Pinkin, McKeon Legislation Condemning USEPA Decision to Withdraw from “Once-In-Always-In” Policy Clears Committee

(TRENTON) – An Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR-144) sponsored by Assembly Democrats Nancy Pinkin and John McKeon to condemn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision to withdraw from the “once-in-always-in” policy was approved by an Assembly panel on Monday.

“The ‘once-in-always-in’ policy under the Clean Air Act was a critical part of the ongoing effort to reduce air pollution,” said Pinkin (D-Middlesex). “It required monitoring and continued compliance of regulation by companies with high emission contributions in the past. Without this policy, we weaken the effort to reduce air pollution and fight the effects of climate change.”

“Ignoring the need for the once-in-always-in policy takes this country and our efforts to address global warming in the wrong environmental direction,” said McKeon (D-Essex, Morris). “With this, the EPA and this administration continue to make it very clear that protecting our air quality for the sake of human health and fighting the effects of a warming planet by reducing carbon emissions is not a priority. The truth is that it should be a priority.”

The resolution states New Jersey, as the most densely populated state in the nation and with the second poorest air quality in the nation, has a particular interest in maintaining stringent regulation of air pollution.

The measure was advanced by the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee, of which Pinkin is chair, and it will now be considered for a floor vote by the full Assembly.