Some of the top environmental and political news stories appearing in EnviroPolitics from Dec. 10 -14. Captured from newspapers and other information sources in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and beyond.
New Jersey Environment
– Editorial: Greenhouse bills fly under the political radar Global warming legislation moving in Legislature may prove more important than issues currently attracting headlines Trenton Times
– No proof for crab ban, fishermen say in DEP lawsuit A group of Delaware Bay fishermen are suing the state, trying to overturn a ban on horse-hoe crab harvesting. They say the crab supply is plentiful and there is no proof that their limited harvest is causing a decline in the population of red knots AC Press
– Oil officials say LNG plans will aid NJ economy, air Top executives from BP and ExxonMobil say proposed liquefied natural gas terminals will boost the state economy and meet increasing demand for the clean-burning fuel Bergen Record
> Editorial: Say “no thanks” to ExxonMobil State and federal legislators should let the energy company know in no uncertain terms that our offshore is off limits AP Press
– Natural gas terminal is proposed off Jersey coast Exxon Mobil said yesterday it wants to build a $1 billion liquefied natural gas terminal about 20 miles off the state coast, a project that it says will deliver new fuel to a region where rising demand and scarce supplies have led to spikes in heating and electric bills Star-Ledger NY Times Wall Street Journal
– Lyndhurst voids EnCap pact Township Council votes to terminate its agreement with the developers of the EnCap housing and golf project, saying the developers didn’t made good on a recreation promises Bergen Record AP
New Jersey Politics
– NJ Assembly OKs measure to end executions After more than two hours of emotional debate about justice and retribution, the Assembly yesterday gave final approval to a bill to abolish New Jersey’s death penalty, sending the measure to the desk of a governor who is eager to sign it into law Star-Ledger Cartoon
– ‘Prurient’ accusations leak in James case Ex-Newark mayor Sharpe James billed the city for pornographic movies and lotions while staying at a Miami hotel, prosecutors say Star-Ledger
– Jersey units prepare for active duty Nearly 150 National Guard soldiers based in North Jersey — scheduled be part of the state’s largest deployment since World War II — underwent processing and exams on Wednesday at Fort Dix in advance of their scheduled mobilization to Iraq in September Bergen Record
– Key Democrat seeks probe of Katz in-law The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee calls for the attorney general to investigate whether the brother-in-law of Gov. Jon Corzine’s ex-girlfriend broke the law while working for the state Star-Ledger
> Paybacks are a bitch Wally Edge blog
– The seaport challenge The Port of NY and NJ last year handled 2.99 million cargo containers. That number is expected to rise to 4.87 million annually over the next decade with most of those containers still being hauled from the waterfront on trucks. “The idea that we’ll be able to take all of it out of the port by truck is crazy,” says former state transportation commissioner Jack Lettiere, now a consultant. “We will drown in trucks” Star-Ledger Pennsylvania Environment– Merck settles with DEP for $20M The PA Department of Environmental Protection has agreed to the terms of a more than $20 million settlement with drug-maker Merck & Co. that will support restoration work in the Wissahickon Creek watershed, upgrade the company’s West Point facility, responsible for an illegal June 2006 chemical release into a Montgomery County sewer system, and fund other water improvement projects in the region Lansdale Reporter Inquirer
– Environmental committee delivers six bills to full house State Rep. Camille “Bud” George, majority chairman of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, said the panel has released bipartisan measures aiming at reducing energy dependence and costs Gant Daily
– Deals to preserve 7,000 acres of land around York region Two separate deals worth millions of dollars will preserve about 7,000 acres of land, including thousands of acres along the Susquehanna River in this region York Dispatch Lancaster New Era
– Official: Cancer not linked to pollution While Towanda’s zip code has a cancer occurrence rate that is higher than the state rate, scientific research does not support the idea that it’s due to pollution in the environment, a state public health official says Daily Review
– Muhlenberg cancer victim’s mother files suit Debbie Mason wants to know why her 24-year-old daughter died of cancer, as she files suit against three companies, alleging pollution had a role Reading Eagle
– Environmental group, state clash over the use of fly ash A 700-page report alleging ground and surface water contamination at abandoned mine sites across PA reclaimed with fly ash has an environmental group facing off against state officials Tribune-Democrat
– Cost for proposed tire plant goes up The cost of the 90-megawatt tires-to-energy plant proposed in east Erie has gone up again, and so has its potential appetite for scrap tires goerie.com
Pennsylvania Politics
– Philly D.A. mum about seeking A.G. job District Attorney Lynne Abraham yesterday declined to dispel buzz in political circles that she’ll resign her post early next year to run for state attorney general Daily News
– Court approves probe of casino owner Dauphin County’s DA gets the green light to resume his grand-jury investigation into circumstances surrounding the slot-license awarded to Lackawanna businessman Louis DeNaples Patriot-News
– Republicans warm a bit to leasing turnpike As questions continue about whether the state can impose tolls on Interstate 80 to help raise the money, some Republicans are rethinking the concept of a turnpike lease Tribune-Review
New York/Nation/World
– State Senate heads home leaving much undone LoHud.com
– LIPA OKs 2 percent rate hike spirited debate Newsday
– Senate energy bill is first scrimmage in carbon war CSM
– Gore joins chorus chiding U.S. at climate talks NY Times
– Climate talks in Bali head for compromise Reuters
– Catskills development deal doesn’t end a battle NY Times
– Gov. Spitzer ripped for state plane use Daily News
– Report: LIPA fuel cell plagued by problems Newsday
– Power corridor in PA, NJ, NY to be re-examined AP
– Spitzer says he welcomes ethics testimony Buffalo News
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