Groups celebrate conditional veto of hazardous waste processer bill
News Article • 6/4/2018 • by Michelle Brunetti at Press of Atlantic City
A hazardous waste processor will not be able to quickly reopen in Salem County after Gov. Phil Murphy conditionally vetoed a bill that would have exempted it from new permit requirements.
“The improvements the Governor made to the bill in his conditional veto will safeguard our clean drinking water, the Delaware River, and the fishing industries that rely on its health,” said Ed Potosnak, executive director of New Jersey League of Conservation Voters.
10 of New Jersey's toughest environmental risks
News Article • 5/30/2018 • by Michelle Brunetti Post at Press of Atlantic City
As the most densely populated state in the U.S., with one of the oldest industrial bases and highest number of severely polluted Superfund sites, New Jersey may be expected to face severe environmental problems.
And we do. But a coalition of environmental groups led by the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters Education Fund has prepared a plan to tackle some of the biggest environmental threats.
PLAN ADVANCES TO BAN FOAM CUPS AND PLATES IN NJ SCHOOL CAFETERIAS
News Article • 5/29/2018 • by Michael Symons at WPG Talk Radio
A bill directing public schools and colleges in New Jersey to stop selling food and beverages in polystyrene packaging has taken a first step in the Legislature.
Henry Gajda, a public policy association for the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, said the plastic takes 500 years to biodegrade and accumulates in the food chain and waterways. He said 25 billion polystyrene cups are used a year in the United States, accounting for 20 percent to 30 percent of landfill composition.
STATE STILL STRUGGLING WITH STORMWATER RUNOFF, CAN NEW BILL HELP?
News Article • 5/29/2018 • by Tom Johnson at NJ Spotlight
Pollution from stormwater runoff is a $15 billion problem that won’t go away. Stormwater utilities could help Garden State get a handle on the solution.
The state is reviving a decade-old idea to help New Jersey address a $15 billion problem to better manage stormwater runoff, an issue widely recognized as fouling waterways and exacerbating flooding.
LETTER: State doesn’t need the PennEast pipeline
News Article • 5/25/2018 • by Ed Potosnak at My Central Jersey
New Jersey voters know it: our state’s energy future rests upon clean, renewable energy, not polluting fossil fuels. This was clearly demonstrated in November with the election of Gov. Phil Murphy, who campaigned on a platform of setting the state on a path to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. Moving forward on this path shouldn’t include investment in unneeded fossil fuel infrastructure that would work against the state’s efforts to reach that critical goal.
Environmental groups vary in grading Gov. Murphy's first 100 days
News Article • 4/27/2018 • by Michelle Brunetti Post at Press of Atlantic City
Environmental groups are varied in how they grade Gov. Phil Murphy on his first 100 days.
The New Jersey League of Conservation Voters Education Fund gave him an A-, while New Jersey Sierra Club graded him a C.
“Murphy has indeed delivered on some of his commitments including blocking offshore drillings, promoting environmental justice, and promoting offshore wind,” Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel said in a press release.
But he said the administration also has cut the Department of Environmental Protection budget and is taking some of its surplus, and is still taking money from the Clean Energy Fund -- which is created through surcharges on utility customers' monthly bills -- for the general fund.
In contrast, League of Conservation Voters Education Fund Executive Director Ed Potosnak said Murphy gets high marks, calling the first 100 days “a whirlwind of pro-environmental actions, propelling New Jersey back to a leadership position to become the greenest state in America.”
Conservation Groups Voice Strong Support for Landmark Clean Energy Bill
News Article • 4/6/2018
Trenton, NJ (April 5, 2018) – Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJ Conservation), New Jersey League of Conservation Voters (NJLCV), and ReThink Energy NJ voiced overwhelming support for the clean energy legislation (A3723/S2314) that was passed today by committees in the New Jersey State Senate and Assembly.
Franklin Township: Results of FERC Draft Environmental Impact Statement Outrage Some Locals
News Article • 3/26/2018 • by Malik A. Lyons at Tapinto Franklin Township
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, NJ - The Williams' Northeast Supply Enhancement project reached a major milestone Friday, March 23, thanks to the release of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's draft Environmental Impact Statement.
The NESE project would have “less than significant levels” of impact on the environment in Franklin Township, according to FERC.
“This draft Environmental Impact Statement is a significant milestone for the project," Christopher Stockton, spokesperson for Williams/Transco said in a prepared statement. "Since this proposal was first introduced in 2016, we have worked diligently to identify potential environmental issues or concerns, incorporating adjustments to the project design to avoid or minimize impacts. We believe that the draft EIS positively reflects our efforts to collaborate with stakeholders to design this project in an environmentally responsible manner.”
Many local residents who have been paying close attention to the project would beg to differ.
NUCLEAR SUBSIDY BILL RE-ENGINEERED AS THREE SEPARATE MEASURES
News Article • 3/14/2018 • by Tom Johnson at NJ Spotlight
Trying to break an impasse, lawmakers and the governor’s office have apparently agreed to jointly move three bills to subsidize nuclear power, promote clean energy, and revive an offshore wind project off Atlantic City.
The bills, expected to be introduced yesterday but not yet available, aim to advance a key priority of Senate President Steven Sweeney to prop up nuclear power plants in South Jersey, as well as enact significant parts of Gov. Phil Murphy’s ambitious clean-energy agenda.
Ventnor shows environmental leadership with fee on single-use bags, says Ed Potosnak
News Article • 3/5/2018 • by Ed Potosnak at Press of Atlantic City
Who hasn’t purchased a pack of gum, or other small item, only to have it swiftly loaded into a plastic shopping bag for the short journey to their car? More and more, New Jerseyans are realizing the extent of our wasteful plastic bag problem. Sometimes referred to as the “urban tumbleweed,” flimsy single-use bags are not only ugly to look at — often found hanging from trees, gathered in storm drains or washed up on shores — they’re also terrible for the environment. The chemicals in the plastic pose a threat to sea birds and fish, and all too often make their way back into our food.