Below are just a few of the environmental and political news stories for New Jersey and Pennsylvania which appeared in EnviroPolitics during the week of February 9-13.
New Jersey Politics
Poll shows Corzine struggling for voter approval Gov. Jon Corzine has an upside-down 34%-51% approval rating and gets a grade of D+ on providing property tax relief, according to a new Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll PolitickerNJ
> Will stimulus package help the governor? In the Lobby
Carla Katz’s in-law pitching book on Corzine Rocco Riccio, a self-described former “street thug,” is trying to publish a book about his one-time friendship with Gov. Corzine, promising to expose details of the governor’s breakup with former labor leader Carla Katz. Riccio, who is married to Katz’s sister Inquirer
‘Doughnut’ towns are just too irresistible A state lawmaker says one way to put property taxes on a diet would be to ditch the “doughnuts” Star-Ledger
New Jersey Environment
Editorial: Reefs and subway cars The Atlantic Ocean is doing what years of debate could not—washing away the delusion that some material dumped off our coast to create artificial reefs is anything but trash AC Press
McGuire Air Force Base gets $3.2M for biofuel project More than 350 “green” jobs could be created in South Jersey with a $3.2M project to produce alternative and renewable energy at McGuire Air Force Base, two South Jersey congressman say AP Press
Editorial: An imperfect but needed cleanup solution A huge backlog of contaminated sites and a relatively small number of DEP case managers to oversee cleanups argue for adoption of Senator Smith’s licensed site professional legislation AC Press
Jackson’s EPA bid has support of many Jersey enviros As Lisa Jackson steps closer to confirmation as chief of the federal Environmental Protection Agency this week, some New Jersey “green” groups are urging the U.S. Senate to separate her record from that of her mentor — Jon Corzine, who they increasingly dub environmentally unfriendly Star-Ledger
NJ Utility Plans Major Solar Project
Public Service Electric and Gas, New Jersey’s largest utility, will seek state approval for a five-year, one-of-a-kind plan to install solar panels on 200,000 utility poles in its service territory, plus schools, municipal buildings, low-income housing and closed garbage dumps New York Times
Corzine endorses Fisher as NJ Agriculture chief South Jersey Assemblyman Doug Fisher has been nominated as the state’s next agriculture secretary — a choice Gov. Jon Corzine endorsed today at NJ’s annual agriculture convention AP
Trump golf course called out of bounds Colt’s Neck’s Environmental Commission says the Planning Board should not allow the Trump Organization to construct a 19th hole in the middle of a conservation easement on its golf course AP Press
Pennsylvania Politics
Rendell says state escaped disaster The dust had not yet settled on the federal stimulus debate when Gov. Rendell said yesterday that Pennsylvania had escaped economic disaster Inquirer
Fumo: ‘I wish I never got elected’ Former Senate powerhouse on the stand for the fourth day at corruption trial Inquirer
> Fumo says he erred on staffer’s work site Inquirer
Salaries of top-paid legislative staffers questioned Facing a $2.3B billion deficit, PA is preparing to cut programs statewide, including possible layoffs, but highest-paid employees in the House of Representatives aren’t feeling the pinch Inquirer
Pennsylvania Environment
Gas drilling spurs major pipeline expansion An expansion of a major Texas-to-New England gas pipeline is being proposed to handle a drilling rush on the Marcellus Shale rock formation in Northeast Pennsylvania Times Tribune
966 homes proposed near Route 230 School Heights Village could become not only become Londonderry Township’s first traditional neighborhood development, but also its largest development , bringing 966 homes and a mix of retail Patriot News Opponents blast plan to reactivate rail line The prospect of a rail line serving a proposed landfill in Rush Twp drew a crowd to an open house Tuesday night, including opponents of both projects Centre Daily
DEP fines Del Monte for wastewater violation Company fined $3,500 for exceeding discharge permit limit last fall PA-DEP
State appeals ruling blocking mercury emissions rules The state DEP has appealed a Commonwealth Court ruling blocking the continued implementation of state regulations that would quickly reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
New funding for small business energy efficiency upgrades The state DEP is making $3 million available on a first-come, first-served basis Lock-Haven Express
Op-Ed: DEP proposal fails to protect our rivers, streams Patriot-News
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