Gov Vetoes Risky Oil Spill Bill: Win for Communities

Governor Murphy has vetoed S2662 (Sweeney). This bill limits liability for persons who deliver heating oil to unregulated tanks for discharges from that tank under certain circumstances. The Sierra Club wrote to the Governor opposing this bill because we believe that if signed into law, this legislation would have undermined environmental protection efforts by removing accountability.

“This was a bad bill because it puts people and environment at risk. Whenever you remove liability on oil spills, you may actually be encouraging more oil spills. This could lead to more carelessness, more spills, and possibly even willful actions. If a fuel oil deliverer spills oil or other fuel into a community, they must be held accountable for the pollution and safety issues that result from the spill. Otherwise, these companies will not have incentive to practice care and caution when delivering dangerous fossil fuels. If they are let off the hook for accidents, then it’s the homeowners of New Jersey who are left with the burden of cleaning up and protecting themselves from these materials,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We want to thank Governor Murphy for doing the right thing and vetoing this legislation that could have caused more problems for the people of New Jersey.”

This law would put undue burdens on homeowners, costing them more money and creating safety and health issues for these communities. Many of those who use oil live in rural areas and depend on wells for drinking water. Oil spills can contaminate their drinking supply and that for surrounding homes. This also puts an unfair burden on those of modest means who may not be able to afford to convert to natural gas, especially senior citizens and people in urban areas.

“We support Murphy’s veto of this bill and his overall goals to make New Jersey a leader on environmental protections and clean energy. A major part of that is to make sure our state is following the “polluters must pay” principal. If a deliverer is responsible for spilling or leaking oil or other hazardous substances than they must be held accountable for those actions. This is why are glad that Murphy has vetoed S2662 (Sweeney) that would let them off the hook for these accidents, further creating environmental and public safety issues in New Jersey communities,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “This is a win for the environment and homeowners.”