Crossroads for Corzine on the Environment
Governor Corzine consults with DEP Commissioner Lisa P. JacksonAs he returns to NJ from a week in Israel, Governor Jon Corzine is faced with major decisions on the environment. These decisions will define his legacy on environmental issues and set the stage for any political endorsements by environmental groups in the 2009 gubernatorial campaign.
Here they are in order of timing – most immediate first:
1. The Permit Extension Act was passed by both houses of the Legislature on June 30 and is on the Governor’s desk and must be acted on in 45 days. The bill is vigorously opposed by environmentalists who are seeking a veto. The bill would do absolutely nothing to address real economic hardships and financial market problems caused by the sub-prime mortage disaster and collapse of the housing market and construction industry. Yet, by automatically extending long expired old approvals, it would lock in builders to antiquated development plans and frustrate major environmental goals, such as global warming and water supply protection, that require new designs and environmental controls. See: http://www.nj.com/njvoices/index.ssf/2008/07/a_cruel_hoax_on_many_levels.html
2. Highlands Master Plan – The Highlands Council approved a controversial Regional Master Plan last week. The Governor has 30 days to either veto it and send it back to the Council for more work, or accept it. Environmentalists are seeking a veto. See: Download file
3. Clean Water Funds In June, the legislature passed bills re-authorizing and appropriating $550 million for clean water infrastructure projects. This is the same DEP program that provided a $212 million mostly unsecured loan to the Encap Meadowlands project that recently filed for bankruptcy. As a result of weaknesses in the law and lax DEP oversight, taxpayers have lost at least $60 million as a result, and recent press reports suggest Mafia involvement. Environmentalists are urging the Governor to conditionally veto the bill to a) prohibit funding of private development projects; and b) strengthen safeguards, loan standards, and DEP oversight to respond to the major flaws in Inspector General Cooper’s Report. See: Legislature clears loans for water cleanup – Some of $550 million will fund private firms http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1214886981327450.xml&coll=1
4. Global Warming Plans – The Corzine Administration failed to meet the first major statutory milestone in implementing the emission reduction goals of the highly touted Global Warming Response Act. A June 30th legal deadline for producing a plan identifying the legislative and regulatory “measures necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions” will not be met until September at the earliest. NJ will miss the first auction in September to sell pollution allowances under the 10 northeastern states’ Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). At the same time, Corzine has supported new nuclear plants and an Energy Plan that fails to make regulatory commitments and investments to promote energy efficiency, expand renewable power, phase out coal power, restrict coal based electric imports, ban power exports to NYC, retro-fit exisiting buildings, and reduce current greenhouse gas emissions. See:
Corzine misses global warming deadline
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080702/NEWS01/80702035/1006
The Governor clearly has his work cut out for him – and these are only the most pressing decisions he must make. This does not consider unfinished business and commitments to other major initiatives, such as 1) enforcing environmental justice, 2) release of the long overdue Water Supply Plan; 3) abandoning his scheme to privatize the cleanup of toxic sites; 4) renewal of Garden State Preservation Trust funding for open space preservation, historic, and recreational resources; and 5) derailing the massive campaign by the NJ Builders Association to rollback local land use and environmental laws.
Corzine’s legacy will be determined by September.
This certainly lays out the work ahead–not only for the governor, but for US–making sure he does the right thing.
Some of the most important long-term issues are in yr last paragraph: enviro justice and the horrifying plan to privatize cleanup of toxic sites.
Other than you and the fabulous Peter Montague (and Rev. Fletcher from time to time), not many people speak up these days about environmental justice issues. For any real change to take place, we must be vigilant in this area and keep our focus firmly on this aspect of any other issue we tackle.
yes – isjbnorn1 – I find it more than ironic – deeply troubling – that the environmental justice issue has fallen off the radar screen at precisely the moment when we have a black woman as DEP Commissioner under a purported liberal pro-environment pro-urban governor.
There seems to be some form of suppression operating that no one (at least that I am aware of) has either even made this observation, or done critical accountability (openly, publicly) on this issue.
True story: Lisa Jackson to Maria Franco-Spera (head of NJDEP’s Environmental Justice): “what is environmental justice?”.
Business and developers are calling all the shots at DEP. We’ve seen increased presence of “suits” on their way to the 7th floor. Everything being done in the name of “stimulating” the economy. Site Remediation Program told as much by Ass. Commish Irene Kropp. Corzine is not pro-environment nor a liberal. He’s pro-Corzine.
unprovincial – based on what I know, you are absolutely correct in terms of DEP priorities and who is calling the shots.
I wihs we had a press corps or an envrionmetnal community that wa remotely curious about this adn willing to hold DEP accountable.
In terms of environmental justice (where did it go?) I plan to write more on this topic.
In the meantime, for the DEP readers out there – please give me a heads up on proects that are being expedited or granted environmental concesions in order to “stimulate” the economy. Drop me a line – we do have OPRA.
Doesn’t Jackson and Corzine realize that this mentality is EXACTLY what caused ENCAP and other scandals ?
Wolfe