Enviro Bills Released from Committee: NRD & Exxon Settlement Funds, Paint Recycling, Etc.

The following legislation has been released from the Senate Environment and Energy Committee today:

S2815(Beach/Smith) This bill requires every producer of architectural paint sold in the State to implement, or participate in, a Statewide architectural paint stewardship program.

“We support this bill because we support the recycling of used paint. Paint contains toxic chemicals that get into the environment. Therefore it is critical that used paint is recycled to help avoid these hazardous chemicals from getting dumped into landfills,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

S2905 (Singleton) Prohibits certain possession, sale, trade, distribution, or offering for sale of shark fins.

“This legislation is necessary because the practice of shark fining is brutal and unnecessary causing a rapid decline of shark species, which we may see go extinct unless we move to protect them. No one needs shark fins except the sharks. We need this bill to help preserve hundreds of ecologically important shark species and stop them from being slaughtered for soup,” said Tittel.

S3049 (Sweeney) Appropriates $28,883,557 in 2003 and 1992 bond act monies for loans for dam restoration and repair projects and inland waters projects.

“Many of New Jersey’s dams are in need of costly repair. It is critical that the DEP use these funds to make sure that dams in need of repair get it. Camden County and Sussex County each have a dam considered in most serious level of need while other dams in Bergen and Passaic County are in poor condition. With climate change, we are seeing stronger and more frequent storms. If we leave these dams untended for much longer, it could mean much bigger problems,” said Tittel. 

S3110 (Smith/Greenstein) Makes supplemental appropriation of $50 million from General Fund to DEP and adds language provisions concerning use of certain environmental settlement monies for natural resource restoration projects.

“We will be spending $50 million of the $225 million from Exxon settlement that the Murphy Administration did not grab to plug holes in the budget. The other NRD money from the settlement can no longer be grabbed because of the constitution dedication. The projects that will be funded using $10 million for Hudson-Raritan Estuary Water Quality Infrastructure/CSO Improvements are good for Cape May and Cedar swamp, however there needs to be more of an urban focus to these projects too. More importantly, since a lot of this money is from Exxon, projects should focus on restoring wetlands in South Jersey and areas in Bayonne and in Paulsboro,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

SCR118 (Cryan/Bateman) Urges President and Congress to require interstate natural gas pipelines constructed in N.J. to conform with N.J. regulations for intrastate natural gas pipelines.

“Rules for resources transportation, pipeline construction, testing and inspection differ by state. Interstate pipelines can also get around New Jersey laws and regulations. Therefore, it is better that interstate pipelines conform with New Jersey regulations to not only improve efficiency but protect the people of New Jersey,” said Tittel.

SCR-138 (Smith) Opposes EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s proposed reductions to vehicle emissions and fuel efficiency standards.

 “Trump’s new vehicle emission and fuel efficiency standard will hit us in our wallets and lungs. EPA’s new standard will raise gas prices while adding to air pollution. This affects our lungs because 45% of our pollution comes from automobiles. We also get impacted because we are a corridor state getting pollution from in and out of state that are driving on our turnpikes and other major highway. New Jersey already has the worst air pollution with North Jersey ranked as the 10th worst metropolitan area in the U.S. for ozone levels.

“One of the big impacts of rolling back vehicle efficiency standards will cost us more at the pump. If cars are less efficient, it will force us to buy more gasoline while raising the price. EPA’s new vehicle emission and fuel efficiency standard will not only cost us more but hold back new technology and block green jobs, said Tittel. “It is important for the state to go on record and oppose President Trump’s rollbacks.”