Murphy DEP Holds Training Sessions — For Environmental Justice Advocates

Cringeworthy Talk By Commissioner LaTourette To “Sparse” Turnout

Patronizing, Manipulative, And Loaded With Vague Platitudes

(caption: Your author speaks in support of EJ activists at State House press conference to blast Gov. Corzine for building schools on toxic waste sites in poor black communities (See the Star Ledger story, June 25, 2008). We weren’t taking DEP funding, kissing DEP’s ass, seeking lectures by the DEP Commissioner, and attending DEP “training”. We were kicking DEP’s ass and schooling them.)

Before I get to the issues today, I need to correct and clarify errors in my post yesterday that criticized a joint DEP – Rutgers training program for environmental consultants and industry.

I was taught that when you make a mistake, you admit it and immediately correct it.

The sub-headline of that post claimed: No Program To Help The Public Navigate Complex DEP Regulations and I wrote:

There is … no public role in DEP monitoring and enforcement. None.

At 4:17 pm last evening, a NJ environmentalist sent me an email invitation from DEP to a DEP “seminar session”:

• Navigating the DEP System: Explaining Enforcement Part I- Introduction to Enforcement! That session is to be held today.

I knew nothing about this DEP initiative and I stand corrected and apologize for the error.

But I stand by the remaining criticisms of the Rutgers – DEP training program, which are criticisms I’ve brought to DEP Commissioner LaTourette several times. Neither he nor his staff even had the courtesy to reply.

Because I was blind sided and made mistakes, I asked my NJ environmental source who sent me that DEP email for the background on this, e.g. when did he learn about this DEP training? He replied that he received a “blast email” from DEP on March 13.

Chasing the links on that DEP email, I found that DEP apparently began a “training” program last year, but it looks like it was narrowly targeted for and promoted to environmental justice advocates.

Not surprisingly, DEP held out the carrot early on.

As journalist the late Glen Ford (listen), editor of the Black Agenda Report and author of the enduring analysis “The Black Misleadership Class” advised: always beware of how the money shapes the politics:

• Funding Our Futures – Navigating State and Federal Grants for Environmental Justice Communities (March 23, 2024 – Atlantic City, 253 views, 2 likes)

The elements of that training program include the following. After each session, I provide the metrics. I did this, because DEP Commissioner LaTourette himself noted the “sparse” turnout for his March 6, 2024 cringeworthy kickoff talk in Trenton DEP HQ, held at 4 pm, an obviously absurdly poorly scheduled and promoted event (listen to him admit that, at time 10:25).

That video haas been posted on line for over a year and has only 149 views and just 2 likes (by LaTourette and his partner?):

• Navigating the DEP Seminar 1 – Overview of Environmental Planning and Monitoring (Jan. 27, 2024. 121 views, 2 likes)
• Navigating the DEP Seminar 2 – Understanding the Regulatory Process I (March 6, 2024. 148 views, 2 likes)
• Navigating the DEP Seminar 3 – Understanding the Regulatory Process II (April 20, 2024. 80 views, 2 likes)
• Navigating the DEP Seminar 4 – State Funding (101 views. No date. 4 likes)
• Navigating the DEP Seminar 5- Explaining Enforcement (today)

The most views, not surprisingly, were on the session for funding, with more than twice the training program views. Overall, views are declining over time and I get more traffic than that! How can a retired old man generate more awareness than the DEP, a State agency with about 2,900 employees and a $719 million SF’24 budget?

We’ve just begun reviewing these materials, but can note a few things right off the bat:

First, the DEP has done a very poor job in designing, targeting, and promoting this program, even within the environmental justice community, as evidenced by the admitted “sparse” turnout and the few on line views. These “training” needs are Statewide in scope and far broader than the environmental justice law and program.

Second, DEP Commissioner LaTourette’s talk on March 6, 2024 was embarrassing, at best. Given the repetition of vague platitudes, the historical revisionism on environmental law, the lack of specific content that activists can actually use, and the linkage to a program that began with funding opportunities, in my view it was patronizing and transparent manipulation and gaslighting.

For example, while the EJ community gets vague platitudes, the Rutgers training program drills down on substance and provides information on specific regulatory concepts and technical tools that can actually be used, such as:

• Pollution Prevention Act
• Air Quality permitting, 
• Advances in the Art of Air Pollution Control (SOTA)
• Air Quality Modeling and Health Risk Assessment
• Emission Statements
• Stack Testing and Continuous Emission Monitoring (CEM

Third, one would think that the DEP EJ mask is off, given the recent permit issued to another Newark power plant at the PVSC sewage treatment plant and the permits, response to repeated fires, and lack of enforcement at the EMR scrapyard in Camden. (e..g. Do EJ activists even know that the EJ law they supported actually grandfathered in all the existing sources of pollution that are causing the current “disproportionate” burdens and unacceptable risks and impacts?)

Fourth, I’ve personally repeatedly contacted the DEP Commissioner and criticized the DEP’s EJ program and the role of the Environmental Justice Advisory Council. With respect to the lack of DEP enforcement, I wrote this:

According to the DEP posted official minutes of the Environmental Justice Advisory Council’s June 2021 meeting, that DEP Commissioner LaTourette –former corporate polluter lawyer – has eliminated DEP’s enforcement Division![…]

Here are the EJAC minutes: