Thursday, March 31, 2011

What's News in New Jersey Recycling - Video Interview

ANJR's Dominick D'Altilio and NJDEP's Guy Watson



















EnviroPolitics attended the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Association of New Jersey Recyclers yesterday and asked ANJR President Dominick D'Altilio and NJDEP Recycling Bureau Chief Guy Watson how household and commercial recycling programs are doing in New Jersey.

For the answer to that question--and others--check out our six-minute video interview below.






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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Valuable environmental events-Are you going?

Are you taking advantage of the wide variety of educational and networking events available every month in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware?

Here are just a few and they're all taking place in just a three-day span:

March 29 - Energy Economics & Green Business Fair-Expo

March 30 - Environmental Business Roundtable

March 30 - Association of New Jersey Recyclers 2011 Annual Meeting 

March 30 - The Role of the Consultant in Environmental Litigation

March 30-31 - Twenty Second annual GLOBALCON Conference & Expo 

March 30 -
Free NJDEP Air Compliance and Enforcement Seminar

March 31 - NJ/PA Sustainability Symposium 2011 

March 31 - Gas Drilling, Sustainability and Energy Policy

March 31 - Third Annual Mid-Atlantic Cleantech Investment Forum
 

See our 
Enviro-Events Calendar for details on the above events--and plenty more! 
While you're on the site, sign up for free email updates. Or get them posted to your reader.
  


Environmental bills up for votes on Mar 21 in NJ Senate

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Monday, March 28, 2011

New environment and energy legislation in Pennsylvania

SVG of Pennsylvania state seal
Four environmental and energy bills, recently introduced in the Pennsylvania Senate, address drinking water, oil and gas enforcement and penalties, county solid waste and recycling tonnage fees and non-coal surface mining inspections and penalties.

To view any of the bills below, left-click on the bill number.


SB 859 (McIlhinney) Amends the Pennsylvania Safe Drinking Water Act to further provide for safe drinking water, for definitions, for powers and duties of the Department of Environmental Protection and for civil and criminal penalties.
Referred to ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, March 22, 2011


SB 600 (Ward) Amends the Oil and Gas Act, further providing for enforcement orders
and for civil penalties.
Referred to ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, March 23, 2011 [Senate]


SB 863 (Costa) Amends the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act to allow counties to impose a fee of up to $4 per ton for solid waste management and planning.

Referred to ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, March 22, 2011 [Senate]


SB 898 (Tomlinson) Amends the Noncoal Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Act, further providing for temporary cessation and for local ordinances
Referred to ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, March 25, 2011 [Senate]

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Environmental bills up for votes on Mar 21 in NJ Senate
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Thursday, March 24, 2011

New environment and energy legislation in New Jersey




Nissan Leaf electric vehicle and recharging st...
Five bills addressing alternative-fuel vehicles (electric, compressed natural gas, and fuel-cell ) and one amending current law governing urban transit hub tax credits were introduced in the New Jersey State Senate on Monday, March 21, 2011. 

All six are companion measures to previously introduced Assembly bills (noted as Related bills).  Below is a list of the six and the committees to which they have been referred. 


S-2784  Greenstein, L.R. (D-14)
Requires owners of certain newly developed shopping centers to provide electric vehicle charging stations. Related Bill: A-3647
        Mar 21, 2011                    Referred: Senate Environment and Energy
 
S-2788  Norcross, D. (D-5); Beach, J. (D-6)
Expands treatment of mixed use projects under urban transit hub tax credit and requires developers utilizing State funds to reserve affordable units under certain conditions.
Related Bill: A-3905
   Mar 21, 2011                    Referred: Senate Economic Growth

S-2789  Greenstein, L.R. (D-14)
Provides corporation business tax credits and gross income tax credits for purchase of compressed natural gas vehicles.
Related Bill: A-3904
   Mar 21, 2011                    Referred: Senate Environment and Energy

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and energy legislation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania—from introduction to enactment.  If legislation like this is important to you, your business or your organization, take advantage of our 30-day, free trial subscription.

___________________________________________________________________________ 


S-2790
  Greenstein, L.R. (D-14)
Establishes public-private pilot program for level 3 electric vehicle charging stations.
Related Bill: A-3903
    Mar 21, 2011                    Referred: Senate Environment and Energy

S-2791  Greenstein, L.R. (D-14)
Establishes public-private alternative fueling station pilot program and requires DOT to conduct study.
Related Bill: A-3901
    Mar 21, 2011                    Referred: Senate Environment and Energy

S-2792  Greenstein, L.R. (D-14)
Provides corporation business tax credits and gross income tax credits for purchase of fuel cell vehicles.  Related Bill: A-3902
   Mar 21, 2011                    Referred: Senate Environment and Energy

Six more environment and energy bills on deck in NJ Senate
 
The environmental and energy legislation below will be formally introduced at the Senate's next voting session (date not yet set). Copies of the bills will be available following introduction.

S-2802  Van Drew, J. (D-1)
Establishes licensing program in Department of Agriculture for farmed deer
 and other cervids.
   
S-2804  Van Drew, J. (D-1)
Concerns permits, letters of exemption, and enforcement with regard to agricultural activities under "Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act". Related Bill: A-2925
   
S-2808  Van Drew, J. (D-1)
Authorizes labeling of foods that are free of genetically modified material.

S-2810  Van Drew, J. (D-1)
Requires BPU to issue a decision within 180 days after receipt of petition by public utilities to sell certain real property. Related Bill: A-2725
   
S-2811  Smith, B. (D-17); Allen, D.B. (R-7)
Includes energy produced by certain geothermal heat pumps as class I renewable energy.
Related Bill: A-3806

S-2812  Smith, B. (D-17); Bateman, C. (R-16)
Increases Spill Compensation and Control Act cap on recovery of damages from certain dischargers.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

PA farmers warn NY neighbors about fracking for gas

Pennsylvania farmers Terry Greenwood and Ron Gulla speak out at "Hydrofracking and Agriculture—the Promise and the Reality," a forum held on March 15, 2011 in Penn Yan, NY.
The forum was sponsored by the Committee to Preserve the Finger Lakes and the Coalition to Protect New York.




What do you think? Use the comments box below. If you don't see one, click on the tiny 'comment' line to activate it.

Environmental bills up for votes on Mar 21 in NJ Senate
Are you going to the NJ/PA Sustainability Symposium?

Cuomo: Indian Point Nuclear plant a potential disaster

Energy & environment legislation this week in NJ


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Monday, March 21, 2011

A profile of Pennsylvania's DEP chief, Michael Krancer

He likes to dig in and get at the facts on both sides of  controversial issues. He doesn't shy away from tough decisions and, in the past, he's sided both with and against the agency he now heads.

Michael Krancer, the new man in the high-profile position of Secretary of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection, also is the subject of a profile in Sunday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Laura Olson, a reporter with the newspaper's Harrisburg Bureau, writes:
The 53-year-old Bryn Mawr lawyer comes to the agency at a pivotal time: Natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale has grown so quickly that the topic overshadows much of the department's other responsibilities. Discussions on how government should regulate the industry and manage its risks often can become heated and hyperbolic.
He also is working for a governor who has drawn skepticism from environmental advocates regarding his commitment to protection, in light of significant campaign contributions from gas drillers and his opposition to a severance tax. Mr. Krancer himself was at times harshly critical of the agency in his hearing board opinions.
Olson tells how Krancer, as a judge on the state's Environmental Hearing Board, which considers appeals on certain DEP decisions, had to rule on an appeal brought, in 2001, by The United Mine Workers. The union was challenging an exemption approved by the DEP regarding methane testing at 84 Mining Co.'s mine in South Strabane.The union said the exemption was unsafe, despite DEP's consent.

Normally, a hearing board judge would make a decision based solely on legal arguments from both sides. Not Krancer. Don Carmelite, Krancer's his first law clerk at the board recalls:

"The guy suited up in all the gear and got the training, and he walked around in a mine a mile below the surface, in thigh-high water. It was consistent with what he did to get it right."

The judge later sided with the miners' position, on a 3-2 decision.

Olson informs us that Krancer 's father is the Republican philanthropist Ronald Krancer. who has been a  major donor to both Mr. Governor Tom Corbett and his predecessor, Democrat Ed Rendell, and that he and is the nephew of the publisher Walter Annenberg.

A few other interesting insights (all from Gov. Corbett's website)::
  • Krancer was a litigation partner at the Dilworth and Blank Rome law firm in Philadelphia.  
  • He was a candidate (unsuccessfully) for the state's supreme court in 2007.
  • He was appointed to serve as an  Environmental Hearing Board by Republican Gov. Tom Ridge and later asked to return to the board by Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat.
  • Krancer serves on the Board of Directors of Inn Dwelling, a non-profit faith-based initiative corporation associated with St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church located in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. Its mission is capacity-building among disadvantaged families in the Germantown and Northeast sections of Philadelphia. 
  •  He is an avid student of Hebrew and Christian Biblical Canon and he has pursued undergraduate and graduate level coursework in theology and biblical studies and exegesis at Villanova University.
  • He is a student of naval history, especially naval aviation from its dawning through its heyday, the World War II Pacific Campaign.
  • He also is a Civil War reenactor.

Related:
New DEP pick says he will 'apply the law'
Michael Krancer gets environment committee support in Pa. Senate

PennFuture Welcomes Michael Krancer as Nominee for DEP Secretary


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Sunday, March 20, 2011

Environmental bills up for votes on Mar 21 in NJ Senate


The floor of the New Jersey Senate in the New ...Image via WikipediaTwo identical bills scheduled for a final legislative votes in the New Jersey Senate on Monday--A-2849  (Burzichelli) and S-2441  (Weinberg)--would require the NJ Board of Public Utilities to issue every order in written form and post the order to the board's Internet website.

However, if a matter is an emergency that affects public health and safety, the legislation allows the board to issue a temporary order on the matter orally, but requires the board within 14 days thereafter to issue the order as a written order that does not differ substantively from the oral order.

Background story: Proposed Law Would Require BPU to Shed Light on its Decisions

Also scheduled for final legislative votes are:

  • S-1856 (Smith) which authorizes the Ocean County Planning Board and municipal planning boards in Ocean County to take certain measures to control stormwater runoff and nonpoint source pollution in the Barnegat Bay watershed; and,
  •  
  • S-2295 (Lesniak) which provides certain exemptions from disclosure requirements for licensing of solid waste and hazardous waste operations. 

The Senate also will consider changes recommended by Governor Chris Christie in his conditional veto of S-2126  (Whelan). The bill permits development of solar and wind facilities and structures on landfills and resource extraction operations under certain circumstances

[To view a bill,, double-click on the bill number or hold down  Ctrl key and left-click ]


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Saturday, March 19, 2011

Are you going to the NJ/PA Sustainability Symposium?

Public officials, business and community leaders and university professors will convene on March 31, 2011 to explore the latest developments in sustainability at Rutger University's Camden Campus, 326 Penn Street in Camden, NJ. (Directions)

The half-day symposium will focus on the latest in regional planning, funding opportunities, community involvement, and how businesses, universities, hospitals and municipalities will engage and execute their sustainability plans in 2011.

With pending changes in New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan and likely impacts in renewable portfolio standards and the electricity grid, event organizers say it is critical to understand the economic, policy and green energy implications at the federal and state levels.

The symposium will also highlight regional cutting-edge technological advances, issues and developments, such as:

*   The Philadelphia Navy Yard’s Innovation Hub
*   The East Coast rollout of the electric car
*   Electricity deregulation in Pennsylvania
*   New Jersey’s leadership role in solar energy
*   Wind power off of the Jersey shore
*   Shifting societal and generational paradigms for sustainability
*   Recent advances in waste management and recycling
*   Cost-effective and healthy green cleaning for the home and office

The symposium will open with breakfast keynote speaker Lee A. Solomon, President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, followed by a series of breakout sessions.

New Jersey Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula will lead the lunch session. Both Solomon and Chivukula are driving forces in front of and behind the NJ Energy Master Plan.

Daniel Kidd, Architect with Bjarke Ingles Group (BIG), an internationally renowned architectural practice, will round out the day with his keynote presentation immediately following lunch.

In addition to our prestigious keynote speakers, attendees will have the choice of 15 educational offerings from the introductory level to the very advanced.

Sustainability Symposium Schedule
7:30 – 8:00 am:      Registration
8:00 – 9:00 am:      Breakfast: Welcome/Introductions/Keynote
9:10 – 10:10 am:    Breakout 1
10:20 – 11:20 amBreakout 2
11:30 – 12:30 pm:  Breakout 3
12:40 – 2:00 pm:    Lunch: Networking/Introductions/Keynote
2:00 pm:               Light Dessert/Coffee/Display Tables/Networking/Adjourn

The event is free and open to the public but space is limited and advance registration is advised.

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Friday, March 18, 2011

Cuomo: Indian Point Nuclear plant a potential disaster











Public opinion shock waves from the nuclear crisis in Japan were felt in New York State yesterday where Governor Andrew  Cuomo said the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Westchester County was a "disaster waiting to happen" as he called for the facility's closing. 

Plant owner, Entergy, released this statement regarding the plant's ability to withstand  earthquakes.

Here's the governor on FOX News:



In neighboring New Jersey, the Star-Ledger reported on Tuesday that the Oyster Creek nuclear reactor in Ocean County, the oldest operating nuclear plant in the country, is a "virtually identical General Electric reactor, sharing its design features — and, some fear, its weaknesses."

But the plant’s operator, Exelon, and state officials responsible for overseeing nuclear safety say "New Jersey’s nuclear facilities are far less likely to be shaken by a severe earthquake, and the lessons learned in Japan can be applied here."

NJN News' environmental reporter Ed Rodgers on Wednesday filed a video report on the safety of nuclear plants in the Garden State--especially at the multi-reactor Salem Nuclear Power facility in Lower Alloways Township where owner PSEG has been exploring the possibility of adding an additional unit.

President Obama ordered a safety review of all U.S. nuclear plants on Thursday but also said that nuclear would be part of the nation's energy future

How do you think the Japanese crisis will affect nuclear regulation/development in the United States? Will we ever see another new nuclear plant built in the northeast? Is this good or bad?  Share your thoughts in the comment box below. Don't see one? Click on the tiny 'comment' line.


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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Energy & environment legislation this week in NJ

Monday, March 14, was a busy day for energy and environmental legislation in the
New Jersey Legislature. Here's what happened and, in some cases, did not happen:


A-2042  DeAngelo, W.P. (D-14); Milam, M.W. (D-1); Albano, N.T. (D-1)
Requires BPU to increase credit provided when issuing Solar Renewable Energy Certificates for solar energy produced by equipment manufactured in NJ.
Related Bill: S-465
     Mar 14, 2011 Posted but not considered: Assembly
 
A-2486  Burzichelli, J.J. (D-3); Rumana, S.T. (R-40)
Prohibits adoption of new rules exceeding federal standards unless specifically authorized by State law or necessary to protect public health, safety, or welfare.
Related Bill: S-1986
     Mar 14, 2011 Posted but not considered: Assembly
 
A-2577  McKeon, J.F. (D-27); Barnes III, P.J. (D-18)
"Ocean County Stormwater Management System Demonstration Act."
Related Bill: S-1815
     Mar 14, 2011 Assembly amendment (voice vote) (voice vote) (McKeon)
     Mar 14, 2011 2nd reading in Assembly

 A-2606  McKeon, J.F. (D-27); Barnes III, P.J. (D-18)
Authorizes Ocean County Planning Board and municipal planning boards in Ocean County to take certain measures to control stormwater runoff and nonpoint source pollution in Barnegat Bay watershed.  Related Bill: S-1856
     Mar 14, 2011 Substituted by another bill: S1856

 A-2925  Riley, C.M. (D-3); Chivukula, U.J. (D-17)
Concerns permits, letters of exemption, and enforcement with regard to agricultural activities under "Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act".
     Mar 14, 2011 Passed by the Assembly (75-3-0)

 A-3124  Quijano, A. (D-20); McKeon, J.F. (D-27)
Increases Spill Compensation and Control Act cap on liability.
Related Bill: S-2108
     Mar 14, 2011 Posted but not considered: Assembly
 
A-3648  Cryan, J. (D-20); Stender, L. (D-22); McKeon, J.F. (D-27)
Directs installation of electric vehicle charging stations at service areas on State's toll roads.
Related Bill: S-2603
     Mar 14, 2011 Passed by the Assembly (47-28-3)

 A-3668  Chivukula, U.J. (D-17); Diegnan, P.J. (D-18); McKeon, J.F. (D-27)
Authorizes certain municipalities to establish the municipal shared services energy company.
Related Bill: S-2630
     Mar 14, 2011 Motion to return to 2nd Reading for amendment (voice vote)
     Mar 14, 2011 Motion to table (47-30-0) (Cryan)
     Mar 14, 2011 Passed by the Assembly (76-0-2)
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A-3688  Wilson, G.L. (D-5); Riley, C.M. (D-3); Quijano, A. (D-20)
Authorizes Department of Agriculture to implement mobile fresh produce markets for residents of urban "food desert" communities.
Related Bill: S-2728
     Mar 14, 2011 Passed by the Assembly (63-12-2)

 A-3831  Cryan, J. (D-20); Johnson, G.M. (D-37); Diegnan, P.J. (D-18)
Replaces plenary winery and farm winery licenses with small winery and wine manufacturing licenses.  Related Bill: S-2785
     Mar 14, 2011 Passed by the Assembly (52-20-6)

A-3905  Greenwald, L.D. (D-6); Lampitt, P.R. (D-6); Coutinho, A. (D-29)
Expands treatment of mixed use projects under urban transit hub tax credit and requires developers utilizing State funds to reserve affordable units under certain conditions.
Related Bill: S-2788
     Mar 14, 2011 Posted but not considered: Assembly

ACR-126  Burzichelli, J.J. (D-3); Riley, C.M. (D-3)
Determines that BPU regulation requiring approval of BPU prior to closure or relocation of cable television company's local business office is inconsistent with legislative intent.
     Mar 14, 2011 Passed by the Assembly (77-0-0)

ACR-132  Burzichelli, J.J. (D-3)
Determines that DEP rules and regulations concerning requirement of domes on certain storage tanks are inconsistent with legislative intent.
     Mar 14, 2011 Posted but not considered: Assembly

AJR-67  Wagner, C. (D-38); Gusciora, R. (D-15); Vainieri Huttle, V. (D-37)
Urges Delaware, New York, and Pennsylvania to enact moratorium banning  hydraulic fracturing for natural gas exploration or production until EPA concludes study and issues findings on that drilling practice.
Related Bill: SJR-59
     Mar 14, 2011 Passed by the Assembly (59-7-12)

 S-1815  Smith, B. (D-17)
"Ocean County Stormwater Management System Demonstration Act."
Related Bill: A-2577
     Mar 14, 2011 Assembly amendment (voice vote) (voice vote) (McKeon)
     Mar 14, 2011 2nd reading in Assembly

 S-1856  Smith, B. (D-17); McKeon, J.F. (D-27); Barnes III, P.J. (D-18)
Authorizes Ocean County Planning Board and municipal planning boards in Ocean County to take certain measures to control stormwater runoff and nonpoint source pollution in Barnegat Bay watershed. Related Bill: A-2606
     Mar 21, 2011 Posted: Senate

S-2108  Smith, B. (D-17); Bateman, C. (R-16)
Clarifies liability for discharges of hazardous substances that enter NJ waters.
Related Bill: A-3124
     Mar 14, 2011 Posted but not considered: Assembly

INTRODUCTIONS

A-3913  Burzichelli, J.J. (D-3); Quijano, A. (D-20); Riley, C.M. (D-3)
Requires BPU to promulgate regulations requiring electricity providers to provide information so customers can compare prices and services.
     Mar 14, 2011 Introduced in Assembly
     Mar 14, 2011 Referred: Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities

PROPOSED INTRODUCTIONS

A-3935  Dancer, R.S. (R-30)
Authorizes prescribed burning in certain circumstances.
Related Bill: S-2169
     Mar 14, 2011 Proposed for Assembly introduction

 A-3943  Albano, N.T. (D-1); Milam, M.W. (D-1)
Creates striped bass license plates.
Related Bill: S-2102
     Mar 14, 2011 Proposed for Assembly introduction

 A-3949  Chivukula, U.J. (D-17); Mainor, C. (D-31)
Provides certain collocations of wireless equipment, minor site plan status.
     Mar 14, 2011 Proposed for Assembly introduction

 A-3951  Benson, D.R. (D-14); Jasey, M.M. (D-27)
Requires DCA to provide information regarding "Lead Hazard Control Assistance Act" to certain dwelling units approved for Weatherization Assistance Program.
     Mar 14, 2011 Proposed for Assembly introduction

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