Enviro Bills Up in Senate Tomorrow

The following environmental legislation is on the Senate board list for a full floor vote tomorrow, July 30, 2020.

S232 (Singleton): Requires DEP to evaluate environmental and public health stressors of certain facilities on overburdened communities when reviewing certain permit applications.

“This legislation will help protect overburdened communities from new polluting facilities and expansions to existing facilities. Our concern is that DEP is in charge of determining if the cumulative impact on a project meets the standard of overburdening a community, but we don’t know what that standard is or if they will actually do it. They need to develop clear standards for air permits as well as water and toxic. When DEP does grant permits for new air polluting facilities, there should be reductions and offsets in those communities to make up for the new sources of pollution and maintain health-based standards. This legislation will give the public and towns a say on new project permits and expansions as well as the renewal of some large permits,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Now that this bill is out of committee, it’s important for the Assembly to pass it and get it to the governor’s desk as soon as possible. It is critical for these communities to have access to clean air and clean water, and this legislation is the first major towards that goal.”

S2606 (Smith): Allows installation of residential solar energy systems prior to obtaining construction permit or interconnection approval during COVID-19 emergency.

“Our solar jobs were hit hard by the public health emergency, but these projects should be prioritized when it comes to dealing with the coronavirus impacts. For the first few months of the public health emergency, New Jersey wasn’t letting solar installations to continue. Meanwhile, projects like the NJ Turnpike widenings, the state’s own power plant in the Meadowlands, and other fossil fuel projects have been allowed to continue unhindered during the pandemic. A recent Harvard study and other studies have found that coronavirus risk is linked to air pollution exposure, which is all the more reason to be moving forward with solar and other renewable energy projects,” said Jeff Tittel. “This legislation will help solar jobs continue during the pandemic to reduce pollution and climate impacts.”

S2714 (Sarlo): Authorizes special occasion events at certain farms on preserved farmland, under certain conditions.

“This is land that has been paid for and preserved by taxpayers to keep farming viable for future generations. This legislation undermines that commitment by New Jersey to protect our farmland. Preserved farms are meant to be just that. We should not be allowing more non-agricultural development on preserved farms with this legislation. We’re turning farms into Disney World with amusement rides, adventure activities, bounce houses, group hubs, weddings, bed and breakfasts, tractor repair, music festivals, and wineries,” said Jeff Tittel. “The people of New Jersey paid to protect this land and keep it as farmland.”

S19 (Sweeney): Designates, as State and public holiday, third Friday in June as Juneteenth Day.

“The Sierra Club supports the designation of June 19 as Juneteenth Day. June 19th has spread from Texas to other states, and is celebrated as a culturally important day for education, connection and action. Juneteenth takes on even more significance in this moment in 2020, with the Global Uprising for Black Lives,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.