legislature too close to governor christie s anti-environmental agenda

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1 new jersey Fall Update 2013 New Jersey currents legislature too close to governor christie s anti-environmental agenda For more than 40 years, New Jersey has enjoyed a national reputation for its strong and bi-partisan environmental leadership. That reputation has been tarnished over last four years, with Chris Christie as governor and an increasingly anti-environment legislature. During this time, anti-environment bills sailed through to approval, rolling back hard-won water, air and land protections. The proenvironment position prevailed on only four of the eighteen most important bills, and even those were weakened considerably before passsage. The governor and lawmakers fast-tracked a bill this summer that would squander taxpayer dollars, promoting projects which will weaken three of the state s most important environmental laws, the New Jersey Highlands Act, the Pinelands Act and the Global Warming Response Act. The lead legislator negotiated the bill s details with the Christie administration while simultaneously negotiating a felony plea bargain for himself, then pled guilty and resigned from office once the governor signed the bill. These and many other damaging legislative actions happened with minimal public discourse and rarely made the news. Even though every seat in the Legislature and the Governor s office is before voters this November 8, few voters have been hearing about their dismal environmental records. Clean Water Action s latest scorecard, ranking all 120 legislators on their voting records and leadership on key issues, aims to change that ( njscorecard). State lawmakers average score was a disappointing 48%. This does not bode well for New Jersey s environmental future, especially when paired with the D awarded Gov. Christie by Clean Water Action s 2012 governor s report card ( Although scorecard results were disappointing overall, and nine lawmakers earned dead-last zero scores, the results also identify thirteen environmental heroes. Those environmental standouts include: Democratic State Sens. Barbara Buono, Bob Gordon, Linda Greenstein, Bob Smith and Loretta Weinberg, and Assemblymen Peter Barnes and John McKeon, and Republican Sens. Kip Bateman, Jennifer Beck and Tom Kean, Jr. Top legislative leaders such as Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assemblyman Lou Greenwald scored well below the already-low average. Some of the lowest scorers, such as Sens. Mike Doherty (R-Warren) and Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May) represent some of New Jersey s most environmentally sensitive areas, the Highlands and the Pinelands. As a result, New Jersey is now a state in environmental crisis. New Jersey has some of the nation s most polluted air and the pollution is making people sick and imposes crushing health care costs. Emergency room visits for asthma and allergies are soaring, with 2500 admissions for asthma alone in Asthma rates are twice as high in cities such as Newark, and the average cost per hospital stay is $15,000. continued on page 3 INSIDE n Letter from the Director, page 2 n Take Action, page 3 n Environmental Endorsements, page 4 and 5 New Jersey Currents Fall Update 2013

2 From the Director Amy Goldsmith Vote Environment! As I write this, my 13-year-old is about to donate her hair to Wigs for Kids. The anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. s I have a Dream speech just passed. I find myself inspired, and wonder what makes us want to give and to become active in large and small ways. For my daughter, it was simple. She wanted to donate her foot-long hair to kids struggling with cancer. For Dr. King, it was a passion for justice and equality that moved him to action. Today, as many as one in three people will get cancer. The numbers were one in ten back when I first became an environmental organizer. More and more people we know have food and other allergies, suffer from immune-compromising ailments, autism, birth defects, asthma, or die prematurely. I cannot help but wonder why so many people are sick my sister-in-law, fellow activists, neighbors and friends. Every day, polluters who dump chemicals face few if any consequences. Our bodies carry the toxic burdens in our blood, bones and organs, with the potential of passing them on to the next generation. Clean Water Action fights for stronger, more protective laws, policies, practices, and technological innovation in town halls, in Trenton and the nation s capital. Every day, we organize in communities, testify at hearings, join rallies and marches, and empower people to write letters to politicians and vote on Election Day. If you have a passion, why not use it to power yourself into action? Our Legislative Scorecard ( is a great place to start. Use it to hold your elected officials accountable. Make your voices heard at the ballot box, write to your local newspaper, or attend public forums. Don t let them off the hook. They are assuming people don t care. In fact, they re counting on it. Let s prove them wrong. Let them know you VOTE ENVIRONMENT, not just on Election Day, but every day. The polluters aren t resting, so why should we? Do you care about clean water, environmental justice, clean air, healthy communities? Me, too. It s up to us. Thank you for being part of our Clean Water Action team. How it Works: Sungevity, an award-winning solar provider and certified B-Corp installs your solar panels for $0-down when you sign up for a solar lease in October. You pay your solar lease with Sungevity once a month; some customers save up to 15% immediately on their electric bills. You save $1000 immediately and Sungevity donates $1,000 to Clean Water Fund. READY TO GO SOLAR? Visit sungevity.org/clean-water-fund to request your free iquote and learn how much you could save. 2 New Jersey Currents Fall Update 2013

3 legislature Continued from page 1 Water pollution has gotten so bad that only 22 of New Jersey s 927 water bodies meet all water quality standards. Fish caught from even these few healthy waters are considered unsafe to eat on a regular basis. The Legislature and Governor s actions have placed precious resources at risk. They have: Approved gas policies that promote a massive new pipeline through the Pinelands. Approved developer subsidies in the Highlands, which provide drinking water for 4.5 million people. Encouraged lax land-use policies that cost taxpayer dollars while encouraging more overdevelopment in sensitive areas. Failed to address climate change, which will make the Jersey Shore even more vulnerable to more frequent and extreme storms. Diverted almost a billion clean energy dollars from green jobs/clean air programs to pay for tax cuts for millionaires. This would have been inconceivable in the past, when bipartisan environmental leadership was the norm. Still, Clean Water Action believes even the most anti-environment officials may be persuaded to take positive action on at least some of these issuest whether on clean energy, fracking or Barnegat Bay. Clean Water Action is using these scorecards to build public awareness, to encourage and embolden current environmental leaders, and to rekindle New Jersey s grassroots environmental movement and restore the state s former position as a national leader on the environment. Challenging Gov. Christie at a campaign stop for his pro-fracking position. TAKE ACTION Contact the Governor and your legislators, and urge them to support these positions: Protect Water and Open Space: Pass the Waiver Rule Veto (ACR37) to overturn the new rule which gives the state s environmental agency too much leeway to grant waivers and exempt companies, weakening air, land and water protections. Override Gov. Christie s vetoes of bills that ban frack wastewater discharges (A575/S253) and keep New Jersey in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (A1998/S1322), to reduce pollution and create jobs. Strengthen water rules to undo lawmakers s damage: 1) Highlands and Pinelands development subsidies (A3680/S2583), 2) Extensions for expired environmental permits (A1338), and 3) Delaying needed updates for water quality regulations (A4335/S3156). Oppose Governor Christie s conditional veto of S1085, which makes the bill s weakened standards even worse, and would mean even more forest degradation. Protect the Jersey Shore from Future Storms: Pass the Coastal Commission bill (A3920) and other measures to make sure New Jersey recovers stronger and smarter from Hurricane Sandy. Keep Kids Safe From Toxic Pesticides: Pass the Safe Playing Fields Act (A2412/S143) to restrict the most toxic lawn pesticides around daycare centers, playgrounds, and K-8 school fields. Fight Climate Disruption and Support Green Jobs and Clean Energy: Restore and strengthen clean energy funding, the 2009 Energy Master Plan and the state s renewable electricity and efficiency standards. Fight for Environmental Justice: Support legislation (S962/A3836) to empower decision-makers to just say no to toxic burdens in cities faced with the cumulative impacts of pollution and environmental health harm. New Jersey Currents Fall Update

4 endorsing environmental champions Gov. Christie and a majority of state legislators have worked relentlessly to weaken basic environmental protections, dismantle critical clean water, air, energy and open space protections. They have failed to address Superstorm Sandy recovery. New Jersey needs champions in Trenton who will stand up for New Jersey s environment and point out the many links between a healthy environment and a healthy economy. Clean Water Action (formerly the New Jersey Environmental Federation) announces the following 2013 endorsements, based on the candidates records and positions. Please VOTE ENVIRONMENT on Tuesday, Nov. 5th! senator barbara buono for governor Senator Buono supports: Environmental Values: Stands behind her word with her commitment to the environment, receiving a near 100% environmental score. Clean Energy/Green Jobs: Authored 2007 Global Warming Response Act and supports clean energy, green job creation, and ban on fracking. Clean Water/Open Space: Leader in the Senate on strengthening, not weakening, protections for our rivers, streams, and drinking water. Prime sponsor of bill to overturn controversial waiver rule. Children s Health: Author of 2002 School Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Act and key supporter for passing the Safe Playing Fields Act. On the other hand, Gov. Christie: Received a D on our 2012 report card and broke nearly every commitment he made to earn our 2009 endorsement. Reduced renewable and efficiency goals; quit the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI); supports fracking; and raided Clean Energy Fund, costing thousands of New Jersey jobs and green business ventures. Failed to provide key waterways with higher levels of protection, update the 1996 Water Supply Master Plan or adopt more healthprotective standards as per his experts advice. Authored waiver rule to overturn dozens of critical environmental laws. Weakened implementation of 2002 School IPM Act and helped block passage of Safe Playing Fields Act in New Jersey Currents Fall Update 2013 Clean Water Action is a national citizens organization working for clean, safe and affordable water, prevention of health-threatening pollution, creation of environmentally-safe jobs and businesses, and empowerment of people to make democracy work. Clean Water Action organizes strong grassroots groups, coalitions and campaigns to protect our environment, health, economic well-being and community quality of life. Managing Editor: Jonathan Scott President and CEO: Robert Wendelgass Writers: Amy Goldsmith, David Pringle, Jenny Vickers Design: ES Design Reproduction in whole or part is permitted with proper credit. Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. National: 1444 Eye Street, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC Phone Fax cwa@cleanwater.org New Jersey: 198 Brighton Avenue, Long Branch, NJ Phone /nj njcwa@cleanwater.org Paid for and authorized by Clean Water Action, For more information, please call New Jersey Currents Fall Update 2013

5 legislative endorsements dist. 11 Sen. Beck (R-Red Bank) Leader on the Senate Environment Committee, stopping fertilizer pollution and and opposing fracking. 14 Sen. Greenstein (D-Plainsboro) 93% environmental rating and reliable ally for over a decade. Asm. Benson (D-Hamilton) 88% rating and strong advocate to keep New Jersey in RGGI. 15 Sen. Turner (D-Lawrenceville) Prime sponsor of the Safe Playing Fields Act. Asm. Gusciora (D-Trenton) 101% environmental rating, fought the bad NJDEP waiver rule. 16 Sen. Bateman (R-Branchburg) Scored the highest environmental rating of any Republican legislator (82%). 17 Sen. Smith (D-Piscataway) 101% environmental rating and chair of Environment Committee. 18 Asm. Barnes (D-Edison) Legislative leader on developing greener and smarter post-superstorm Sandy. (for Senate) 19 Sen. Vitale (D-Woodbridge) Lead advocate for women s and children s health for over 15 years. 21 Sen. Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) Prime sponsor of global warming, clean car and offshore wind laws. 27 Asw. Jasey (D-South Orange) 92% environmental score* including voting against the permit extension bills. Asm. McKeon (D-West Orange) 102% score* and strongest environmental advocate in the legislature. 37 Sen. Weinberg (D-Teaneck) 97% environmental score* and prime sponsor of key environmental justice bill. Asw. Vainieri Huttle (D-Englewood) 98% environmental score* including fighting several dirty water bills. 38 Sen. Gordon (D-Fair Lawn) Prime sponsor and champion on bills to ban fracking and frack waste. Sen. Beck R-11 Sen. Bateman R-16 Asm. McKeon D-27 Sen. Greenstein D-14 Asm. Barnes D-18 Sen. Weinberg D-37 *Please refer to Clean Water Action s For more info about these and other endorsees go to Paid for and authorized by Clean Water Action, For more information, please call New Jersey Currents Fall Update