We shall see…
“Significant changes are brewing for New Jersey’s environmental site remediation program.“
That’s the headline in advance of a joint hearing of the Senate Environment Committee and the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee on April 15 to take testimony on proposed changes to NJ’s site remediation program and brownfields regulations. Topics for discussion include:
- The use of licensed site professionals to review some remediations;
- Remedy selection/encouragement of permanent remedies;
- Engineering and institutional controls;
- Standards for the remediation/replacement of underground tanks;
- Site remediation enforcement issues;
- Issues concerning remediation funding, and,
- Change in use of contaminated sites.
Almost simultaneously, in an Adminstrative Order issued by NJDEP Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson, the DEP Permit Efficiency Review Task Force has been established. The Task Force is charged with providing recommendations for restructuring and re-engineering NJDEP permitting and other programs. The Task Force has a number of prominent private and public sector representatives, including its chairperson former NJDEP Commissioner Chris Daggett.
Here’s a copy of Administrative Order 2008-06, which established the task force.
Does this mean that we will see significant changes in the environmental and brownfields regulatory process? We shall see. The mere fact, however, that both legislative committees are meeting together, and that the Commissioner has formed a Task Force consisting including private interest stakeholders, may be an indication that serious changes are in the works.
The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. in Committee Room 4 on the St Floor of the State House Annex.
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/BillsForAgendaView.asp
(For those that are interested, that’s the building to the right when you are facing the State House in Trenton.)
Stay tuned here for more developments…..
Tags: Brownfields, DEP, New Jersey legislature, remediation