After 2 years of a “Stakeholder process” and almost a dozen legislative oversight hearings in response to highly publicized botched cleanups, today DEP Assistant Commissioner Kropp presented the long awaited DEP toxic site cleanup reform bill, S1897 (link to bill: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2008/Bills/S2000/1897_I1.PDF
The 53 page bill would make radical policy changes and privatize cleanup decisions at 14,000 – 15,0000 toxic waste sites.
Here are Kropp’s answers to basic questions from the legislative sponsor, Chairman Smith of Senate Environment Committee (the responses are verbatim, the questions are paraphrased) – Listen to hearing here: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/archive_audio2.asp?KEY=SEN&SESSION=2008
Q: Can you describe how DEP oversight will work:
A: “We haven’t worked out the details of implementation yet.”
Q: What are reasonable timeframes for each phase of the cleanup process conducted by Licensed Site Professionals?
A: “I have no clue about what the timeframes should be”
Q: What transition process do you foresee at DEP?
A: “Who knows what is going to happen in the next 3-6 months”
“… whatever will be will be…. the future’s not ours to see – que sera, sera…. what will be, will be..
Where have you gone Doris Day! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZbKHDPPrrc&feature=related
Irene Kropp, DEP Assistant Commissioner for Site Remediation testifies to the Senate Environment Committee today.
Of course she doesn’t know, Bill! She’s too busy spending time in the DEP parkiing lot!
Irene Kropp said what she was told to say by DEP top management. I fault the Legislators who take this kind of non-response as sufficient to do their job. Put her feet to the fire. Call Jackson up and get her on the record. DON’T ALLOW ANY AGENCY BUREACRACY TO BLOW OFF APPROPRIATE QUESTIONS OF THE LEGISLATURE! Where’s the Public Advocate? Where’s NJPIRG? Citizen’s Action? Where’s the Guv?
ferdek: I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but Kropp is “top mgmt” and if Jackson were called, she would put you on hold while she asked Kropp what she should say.