Murphy DEP Punts On Climate Emergency Rule Petition Seeking Deep Reductions In Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Posted on October 4, 2021 by Bill Wolfe

DEP Claims Petition Requires “Further Deliberation”

DEP implies that they lack statutory authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions

Kicking the can down the road exposes Murphy DEP climate fraud

Delay and indecision contrasts with DEP’s approval of PSE&G nuke site wetlands 

Back in July, a Statewide coalition of 58 groups submitted a “petition for rulemaking” to DEP urging DEP to adopt regulations that would mandate a 50% cut in greenhouse gas emissions, based on the “best available science”, which is the most recent IPCC Report. I wrote about that here: (hit the link for the details and the petition)

The Murphy DEP just decided to punt and postpone decision on that petition. (I had not anticipated that kind of cowardly response in my prior post).

DEP set no firm date for deciding the issue. The DEP punt decision will not be officially published in the NJ Register until October 18, 2021, just weeks before the election.

You can read DEP’s full response to the rulemaking petition here (emphases mine):

Take notice that the Department of Environmental Protection (Department) has determined to refer the petition for rulemaking from John H. Reichman on behalf of EmpowerNJ, BlueWaveNJ, Clean Water Action NJ, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Don’t Gas the Meadowlands Coalition, Environment New Jersey, Food & Water Watch, and New Jersey Sierra Club (petitioners) for further deliberation.

“Refer” the petition for further deliberation?

I think DEP meant “defer” because there is no organization that DEP can by law “refer” the petition to – DEP is the deliberator and as George Bush said, the decider.

Dangerously, the DEP concludes that they not only need additional time, but implies that they lack statutory authority:

Accordingly, the Department will need additional time to evaluate the request in light of the Department’s existing efforts and underlying authority.

This is deeply troubling.

The DEP punt exposes the fraud of the Murphy climate claims.

If Gov. Murphy and DEP Commissioner LaTourette were serious, they would have used this petition as the opportunity to ratchet down on current regulations.

Ironically – and revealingly – at the same time that DEP delayed any decision on the climate activist community’s petition, it approved PSE&G’s petition for changes to the coastal wetlands regulations to deregulate wetlands and facilitate development at PSE&G Salem nuclear power plant complex! 

Just another subsidy and more regulatory relief for PSE&G!

The timing is impeccable: the PSE&G approval is published TODAY in the NJ REGISTER.

Will the climate activists and media make the Gov. pay a political price for effectively dismissing their petition just weeks before the election?

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