 Platform Update
February 2008
ACTION ITEMS
SITE REMEDIATION: Several P4P-Environment members attended the February 21st Site Remediation Advisory Group (SRAG) meeting at DEP. The Department has compiled a list of more that 50 items/issues that may need legislative reform within the Site Remediation Program. These include the License Site Professional program, presumptive remedies, limitations on development on landfills, expand authority on remedy selection, establishment of timeframes for completion of report/data reviews, establishment of Technical Assistance Grants (TAG) for municipalities to hire consultants, development of a permitting program (to replace biennial certifications), expand uses of Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation fund, and financial assurance. DEP said all new site remediation related regulatory initiatives would be put on hold until reforms are completed. Department staff also said the number of active cases in the site remediation program has now grown to a staggering 20,000.
The State Chamber’s site remediation benchmark study has been distributed to DEP Assistant Commissioner Irene Kropp, the Office of Economic Growth (OEG) and Senate Environment Committee Chairman Bob Smith. The State Legislature is in the process of drafting bills to reform the site remediation program. Senate Environment Committee Chairman Bob Smith said he plans to engage several stakeholders, including the P4P-Environment members, for their input once the bills are available from the Office of Legislative Services.
DEP COMMISSIONER SETS AGENDA: NJ Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa Jackson discussed her Department’s priorities for the 213th legislative session before the Senate Environment Committee and the Assembly Environment Committee. She highlighted six key areas: climate change, the water supply master plan, the site remediation program, operation and maintenance of the parks and forests, smart growth, and recycling. At the Senate Environment Committee meeting, the State Chamber testified and outlined certain key Platform For Progress principles for the Committee members to keep in mind when passing legislation. Senators were urged to recognize the impact of each legislative initiative on the overall business climate of the state and to utilize a “sound science” approach to justify their decisions.
The next quarterly business trade association meeting with DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson is scheduled for Wednesday April 2 at DEP.
The State Chamber has scheduled a business breakfast session with Commissioner Jackson on Tuesday, April 29 at Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township. These monthly Administration Cabinet meetings offer a unique opportunity for members to hear from the various state agencies and their plans. For registration information, go to https://www.njchamber.com/Events/jackson08.asp
REINVIGORATING RECYCLING: Several P4P-Environment members, including a business development manager from the Philadelphia area who works on recycling plastic bags, met recently with Assemblymen Herb Conaway and John McKeon to discuss their legislative proposals that would ban the use of plastic bags in retail stores. Coalition members explained to the Assemblymen what the various retail and food stores were doing with regard to plastic bags, including a discussion by the Food Council on their "Bag Smart" program which helps reduce plastic bag use. Since one of the goals is to create more awareness to the growing problem of plastic bags ending up in landfills, the Coalition suggested a collaborative effort through our "reinvigorating recycling" efforts with NJDEP. There should be an effort to educate and inform the public through PSA's and other initiatives about the problem -- what is conveniently available to them and what they can do about it. We also reminded the Assemblymen that there is funding available to do this from the recently passed solid waste tax and that the county and municipal waste coordinators could assist in getting that message out. Essentially better communication and collaboration should be pursued over mandated legislation.
Assembly Environment Committee Chairman McKeon appreciated the time and information P4P members provided. Although he said he would not post specific bills for a hearing, he would like to have a “general open discussion” meeting on the issue before the entire Assembly Environment Committee in April.
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
THE AIR IS GETTING CLEANER: According to the EPA, factories, power plants and other sources in New Jersey reduced their emissions of lead, mercury and other hazardous chemicals by 10 percent in 2006. Virtually all of that reduction was because the PSEG power plant in Jersey City switched to a cleaner-burning variety of coal. The utility cut releases of acidic gases by 1.4 million pounds in 2006, the latest year for which data is available. Complete details on local emissions are available through the EPA’s online database at www.epa.gov/triexplorer.
BUSES WILL BE RETROFITTED: Within the next few years, about 9,000 diesel school buses in New Jersey will have to be retrofitted to curb emissions. According to Bill O'Sullivan, Director of DEP’s Division of Air Quality, the state will pay for retrofitting and bus owners will pay for maintenance. NJ school children each spend an average of 1 ½ hours on school buses on weekdays, and the DEP predicts that more than 2,000 asthma attacks a year will be avoided by retrofitting diesel buses.
The Department expects to propose rules in April that would require tail-pipe filters to be installed and plans to adopt the rules in September. School bus owners would have to submit retrofit plans around March 2009.
HOWEVER – BIOFUELS INCREASE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS: Separate studies released this month by Princeton University and the Nature Conservancy reveal that biofuels are actually increasing greenhouse gas emissions rather than reducing them. The benefits of biofuels have come under attack in recent months, as scientists took a closer look at the global environmental cost of their production. These two studies take a detailed, comprehensive look at the emissions effects of the huge amount of natural land that is being converted to cropland globally to support biofuels development. According to Timothy Searchinger, a researcher at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and the study's lead author, "Any biofuel that uses productive land is going to create more greenhouse gas emissions than it saves."
CLEAN AIR COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING: The Clean Air Council’s annual public hearing is scheduled for 9:30 am on April 9 at DEP in Trenton. The topic is “Improving Air Quality at our Ports and Airports”. Based on testimony offered during the hearing, the Council will be making recommendations to the Department to address the impact to air quality from NJ’s ports and airports. For more information or to register for the hearing, go to http://www.state.nj.us/dep/cleanair/.
PSEG GLOBAL GREEN EXPO 2008: Starting April 25th, the PSEG Global Green Expo 2008 will open at the historic central railroad terminal in Liberty State Park. This 3-day event will provide information and inspiration for taking action regarding global environmental issues to consumers, business professionals, public and private agencies and corporations. Informed speakers, hands-on product demonstrations, and informational booths will provide participants with opportunities for new kinds of services, products and behavior that will make a difference in both the home and the work environment. For more information, go to http://globalgreen2008.com/.
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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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