DEP Response to Climate Impacts From Massive New Fossil Infrastructure: “Beyond the scope of the applicable regulations”

After 4 Years Of Doing Nothing, DEP’s “Commitment” To Climate Change Is Exposed As Sham

In the wake of the timing of  DEP Commissioner LaTourette’s work for the proposed Gibbstown, NJ “Fortress” LNG Export Facility (see Worst Revolving Door, Ever), I thought I’d read some of the permit files.

I will post soon on some very interesting things I’m finding, but felt compelled to share this gem, in DEP’s own words, right now.

For years, I’ve been writing about huge gaps in DEP regulations and trying to expose the fact the DEP regulations do not apply to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

I’ve repeatedly warned that DEP issues permits to massive fossil infrastructure without even considering the GHG emission or climate issues.

I don’t think the NJ media has ever reported that very basic fact and huge regulatory flaw at DEP.

I don’t recall environmental groups making this huge DEP dereliction of duty an important public issue. Just the opposite, they have repeatedly praised Gov. Murphy and DEP LaTourette’s “climate leadership”.

The public has no idea about this and mistakenly has been led to believe that Gov. Murphy is a leader on climate issues.

That false public impression is a direct result of cheerleading by environmental groups and lazy, incompetent, and cowardly journalism.

So, of course, I could not resist quoting DEP’s own words, written in response to extensive comments submitted by environmental groups on the proposed Gibbstown NJ LNG export facility (see above screenshot).

Validating what I’ll call the “IF Stone doctrine of government records”, this shocking DEP statement is found at the very end of a paragraph of the very last page of a detailed technical “response to public comment” document on the proposed LNG export facility, which would create massive greenhouse gas emissions :

DEP is committed to addressing the impacts of climate change and understands the concerns expressed related to global warming, the oversight of gas production through fracking and horizontal drilling. However, these issues are beyond the scope of the applicable regulations and the specific activities proposed under the subject application.

Current Murphy DEP Commissioner LaTourette was the lead lawyer for securing DEP LNG permits. He secured those DEP permits in record time and under the public’s radar. So he obviously knows that DEP regulations are seriously flawed – in detail. He’s done nothing to fix those flaws.

It is simply no longer credible – after 4 years of taking no action to close these loopholes and gaps in DEP regulations while issuing hundreds of permits to major new sources of greenhouse gas emissions – for the Murphy DEP to claim that they are “committed to addressing climate change”.