NJ Chapter Press Releases

Barnegat Bay Blitz Doesn�t Better Protect Bay

Wed, 9 May 2012 11:34:29 -0400

The New Jersey Sierra Club applauds the hundreds of volunteers that came out today to help clean up Barnegat Bay.These individuals came out because they truly care about preserving and protecting the Bay today and for future generations.Unfortunately, the policies of the Christie administration undermine the health and Barnegat Bay and result in more pollution. We have seen conditions get worse while the Governor is weakening protections for the Bay.He vetoed three important bills that would help clean up the Bay.He is weakening critical DEP water quality rules that would protect the Bay while promoting development around the Bay that will add more pollution.Instead of coming up with real polices to clean up the water going into the Bay, the Christie Administration is more concerned about photo ops and press releases than putting in place better protections. ....

Keep Transco Pipeline Off Our Open Space

Wed, 9 May 2012 11:34:06 -0400

Tonight Franklin Township (Hunterdon) and the Green Acres Program will hold a public hearing on diverting two parcels preserved with taxpayer funding for the Transco Northeast Supply Link Project.This pipeline expansion project will have significant impacts on environment and clean energy future of not only the township and Hunterdon County, but the entire state.The Sierra Club objects to the use of public lands for polluting energy projects as a way to cut project costs.These energy companies target our public lands because they are appraised lower, and therefore cheaper to use, than privately held lands.The Sierra Club is calling on Franklin Township officials and the DEP Green Acres program to reject this proposal to destroy our public lands for an inappropriate energy project. ....

Wanaque Reservoir Under Dirty Water Threat

Wed, 9 May 2012 11:33:53 -0400

The North Jersey District Water Supply Commission has proposed to increase the amount of water that can be removed from the Wanaque reservoir system, or the "safe yield". This is the largest reservoir system in the state.Currently 173 million gallons per day (MGD) can be taken but this would increase to 190 MGD.This raises serious concerns for our water quality and could impact the drinking water supply for over 2 million people.The New Jersey Sierra Club has called on DEP to hold a public hearing on this proposal so that the public can learn more.This is too important.The Sierra Club submitted comments to the DEP urging them to deny this increase. ....

Private Toxic Site Cleanup Goes Into Effect

Wed, 9 May 2012 11:33:29 -0400

Private Toxic Site Cleanup Goes Into Effect Today the DEP's Licensed Site Remediation Professionals (LSRP) program goes into effect.After today for all contaminated sites, except a select few, the owners, responsible parties or people who purchase these properties have to hire consultants to plan and oversee the cleanup of the site.The legislation passed in 2009 now goes into effect, privatizing the cleanup process and handing more authority over to LSRPs hired by the owners and polluters to conduct clean ups on their property.The Sierra Club has major concerns with this privatization program.With over 20,000 contaminated sites in the state, virtually all residents will be impacted by the lack of oversight and weakening of cleanup standards under this program. ....

NJEF Fed Up?

Thu, 03 May 2012 13:06:49 -0400

Today the New Jersey Environmental Federation, which endorsed Governor Christie, released a scorecard on the Governor's performance on environmental issues. Jeff Tittel, Director, NJ Sierra Club issued the following statement in response:

"We are glad the Federation has finally been willing to publically criticize the Governor with the release of their score card today. However it's long overdue, in fact two years overdue. This Governor has done more damage to environmental protections and is attempting to do more than any Governor in state history. In fact, today instead of listening to what the Environmental Federation that endorsed him has to say, Governor Christie is delivering a keynote address at a Koch Brothers education forum. That says it all". ....

Dirty Energy Pipeline Targets Our Public Lands

Wed, 2 May 2012 12:21:07 -0400

Dirty Energy Pipeline Targets Our Public Lands

Forty five groups from across the State have come together to oppose the loss of public lands for a polluting fossil fuel pipeline.The Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (TGP) is proposing to expand their existing natural gas pipeline in Montague, Wantage, West Milford, Ringwood, and Mahwah, in order to carry more gas produced through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the Marcellus Shale.This Northeast Upgrade project heavily targets our public lands with about 50% of the project in our state and county parks and forests.The organizations are calling on the State House Commission (SHC) to reject the diversion of our protected open spaces for a project that will increase our dependence on fossil fuels and destroy critical environmental resources. ....

Test Baby Test to Drill Baby Drill

Wed, 2 May 2012 12:10:48 -0400

Today the New Jersey Sierra Club along with other organizations and concerned citizens will be standing up for our coasts. The Department of Interior is holding their hearing on their draft plan on draft plan on oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic Ocean. This proposed plan for seismic testing in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean to evaluate oil, gas, and other resources is nothing more than a gateway for drilling off our coast. New Jersey Sierra Club’s main concern is that they would not be releasing a proposed seismic testing plan if they were not going to drill. It has been two years after the BP disaster and we are not any safer. Drilling off our coast is a huge risk that we are not willing to take especially because it would harm our coast, tourism industry, and economy.

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Court Battle Over Susquehanna-Roseland Line Continues

Wed, 2 May 2012 11:13:09 -0400

and we are seeking remedy from the court. There are more efficient, less expensive alternatives that move New Jersey toward a clean energy future," said Jeff Tittel, Director of NJ Sierra Club. "This line continues our reliance on toxic fossil fuels by shipping coal-fired power into New Jersey. Instead we should be looking toward demand response and renewable energy to meet our peak energy demands."

The environmental groups charge that the BPU wrongfully gave PSEG a preference and thus did not verify claims by PSEG that non-transmission alternatives, such as demand response, were unable to address predicted reliability violations and did not to be considered. Based on the lack of a robust alternatives analysis, the groups are requesting that the BPU's approval of the Susquehanna-Roseland Transmission Line be overturned. ....

Rules Could Turn Permitting into Rubberstamp

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:51:51 -0400

The Department of State has issued a draft rule to streamline and accelerate permitting for businesses that could impact the environment and cut the public out of the permitting process.The rule is vague and open-ended, potentially opening the door to political pressure and abuse by special interests pushing for their pet projects to the detriment of the environment, public health, and safety.The rule calls on state agencies to draft an annual list of permits they feel can be expedited or are obsolete or redundant.The representative appointed by the Governor or Secretary of State could alter the permitting process based on the agency recommendations.This process creates more bureaucracy and process by requiring the staff of each agency to compile these reports.As proposed this rule will impact everything from clean air to consumer protections.This rule comes from ALEC and the Koch Brothers and is part of Governor Christie’s national corporate polluter agenda.The New

Solar Program Getting Eclipsed

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:13:18 -0400

energy certificates (SRECS) dropping to their lowest amount being traded for less than $100 last week. The spot market dropped below $100 and the average in April was $135 however, this same time last year the SRECs were being traded for $655 this shows a dramatic drop over a short one year period. This dramatic decrease is due in part to the failed policies of the Christie administration to help keep the solar industry in our state afloat. Governor Christie has basically gotten rid of the solar rebates in our state, has pulled out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and has lowered the Renewable Portfolio Standard in our state from 30% to 22.5%. New Jersey was on track to meet the aggressive clean energy goals, but all of these factors will cost the state green jobs and economic stability, critical pollution reductions, and energy independence.

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New Jersey�s Air Breathe At Your Own Risk

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:12:51 -0400

reason for improvement has been weather and the economy. When the economy improves and the weather gets hot we will be back to where we were with failing air quality," *said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.*

Ground level ozone is one of the worst air pollutants, which is why 12 other states now excluding New Jersey is petitioning the EPA to set the national ambient air quality standard to a level that will protect human health. The preliminary standard for ozone is 75 ppb, but under this case they want lower it to 60 to 70 ppb. After the results from the State of our Air it especially important that New Jersey join the other states to protect the health and lungs of New Jersey residents who are being affected from ozone in basically every county.

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Updated Fish Advisory Shows More Waterways At Risk

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:36:05 -0400

The DEP has released updated fish advisory, showing 14 more streams impacted by pollution.This pollution is primarily from mercury and polychlorinated biphenyl compounds (PCBs).Mercury enters the food chain primarily from pollution from coal-fired power plants while PCBs leak from contaminated sites we have failed to clean up.The Christie administration has only made these problems worse through their policies.The administration did not support the EPA on a lawsuit to reduce toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants upwind of New Jersey and not developed important toxic site cleanup standards mandated by the EPA. ....

Hunterdon Co Freeholders Vote to Gut Open Space Funding

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:35:12 -0400

Hunterdon Co Freeholders Vote to Gut Open Space Funding

Today the Hunterdon County Freeholders are set to vote on major changes to the county's open space program that will negatively impact our public lands.The Freeholders will reallocate $3.3 million in open space funds to pay down debts that outdate the current open space tax.The people and Freeholders had decided to pay for that out of other revenue sources and the new open space money would be used for acquisitions.If this change is approved we are going to be using our open space fundsto pay for properties that have already been preserved while there is a back log in people that want to preserve their land.

"These changes are driven by short-sightedness.Voters time and again have overwhelmingly supported open space funding.Many of us choose to live in Hunterdon County because of its natural beauty and open space funding helps preserve those qualities and resources for future generations," <

Spectra Pipeline Targets Liberty State Park

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:34:23 -0400

Monday the DEP will hold a public hearing on the proposal by Spectra to take our public land in Liberty State Park to increase their gas pipeline infrastructure across the state.Liberty is the most visited State Park in the nation.The Spectra pipeline will go through some of the most densely populated parts of New Jersey- Bayonne, Jersey City and off the shore of Hoboken into New York City.Our public lands are precious, especially in such a heavily populated area, and must not be diverted for dirty fossil fuel projects. Liberty State Park belongs to all of us and is held in the public trust.This project takes the side of special interests over the protection of our public lands. ....

Transco Pipeline Hurts Environment

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:34:03 -0400

Today the DEP will hold a hearing on Freshwater Wetland and Flood Hazard Area permits for Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company's (Transco) Northeast Supply Link project.The company is proposing to add new pipeline to its system in Hunterdon County, modify 25 miles of pipe in Essex, Passaic, Hudson, and Bergen Counties, and add a new compressor station in Roseland, New Jersey.The project will impact wetlands, threatened and endangered species, water supplies, and other critical resources all to bring more polluting fossil fuels into New Jersey and New York City.An initial permit application for the Hunterdon County portion of the project was deemed deficient by the DEP but could be resubmitted at any time.The DEP is currently reviewing the applications for the eastern portion of the line and the proposed compressor station expansion. ....