The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently released their

State of the Climate

report. The report showed above- to much-above-average autumn temperatures from the Gulf Coast to the Mid-Atlantic region. New Jersey is listed in the top 10 fastest-warming states in the country, with warming trends strongest along the coast. Atlantic City temperatures were the 6th warmest recorded temperatures in that area of the state this

November.

“This new report is alarming and shows that things are getting worse faster. New Jersey is one of the fastest-warming states in the country while also being one of the states most vulnerable to climate change impacts. This is downright scary because New Jersey does not see the sense of urgency and is doing very little about it. We are seeing climate impacts every day with chronic flooding, storm surges, and sea level rise. Water pollution and rising temperatures have led to algal blooms closing our biggest lakes, like Lake Hopatcong, and invasive clinging jellyfish overtaking our waterways like Barnegat Bay,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “This report is even more alarming because even though Trump denies climate change his administration is releasing reports showing dramatic climate change impacts. NOAA is standing up and doing their job. The fact that this report comes from the Trump administration should be an alarm bell going off.”

The report shows that New Jersey has the second highest average temperatures after Rhode Island, with an increase in average temperatures by 3.49 degrees compared with the 20th-century norm. Delaware and New Jersey were tied for highest increase in average temperatures in the contiguous United States over a five-year period ending this past October. Central and South Jersey counties have some of the highest temperature increases in the region. Almost all NJ counties had temperature increases over 3 degrees. Atlantic County had the highest warming of any other counties at 3.3 degrees.

“New Jersey’s temperatures have already increased by 3.5 degrees and will only continue to go up, and we have the highest short-term warming trends. These temperature increases leave New Jersey more vulnerable to flooding and fires. The Pinelands are extremely at risk for wildfires because of climate change, leading to more dislocation of species. A recent Zillow report shows that we are top three in the nation for developing homes in risk zones. DEP released a report projecting sea levels rising anywhere from 5.0 to 8.8 feet by 2100, which is alarming because our barrier islands are only 3 feet above sea level. All the reports are pointing to extreme climate impacts, but we are still building in vulnerable areas,” said Tittel. “This is the umpteenth report coming out about climate change, and the Murphy Administration are still not hearing it.”

There have been multiple recent reports showing how vulnerable New Jersey is to climate change impacts. A few weeks ago, the Department of Environmental Protection released a study projecting dramatic sea-level rise in New Jersey of up to 8.8 feet over 2000 levels by 2100. A different study based on data from the Union of Concerned Scientists shows New Jersey with 9 communities among those in the nation with the greatest percentage of homes at risk of chronic flooding by 2060 and 2100.

“We are still building in vulnerable areas and granting permits under Christie-era regulations that don’t protect against climate change or storm impacts. Some of the worst areas for flood risk are in Ocean County where they are just growing and building. Other areas in New Jersey like Cape May County, Monmouth County, Avalon, and more have built the most new houses in risk zones in the nation,” said Tittel. “Governor Murphy signed an Executive Order for a statewide climate change resiliency plan but with no implementation. It is not strong enough when it comes to being prepared and stronger than the next storm. Now that the Murphy administration have more facts on the imminent danger of sea level rise and climate impacts, they need to do something about it.”

We’re already seeing the impacts of climate change in NJ and it’s getting worse. Fish are already living in storm-drains in LBI. Some roads go underwater every time there’s a full moon and we’re losing coastal wetlands at an alarming rate. According to the Washington Post, New Jersey is one of the fastest-warming states in the nation. Its average temperature has climbed by close to 2 degrees Celsius since 1895 — double the average for the Lower 48 states.

“There are some direct and immediate actions that the Murphy Administration can take in the meantime to begin strengthening NJ. Murphy can create a cabinet level committee to coordinate all agencies in coastal resiliency and reducing greenhouse gasses. This includes updating all state regulations to include climate impacts, re-doing the Water Supply Master Plan, and using up-to-date data in our mapping and planning, and buying out flood prone properties,”said Tittel. “The Murphy Administration need to move forward on strengthening important water protections and regulations including the Flood Hazard Rules, Water Quality Management Planning Rules, CAFRA and Wetlands.”

Climate change is happening and happening even faster. UN Climate Report warns of a global tipping point by 2030 so it is even more important to reduce greenhouse gases as quickly as we can. Our state has the ability to regulate greenhouse gasses but has yet to do so. If the DEP were to begin regulating, including a moratorium on new fossil fuel projects, we could prevent making climate impacts worse.

“In order to fight climate change by reducing greenhouse gasses, we must take bold action against fossil fuels. That is why Governor Murphy must put in place a moratorium on all new fossil fuel projects. There are over a dozen fossil fuel projects proposed in New Jersey that would increase GHGs by over 32%. We need to be focusing on renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, that does not release harmful pollution that exacerbate the effects of climate change,” said Tittel. “Governor Murphy talks a lot about climate change, but other states are running circles around him. Gov. Cuomo and Gov. Inslee are going 100% carbon free by 2040 and by 2030.  Eight states are going 100% renewable by 2050, even states with Republican governors like Maryland, Vermont, and Mass. are moving quicker on electric vehicles and regulating CO2.”

The Trump Administration is making our situation worse by attacking the environment and climate change protections on a national level. He has weakened 24 air pollution rule. He pulled the United States out of the Paris Agreement and disbanded the Advisory Committee for the Sustained National Climate Assessment. He also revoked Obama-era orders to make infrastructure and building standards incorporate sea level rise and flooding projections. He has eliminated the Clean Power Plan, revoked the California Clean Waiver Rule, and increased limits on methane leaks.

“Study after study are showing that New Jersey is one of the most vulnerable states on the East Coast, if not in the nation. It is clear that New Jersey is Ground Zero for climate change between sea levels rising a projected 5 to 8.8 feet, 4,524 homes in a 10-year risk zone, and a 3.49 degree temperature increase. Our state is still dragging its feet and we must take extreme actions to plan for climate change and sea level rise. We need real action from Governor Murphy, not more press releases and executive orders. We must stop offshore drilling, unnecessary pipelines, and fossil fuel expansion by committing to 100% renewable energy by 2050,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Nature is already planning for us with flood after flood. We need to act and act now. We must build a green wall around New Jersey to fight back against climate change and protect us from the next storm.”

We have had a very eventful and busy year in 2019. We accomplished a lot to protect New Jersey’s environment. We won some battles and lost some, and there are a few that keep coming back. In addition to everything we have accomplished this year, we still have a lot that we are trying to get done.

“This has been a year of many accomplishments and many disappointments at the state, local, and national level. We still have a lot of work to do. The Murphy Administration has been frustrating because of their failure to move forward, especially on issues like climate change and sea level rise. We have been calling for a moratorium on new fossil fuel projects for over a year, but Governor Murphy has failed to act. He has also failed to repealed a single Christie-era rule,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “The current administration does not see the urgency of climate change and the extreme impacts it is already having on New Jersey. In spite of these drawbacks, we are seeing some environmental progress and we hope to see more in 2020.”

Environmental Battles Still in Progress

We are still trying to get bills passed in lame duck, including S2252 (Smith/Greenstein), a bill that would set up EV charging infrastructure, and S2776 (Smith/Greenstein), a bill that would comprehensively ban plastic across the state

NJ Sierra Club is suing BPU and Pinelands Commission for approving the Southern Reliability Link (SRL), but the Murphy Administration has refused to issue a stay. This means the pipeline could be built before we have a chance to stop it in court

Murphy has made three nominations to the Highlands Council and five nominations to the Pinelands Commission, but the Senate has yet to vote to appoint the nominations

The Pinelands Commission has failed have a full quorum to vote on withdrawing their approval for South Jersey Gas’s pipeline

The DEP has denied permits for Williams Transco’s Northeast Supply Enhancement Project (NESE) three times without prejudice, but the Transco keeps reapplying

Environmental Wins

New Jersey’s new smoking ban, which prohibits smoking on public beaches and state parks, went into effect at the beginning of this year

B.L. England, the last major coal-powered plant in New Jersey, closed after more than 50 years of burning fossil fuels

The DEP purchased Holley Farm, a vital ecologically important area in the Pine Barrens and Delaware Bayshore forest region, after a 20 year battle to protect it

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that the PennEast Pipeline cannot use state lands. This will delay the project for at least two years and could possibly stop it or cause it to be rerouted

BPU granted the state’s first offshore wind solicitation of 1,100 megawatts to Ørsted, setting the record for the single largest award for offshore wind in the U.S

Governor Murphy raised New Jersey’s offshore wind goal to 7,500 megawatts by 2035

Governor Murphy came out against the Meadowlands Power Plant, although he has yet to take any action to stop it

Keegan Landfill in Kearny and Silver Spruce Drive in Vernon will be finally closed and cleaned up after illegal dumping of materials by NJSEA in Kearny and Joseph Wallace in Vernon.

Environmental  Losses

The Murphy Administration has failed to repeal a single Christie-era rule

Lead levels in Newark’s drinking water were at record highs this year, reaching 52 parts per billion between January and June.

The Drinking Water Quality Institute (DWQI), the agency responsible for setting standards of acceptable limits for toxins and carcinogens in our water, has not had a single meeting in 2019

This summer had a record number of algae blooms due to climate change and water pollution

New DEP Stormwater Rule fails to properly manage certain contaminants and will lead to more flooding and pollution. Even Trump’s FEMA criticized the rule.

Several bills that had consensus in the Legislature were weakened by last-minute amendments that came from the DEP and the Governor’s Office, including the Beach Access Bill S1074 (Smith), the Carbon Bill S3207 (Smith), and the Environmental Justice bill S1700 (Singleton/Weinberg).

DEP granted permits for the Roseland Compressor Station even though the compressor station is unneeded and will create more pollution and flooding in the region

Governor Murphy’s Energy Master Plan draft changes the definition of clean energy to include dirty energy like  natural gas, fossil fuel plants with carbon sequestration, and incinerators

The New Jersey Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC) Program is close to crashing because of the cost cap on solar energy

The DEP has fewer employees now than under Christie, and New Jersey is 10th in the nation for the reduction of environmental staff

NJ Transit is rated the worst in the nation. They need to move forward with electric buses.

Governor Murphy has failed to stop the bear hunt, even though he said the he opposes it

Although there has been some progress, the Murphy Administration has continued to move much slower than we had hoped. State agencies are still implementing many of Christie’s policies because they are led by the same people and the same rules. The Trump Administration has continued to attack the environment by rolling back critical rules that protect our clean air, clean water, and open space. Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, released the following statement:

“There have been many successes and progress in the environment. But this is the year that climate change, toxins in our drinking water, and dirty water have really hit New Jersey hard. We saw climate impacts with sunny day flooding, sea level rise, storm surges, and more pollution in our waterways. Our water systems were contaminated with lead and chemicals like PFOAS. Newark’s drinking water had record levels of lead this year, and we had 70 suspected and 39 confirmed harmful algal blooms in New Jersey. Invasive clinging jellyfish were found in larger numbers in our bays and rivers. A DEP report showed that we can only consume 38% of our drinking water supply because of contamination and pollution. The report also showed that only 5% of our streams and rivers meet criteria for fishing and swimming.

“We had a lot of environmental wins this year. Environmental victories this year include the implementation of New Jersey’s smoking ban for public beaches and state parks, the closing of our last coal-fired power plant B.L. England, and the DEP’s purchase of Holley Farm to preserve it. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reversed approval of the PennEast Pipeline, slowing them down for two years and perhaps stopping the project or causing it to be rerouted. The BPU granted the state’s first offshore wind solicitation of 1,100 megawatts and Governor Murphy raised NJ’s offshore wind goal to 7,500 megawatts by 2035. Governor Murphy also came out against the Meadowlands Power Plant, although he has yet to take any action to stop it.

“There have been many environmental lows this year. The Murphy Administration has still failed to repeal a single Christie-era rule. Lead levels in Newark’s drinking water reached a record 52 parts per billion, which is over ten times the federal limit. The DEP signed off on a weak Stormwater Rule and also granted permits for the Roseland Compressor Station. NJ Sierra Club is suing BPU and Pinelands Commission for approving the SRL pipeline, but NJ refuses to issue a stay which means the pipeline could be built before we have a chance to stop it in court. Murphy has redefined clean energy to include dirty energy, the Solar Program is close to crashing because of the cost cap, and NJ Transit is rated the worst in the nation. New Jersey is also 10th in the nation for environmental staff reductions, with fewer DEP staff now than under Christie.

“Climate change is here, and it is only getting worse.  A recent DEP study projects dramatic sea-level rise in New Jersey of up to 8.8 feet over 2000 levels by 2100. Instead of limiting development and pulling back from building on flood-prone areas, we are putting more homes in flood risk zones. According to a new Zillow report, New Jersey is developing in flood prone areas faster than any other state. We are still using Christie-era rules like the Flood Hazard Rules, Waiver Rules, Stormwater Rules, and CAFRA rules that encourage development and cause more flooding and pollution. We are also still the only state in the region without a Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Plan.

“New Jersey needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help mitigate climate change impacts. There are currently over a dozen new fossil fuel infrastructure projects in New Jersey that will increase emissions by over 32%. Last year, we formed a coalition called Empower New Jersey that now has over 90 groups. The coalition has been calling on Governor Murphy to put a moratorium on new fossil fuel projects until we have the programs and standards in place to achieve our 100% clean energy goals. So far, Murphy has not been willing to put a moratorium on these projects. Our state can be a national leader in clean energy and green jobs if we aggressively move forward with renewable energy.

“Governor Murphy’s draft Energy Master Plan does not address the urgency and existential threat that we are facing. The Governor has made a commitment for 100% clean energy by 2050, but instead of trying to meet that commitment he has changed the definition of clean energy to dirty energy. He redefined clean energy to include natural gas, fossil fuel plants with carbon sequestration, nuclear power plants, incinerators, biomass, carbon credits and offsets. The Plan fails to mention the 15 fossil fuel projects in the state, which means that New Jersey supports moving forward with these projects even though they will undermine GHG reductions and renewable energy.

“This was a record year for algae blooms and closed lakes. The DEP failed to clean up our lakes and get rid of this problem. They need to reverse Christie’s rollbacks, restore New Jersey’s lake management program, and deal with phosphorus. A recent Environmental Working Group report showed levels of cyanotoxins in lakes, rivers, and other water bodies across the country at levels higher than EPA health guidance standards. New Jersey needs to be doing more when it comes to preventing toxic algae blooms in the future. DEP needs to establish stream buffers and enforce real Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) standards that limit pollutants in our lakes. We also need to reduce overdevelopment and sprawl in environmentally sensitive areas.

“Another major water problem we faced this summer was the presence of an invasive species of clinging jellyfish in our waterways. The jellyfish were first spotted in New Jersey in 2016 and have turned up every year since. This is a stinging rebuke of failed policies to deal with overdevelopment and stormwater runoff. Seeing jellyfish in New Jersey waterways like Barnegat Bay and Shrewsbury River is a canary in the coal mine. These jellyfish thrive in warm water and areas with pollution because they need less oxygen than other sea life. The state needs to work to reduce pollution and address climate impacts. We also must work to restore watersheds, wetlands and streams, and preserve environmentally sensitive areas.

“New Jersey has far too many water problems, whether it is PFOAs, chlorpyrifos, cyanobacteria in our reservoirs, or lead. For too long, New Jersey has failed to adequately protect its drinking water and is putting the public at risk. Our Water Supply Master Plan is still outdated, and DEP have yet to adopt strict standards for hazardous chemicals in our drinking water. The Drinking Water Quality Institute, the agency that is supposed to set standards and protect public health, did not meet at all in 2019. The Murphy Administration made a commitment to move forward with protecting our drinking water, but no drinking water standards have been set or amended this year.

“Plastics have become a bigger and bigger problem that affects our environment and our water. They are a menace and an existential threat to our drinking water, beaches, and wildlife. So far, over 40 towns in New Jersey are moving forward on banning plastic. New Jersey needs a comprehensive plastic ban bill that will protect our environment and public health. We are still trying to get S2776 (Smith), a comprehensive statewide plastic ban bill, passed in the lame duck session. We need to keep fighting to get this bill heard and released before our plastic waste problem gets worse.

“There were several bills that had consensus in the Legislature that were weakened by last-minute amendments. Governor Murphy signed a weakened Beach Access Bill, S1074 (Smith), and a weakened Carbon Bill, S3207 (Smith), into law this year. The Beach Access Law still allows towns to block access to beaches and waterfront that should belong to all of us, and the Carbon Bill falls short of steps taken by other states to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Other bills that have been weakened by amendments include the Electric Vehicle Bill S2252 (Smith/Greenstein) and the Environmental Justice bill S1700 (Singleton/Weinberg).

“We are fighting multiple battles to protect the integrity of New Jersey’s environment. We are in court challenging a BPU and Pinelands Commission approval of NJNG’s Southern Reliability Link Pipeline. We have asked for a stay because we believe they will cause irreparable harm by moving forward with the construction of the SRL pipeline, but the state has refused to issue a stay. This means that the pipeline will be built before we have a chance to fight it in court. The Pinelands Commission has a resolution to withdraw their support for the South Jersey Gas pipeline, but the resolution has been tabled since April. New Jersey Sierra Club is also involved in litigation against the Bellemead Sewer Plant and in a rate case challenging a powerline for the Meadowlands power plant.

“The current Administration has made some environmental progress this year, although much more needs to be done. Governor Murphy finally signed the stormwater utility bill S1073 (Smith) into law this year, which will help us mitigate stormwater runoff. In August, Murphy made three nominations to the Highlands Council, finally replacing Christie appointees. He has also made five nominations to the Pinelands Commission so far, but he and President Sweeney need to get these nominations moving. In October, Attorney General Grewal and DEP Commissioner McCabe announced new Environmental Justice actions targeting polluters in lower-income and minority communities in the state.

“New Jersey came out blue with a green tide in this year’s elections. Environmental champions were selected on a state and local level. An overwhelming majority of our endorsed candidates won by comfortable margins. Many returning legislators have been leaders on a variety of environmental issues, from pushing electric vehicles to securing critical environmental protections to advocating for environmental justice. This year’s election day was a win for the environment on a state and local level. Now with re-elected incumbents and new leaders, we must move forward to fight climate change and protect New Jersey’s clean air and clean water.

“Our legislative priorities for 2020 include 100% renewable energy by 2035 and zero carbon by 2050. The Murphy Administration needs to take climate change and water pollution more seriously in 2020. They need to fix outdated rules like CAFRA and move forward with a Coastal Commission. They also need to work on removing lead from our water and banning dangerous contaminants like chlorpyrifos. More funding needs to go toward urban and state parks, NJ Transit needs to buy electric buses, and we need to remove the solar cost cap. We hope to see legislation like A5033 (Pinkin) passed that would prevent backsliding of certain State regulations due to changes in federal law or regulation. The Trump Administration has continuously rolled back critical rules and regulations, and we need to build a green wall around our state.

“In 2020, New Jersey can move forward with renewable energy to create green jobs and a green economy. We will continue pushing for a moratorium on new fossil fuel projects because we need to stop dirty power plants and other fossil fuel infrastructure from taking over the state. Let’s start the New Year on the right track toward meeting Governor Murphy’s 100% clean energy goals. Murphy still has time to change, but he needs to act quickly. He needs to step up and take leadership in making New Jersey cleaner and greener. New Jersey can’t afford to wait any longer.”

New Jersey Sierra Club press release

TRENTON, NJ–The following pieces of legislation are up in the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee on Monday, December 9

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A4330 (Pinkin):

Prohibits use of plastic carryout bags, expanded polystyrene, and single-use plastic straws. The bill would prohibit the use of single-use plastic carryout bags in stores and food service businesses, and would ban food service businesses from offering single-use plastic straws. It would also ban the sale of polystyrene and would prohibit food service businesses from selling or providing food packaged in polystyrene containers.

“This bill is a major step forward in dealing with plastics and plastic pollution. Plastics are a menace and an existential threat to our drinking water, beaches, and wildlife. Microplastics have already been found near our drinking water supply, so we could literally be drinking plastic. Animals like fish and birds can ingest plastic, and plastic bags have been known to clog storm drains and fill up detention basins, affecting our water quality,”

said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

“This bill is important because it will ban single-use plastic bags and polystyrene containers. It also should not allow fake reusable bags. It will also allow paper bags during the transition before phasing them out slowly.”

The bill would prohibit the use of single-use plastic carryout bags and paper bags in stores and food service businesses, and would ban food service businesses from offering single-use plastic straws. It would also ban the sale of polystyrene and would prohibit food service businesses from selling or providing food packaged in polystyrene containers.

“We need this legislation because it not only bans plastic bags, but also polystyrene and the offering of plastic straws. Polystyrene is dangerous to human health because it contains carcinogenic chemicals such as benzene and styrene, and it has been found in breast milk. It is harmful to the environment because it is not recyclable and does not degrade. Plastic straws pollute our oceans and beaches. Last year, New Jersey found that more than 80% of their trash is plastic and found an increase in plastic straw waste by 59%,”

said Tittel.

“By reducing how much plastic we use, we can also reduce fracking and fossil fuel use. Plastics are made from natural gas, which means more fossil fuel use, more pipelines, and more fracking.”

A4267 (McKeon):

Concerns regulations of solid waste, hazardous waste, and soil and debris recycling industries.

“This bill is important because it addresses New Jersey’s ongoing problems with illegal dumping of contaminated materials. The Special Commission of Investigation’s first “Dirty Dirt” report in 2016 exposed the rampant problem of soil brokers and dirty dirt. Since that report the illegal dumping is still happening, risking the environment and public health. That’s because there hasn’t been any action by DEP and the Legislature to stop it. The industry has ties to the mob, and there are serious pollution and health impacts,”

said Tittel.

In June, the Special Commission of Investigation released their latest “Dirty Dirt” report detailing illegal dumping in Marlboro. SCI reported that New Jersey currently “lacks the authority to properly oversee elements of its recycling program”. This bill would help tighten regulations by expanding the requirement for background checks to a broader range of persons involved in the solid waste industry, such as sales persons, consultants, and brokers. But the overriding problem continues to be DEP’s lack of enforcement.

“The Assembly bill is an important step forward; however, we need to go further. New Jersey needs tighter regulations and restrictions on how our waste is handled. We have a long history of contaminated materials coming into our state, in part because DEP chooses not to regulate these chemicals. DEP needs to set and enforce standards for toxic materials to prevent any more possible dumping,”

said Jeff Tittel.

“The Assembly needs to act quickly and get this bill to the governor’s desk before the end of the year.”

A5583 (Pinkin):

Prohibits sale, lease, rent or installation of certain equipment products containing hydroflourocarbons or other greenhouse gases.

“This bill is step in the right direction when it comes to reducing GHG’s from the products we use every day. Hydrofluorocarbons represent around 1% of total greenhouse gases but their impact on global warming can be hundreds to thousands of times greater than that of carbon dioxide. They can be found in cooling products like refrigerators, air conditioning for our homes and cars, aerosols, and more,”

said Jeff Tittel.

“It is important that we prohibit and phase out all products containing HCF’s and greenhouse gases so that we can mitigate our impact to global warming.”

A5681 (Pinkin):

Establishes task force to study recycling streams in NJ and challenges faced by local governments in running recycling programs.

“Given the serious problems with recycling in New Jersey, we need to change everything we do when it comes to solid waste. We need to first reduce, reuse, repurpose and then recycle. Our recycling and solid waste programs are decades out of date. Some towns are moving to single-stream recycling, which means more waste gets collected but results in a dirtier product. Establishing a recycling task force will help streamline New Jersey’s recycling,”

said Jeff Tittel.

“We also need legislation to reduce plastic wastes and solids. The less we recycle, the more greenhouse gases and pollution we have from emissions from landfills and new product manufacturing.”

A5682 (Pinkin):

Establishes Recycling Market Development Council. The Council would look at existing recycling markets and recommend ways to stimulate recycling and how to reduce contamination of collected recyclables.

“We’re seeing a major drop in recycling in New Jersey. In the early 1990’s, we recycled over half of municipal and household waste. Now we are down to 37%. China’s decision to no longer import plastic waste has caused the recycling market to collapse. Some towns are no longer taking plastics. Recycling facilities are closing, or opening only once or twice a month. This bill says that New Jersey needs to develop new recycling markets. Rutgers has invented the first plastic lumber that uses recycled plastics, and more innovation needs to encouraged,”

said Tittel.

“We need to focus on coming up with more markets for recycling, and establishing a Recycling Market Development Council is a step in the right direction.”

A5854 (Pintor Marin):

Allows municipalities to adopt an ordinance to enter properties to perform lead service line replacements.

“This legislation will help us replace lead service lines. This legislation is needed because lead in drinking water has become an ongoing issue in New Jersey. In order to find out if people are being exposed to lead or to get rid of existing lead service lines, you need to have access to the properties. Many times, landlords or property owners will not allow access to municipalities to check for lead,”

said Jeff Tittel.

“Our water is at risk and we need to be able to replace old lead pipes. This legislation will help municipalities protect residents from being exposed to lead in their water.”

A6014 (Vainieri Huttle/Pinkin):

Establishes NJ Climate Change Resource Center at Rutgers University, appropriates $2 million.

“Establishing a Climate Change Resource Center is a good step forward when it comes to being prepared and stronger than the next storm. Climate impacts are getting worse. A recent study found that much of New Jersey, including inland counties, are more vulnerable to climate impacts now than before Sandy. We must start taking real actions to fight climate change now. We are in a climate crisis, and New Jersey is the only state on the east coast that does not have any kind of sea level rise climate adaptation plan,”

said Jeff Tittel.

“This Resource Center will help use the latest science to put climate and sea level rise in DEP rules and state legislation. DEP also need to update our adaptation for sea level mitigation program, our shore protection plan, and fix CAFRA loopholes.”

A4020 (Mazzeo):

Changes title of DEP “conservation officer” to “Conservation police officer”.

“We feel that this title change is incorrect and unnecessary,”

said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

Bills Up in Senate Committees Monday

The following pieces of legislation are up in various committees on Monday, December 9

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Senate Environment and Energy Committee:

S4275 (Smith)

: Allows BPU to increase cost to customers of Class I renewable energy requirements for energy years 2022 through 2024, under certain conditions.

“We are heading into a crisis for solar energy. We support this bill because it will prevent the collapse of the solar market, but our concern is that this is a temporary fix. We need to do something about the cost cap before the cap is exceeded and the solar program ends,”

said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

“This bill raises the cost to 9% instead of 7%, but if the costs exceed that limit the BPU is still required to set aside the Renewable Portfolio Standard for that year.”

The bill would allow the BPU to increase the cost cap on Class I renewable energy requirements if the total energy costs during energy years 2019 through 2021 is less than 9%. The cap would then return to the original 7% from energy year 2022 through 2024. Since the solar program went into effect about 10 years ago, solar has become 29 percent more efficient and gone down in price by 25 percent.

“This bill is just kicking the can down the road for a few more years. What we need is a real fix, not a Band-Aid. We should be completely getting rid of the cap. We don’t have caps on energy from coal, nuclear, oil, or gas. Having a cap on solar energy makes no sense. You also have to factor in legacy SRECs as well as transition SRECs. Our concern is that even with this change in the law it will not allow us to have a robust solar program,”

said Jeff Tittel.

“We need to remove the cost cap, but we also need to come up with a new solar program that is more cost effective and works for all of New Jersey. This includes looking at other funding mechanisms and regulations to push for solar programs to get done.”

S3965 (Ruiz/Cryan)

: Requires DEP, DOH, DCA, owners or operators of public water systems, and owners or operators of certain buildings to take certain actions to prevent and control cases of Legionnaires’ disease.

“It is important for the Legislature to make sure our water companies, cities, and state agencies are held accountable when it comes to the water we drink. There are too many problems in New Jersey from one county to the next, whether it is PFOAs, volatile organic chemicals, cyanobacteria, or legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaire’s disease. For too long, New Jersey has failed to adequately protect its drinking water and is putting the public at risk. This is mainly due to DEP’s failure to enforce the Clean Water Act, “

said Jeff Tittel.

“We have serious water problems throughout the state when it comes to our drinking water. That is why we need to make sure that different water purveyors take actions to identify their problems and correct them.”

S3974 (Ruiz):

Authorizes common law public nuisance suits regarding lead paint under State law; exempts Attorney General from certain aspects of public nuisance claims when pursuing lead paint actions.

“It is good that this bill would allow the Attorney General to pursue public nuisance claims against lead paint manufacturers. We have a serious problem with lead in New Jersey that we have been dealing with for far too long. Some places in the state are at crisis level, especially in areas that are poorer and urban. There are a lot of hazardous chemicals in lead paint like VOCs and other flammable substances, and it is important for the Attorney General to have the ability to hold lead paint manufacturers accountable”

said Tittel.

S4162 (Smith):

Appropriates $2 million to establish NJ Climate Change Resource Center at Rutgers University.

“Establishing a Climate Change Resource Center is a good step forward when it comes to being prepared and stronger than the next storm. A recent study found that much of New Jersey, including inland counties, are more vulnerable to climate impacts now than before Sandy. We must start taking real actions to fight climate change now. We are in a climate crisis, and New Jersey is the only state on the east coast that does not have any kind of sea level rise climate adaptation plan,”

said Jeff Tittel.

“This Resource Center will help use the latest science to put climate and sea level rise in DEP rules and state legislation.”

S4276 (Corrado):

Appropriates $32,153,936 to State Agriculture Development Committee for farmland preservation purposes.

S4277 (Greenstein):

Appropriates $5,000,000 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to State Agriculture Development Committee for municipal planning incentive grants for farmland preservation purposes.

S4278 (Greenstein):

Appropriates $21 million from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to State Agriculture Development Committee for municipal planning incentive grants for farmland preservation purposes.

S4279 (Greenstein):

Appropriates $1,350,000 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to State Agriculture Development Committee for grants to certain nonprofit organizations for farmland preservation purposes.

“We need to make sure that there is capital set aside for state parks, parks in urban areas, open space, and improvements. For years, state parks and parks in urban areas have been significantly underfunded. We wanted the new money to fix that problem. We need these funds because there are massive backlogs and parks are falling apart without improvement for years. Over the last decade the parks budget is down 40%, despite us adding 40% more open space,”

said Jeff Tittel.

“We would like to see 40% of open space money dedicated to urban space areas. We are concerned because the definition of stewardship in these bills allows for logging and other things. Stewardship money should be going towards wetlands restoration and stream corridors.

Senate Economic Growth Committee:

S1212 (Ruiz)

requires lead paint inspection prior to home purchases and tenant turnover; establishes educational program on lead hazards. Lead is incredibly dangerous, and can cause illness and even in small amounts can lead to brain damage and learning disabilities. It can also lead to childhood development problems and other serious health issues. Thousands of children are diagnosed with lead poisoning in our state each year; over 3,000 in 2015 alone. Many of these children are exposed to lead through paint in their homes and other structures.

“It’s important to have these pieces of legislation to find lead in homes and stop children from being exposed to it in the first place. We need a long-term solution that will help remove lead from our schools and especially the older homes. We must work on removing lead from homes but also from our drinking water through old infrastructure. This is the beginning of dealing with a systemic problem that’s going to take years to solve and lot of work and funding to get done,”

said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.