Contact: Jeff Tittel, NJ Sierra Club, 609-558-9100

Christie Did Steal Enviro Settlement Money After All

We took the Governor for his word that he wasn’t going to line item anything in the budget, but he did after all. When we looked on the Office of Legislative Services (OLS) website and in the Governor’s press releases, there was no link to him stealing the environmental settlement money. However, it has come to our attention that he did, but you still can’t find it on the website. In his final budget, Governor Christie has continued to target the environment and balances it on the backs of working people. For the past seven years, the Governor has used the budget to attack the environment. The problem is budgets has consequences because it means more lead in our schools, more pollution, increased climate impacts, and parks falling apart. The final budget has its priorities wrong, cuts vital environmental programs, while giving tax cuts to millionaires. It is not a surprise that he hasn’t kept his word and has continued stealing from people impacted by pollution. Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club released the following statement:

“The Governor said he wasn’t going to line item anything in the budget, but he did anyway. We took the Governor for his word and diligence, but it turns out he did steal the environmental settlement money after all. Just like he said he didn’t get any sun when he was at the beach, he said he wasn’t going to line item anything, but he did after all. When you looked at the OLS website, the Governor’s website, and in his press releases, there was no link to his line items. He clearly did this to hide the fact that he was robbing from environmental settlements.”

“Governor Christie is continuing the taking of blood money from environmental settlements. Year after year, the Governor robbing this money has been an unconscionable attempt to plug budget holes. The people suffering from this pollution were threatened first by the dumping and then again by the Administration hijacking the money to clean-up this pollution. The Administration did this to grab as much as he can before the referendum is passed to constitutionally dedicate the money. The Governor saying he wasn’t going to line item the budget was just like he said he didn’t get any sun.”

“We asked the Democrats to put in language that would prohibit the Governor from taking any of this money by not being able to line item it, but they kept it compromise language so he could take it all. Now $140 million from the $190 million Passaic River Settlement will still be diverted instead of going to the people impacted by this pollution. On the Exxon Settlement, they can now take $175 million of the $225 million, which is an outrageous attack on the environment and communities impacted. The only positive is that oral arguments on the Exxon Settlement will not be until September so the case won’t be decided after the November ballot question. This means that the Christie Administration may not be able to steal money from the Exxon Settlement at all.”

“The Christie Administration continuing to raid from environmental settlements makes it even more important for the voters to make sure settlement monies are constitutionally dedicated in November. The clock is ticking until we can make sure this money is dedicated. We need as much money from these settlements because the Christie Administration has failed to file one Natural Resource Damage settlement in the past 7 years. We are also concerned that they could start to settle cases before the ballot question is passed. We need to prevent future raids and make sure this robbery is prevented.”