-94  Eustace, T. (D-38); Andrzejczak, B. (D-1);
Taliaferro, A.J. (D-3) 
Designates Wednesday of third week of September as
“Farmers Against Hunger Day.”
Related Bill: SJR-74
     
S-1796  Greenstein, L.R. (D-14)
Establishes “Energy Infrastructure Study
Commission.”
Related Bill: A-2586
     
S-2819  Van Drew, J. (D-1); Beach, J. (D-6)
Directs Department of Agriculture to publish on its
website “New Jersey Gleaning Week” and “Farmers Against Hunger
Day” page.
Related Bill: A-4079
     
SJR-73  Van Drew, J. (D-1); Beach, J. (D-6)
Designates third week of September as “New Jersey
Gleaning Week.”
Related Bill: AJR-93
   
SJR-74  Van Drew, J. (D-1); Beach, J. (D-6)
Designates Wednesday of third week of September as
“Farmers Against Hunger Day.”
Related Bill: AJR-94
     
SENATE MILITARY AND VETERANS’ AFFAIRS
1:00 PM
Committee Room 1, 1st Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, New Jersey
For consideration:
S-3266  Beach, J. (D-6); Allen, D.B. (R-7)
Facilitates coordination of land use planning between
civilian and military interests to preserve viability of federal military
installations within State.
Related Bill: A-4727




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Will rising seas drown the Statue of
Liberty?
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who learned the hard way
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Active day for enviro, energy bills today (12/10) in Trenton Read More »

Will rising seas drown the Statue of Liberty?

Rising sea levels due to climate change threaten the Statue of Liberty and it would cost $1.5 billion to replace the landmark, according to the U.S. Interior Department.

Jonathan D. Salant reports for NJ.com:

Reports by the agency’s inspector general and the National Park Service said that $40 billion in national parks, historic sites, and monuments are endangered as water levels rise along with increased temperatures.
Among the sites named are the Statue of Liberty and Gateway National Recreation Area, which includes the Fort Hancock and Sandy Hook Proving Ground National Historic Landmark in New Jersey.

Will rising seas drown the Statue of Liberty? Read More »

Career tips from a governor who learned the hard way

Former NJ Gov. Jon Corzine
Former NJ Gov. Jon Corzine broke his silence after nearly four years away from a microphone on Thursday evening, Claude Brodesser-Akner reports today for NJ.com

Eschewing political analysis, he instead offered up career guidance to graduate students of business at Farleigh Dickinson University’s Madison campus.

He did so Thursday evening by speaking frankly about his personal successes and failures — Corzine was ousted from both his perches at Goldman Sachs and MF Global, and lost the 2009 election to Gov. Chris Christie.

The Democrat, who once delivered a budget address that wasn’t interrupted by applause even once, conceded he wasn’t an exciting public figure. He recalled that The Star-Ledger once described him as being “as interesting as watching a flickering log on TV at Christmas,” and when a woman asked him what advice he’d give his 20 year old self, he answered “Learn how to give a speech.”

Corzine had lots more hard-won advice to offer up to his young audience and offered eight principles culled from his one-night-only Corzine School of Business and Politics.
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