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 Platform Update
Sept. 27, 2007
ACTION ITEMS
NEW PLATFORM AGENDA: The Platform Environment Initiative has a revised agenda thanks to input from Platform members. The revised action plan removes items where we had success (like the permit flexibility for research and development operations under NJ’s air pollution program) and adds items that continue to be important to the goal of striking a balance between protecting the environment and building a strong economy. Our finalized agenda is currently under final review and will be distributed to coalition in the next update.
BENCHMARK STUDY COMPLETED: Seeking to identify how our site remediation program stacks up with other states, the Platform coalition contracted with an environmental consulting expert to create a benchmark study of practices and procedures. After several months of data collection, interviews and analysis I’m pleased to report that the study is completed. Several Platform members provided valuable input on how their New Jersey facilities measure up against other states with similar facilities in the site remediation arena. We are currently putting the final touches on recommendations and are meeting with key stakeholders in order to shore up support for making changes to the program that will help clean up sites faster and more efficiently. Platform members will be provided an advance copy of the report before it is released to the public.
SITE REMEDIATION: Several P4P Coalition members have participated recently the Site Remediation Legislative Stakeholder process. These meetings were convened in an effort to work collaboratively with NJDEP and legislative staff on proposed changes to the state’s Site Remediation Program. At the last meeting, Jenny Liu of DuPont, Buddy Bealer of Shell, Tony Russo of the Chemistry Council, and Bruce S. Katcher of Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, used a PowerPoint presentation to compare New Jersey’s program to Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
At this month’s Site Remediation Industry Network (SRIN) meeting, P4P members met with Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein to discuss the 11 draft white papers issued by NJDEP that were a result of the Site Remediation Legislative Stakeholder process meetings. Comments on the white papers were submitted this week and include areas pertaining to caseload, remedy selection, engineering/institutional controls, etc.
Assemblywoman Greenstein also participated in a discussion regarding the Public Participation rule proposal. The State Chamber participated in testimony earlier this month at NJDEP regarding this proposal. While the business community supports meaningful public communication as a key component of the Site Remediation Program, there are concerns that the Department has created unnecessary and costly redundancies aimed at providing notice, rather than simply focusing on the goals, principles, and key components of a successful communication program.
Finally, the State Chamber, working in conjunction with both the Site Remediation Industry Network (SRIN) and the Technical Regulations Advisory Coalition (TRAC), submitted several regulatory comments to NJDEP in the last several weeks – ranging from the proposed soil remediation standards to the proposed rule on water quality management planning. Copies of these comments are available on request.
REINVIGORATING RECYCLING: DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson recently recognized the State Chamber and PSE&G as integral partners in the Reinvigorating Recycling initiative during ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of the landmark law that made New Jersey the first state to make recycling mandatory. Through the efforts of Al Fralinger of PSE&G, several Business-To-Business recycling seminars have been held throughout the state, including Cumberland, Somerset and Union counties.
The following upcoming recycling events have been scheduled:
Sussex County will be offering a series of Recycling Makes Sense workshops for businesses on Oct. 2, 3, and 4. Registration and information can be found at www.scmua.org.
Burlington County has scheduled an Essentials of Smart Recycling seminar for Oct. 12. Registration and information can be found at the Burlington County Chamber of Commerce website – www.bccoc.com
Cape May County will hold its Think Green: A Focus on Recycling seminar on Nov. 16. Steve Morey, chairman of the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce Environmental Affairs Committee, said they will highlight the recycling “dos and don’ts,” with a focus on business involvement, incentives and potential penalties. For more information, call the Cape May County Chamber at (609) 465-7181.
Middlesex County will hold its Make Recycling Work for Your Business seminar on Nov. 29 at the Clarion Hotel in Edison. For registration and information, call the Middlesex County Division of Solid Waste Management at (732) 745-4170.In other recycling news, computer manufacturer Dell recently announced a new end-of-life electronics-recycling program for small businesses: Dell Recycling and Asset Recovery Services.
Small business owners with fewer than 25 employees can return up to 10 pieces of unwanted electronics through the program at a cost of $25 per piece. Dell manages the processing of the e-scrap and gives users of the program a full report on how the equipment was handled, as well as the ability to monitor the status of the gear throughout the process. The Platform is working to advocate a waste management system that minimizes waste generation through source reduction, reuse and recycling by assisting in the coordination of county business-to-business workshops under the efforts of the Reinvigorating Recycling Coalition.
ITEMS OF INTEREST COWS ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM: While much of the global warming discussion has focused on developing cleaner methods of electricity generation, it seems a major source of methane pollution is being overlooked - cows. According to British climate scientists, a cow is more damaging to the environment than an SUV. They claim that one cow emits more greenhouse gas in a single day than a large car. Rearing livestock causes 20 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases, from the clearing of land and the growing and harvesting of cattle feed.
Every day the cattle themselves emit up to 500 liters of methane, and that's 20 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Through a $1.5 million study, Dr. David Chadwick and his colleagues at the Institute of Grassland Research are working to tackle the problem. They are in the process of trying to produce grass and clover that is more digestible for the animals themselves. He contends that the amount of methane that's generated by the animals is a direct consequence of the amount they eat and the quality of the food that they're eating.
Michael Egenton
Vice President , Environment & Transportation
New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
216 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
Phone: (609)989-7888 Ext. 119
Fax: (609)989-9696
Michael.Egenton@njchamber.com
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