The outrageous ignorance of N.J.’s climate-skeptic lawmakers puts us at risk
By Jennifer M. Coffey
May. 04, 2025
We just closed a month of celebrations for Earth Day — and I am outraged.
Members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation and the state Legislature have engaged in peddling the obvious delusion that New Jersey can escape the devastating toll on our economy, environment, and the very safety of residents impacted by the climate crisis by ignoring science.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd Dist., has asked the Trump administration to interfere with New Jersey’s right and responsibility to protect the livelihood and very lives of residents. Members of the Legislature promoted scientific skepticism and outright denied climate facts as they questioned New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette during budget proceedings in April.
The controversy is all over a set of proposed regulations named NJPACT REAL — New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threats, Resilient Environments and Landscapes. These rules are designed to keep people from drowning to death in their homes just as 25 New Jerseyans died in Hurricane Ida.
More than 15 years ago, I met with scientists and policy experts asking the same question: How can we accurately predict the flooding that we know is going to happen so that we can write regulations that build new homes and businesses in ways that are more resilient and protect public health and safety?
It took more than a decade, increased computing horsepower, and enhanced models such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Atlas 14, but we did it. We now have data and modeling that analyze the collapsing Arctic vortex (that’s why we sometimes get Arctic blasts in New Jersey now) and the collapsing Gulf Stream ocean current that holds major influence over weather on the East Coast of the U.S. and West Coast of Europe. We now have a very accurate understanding of the increase of both precipitation and sea level rise for New Jersey through the year 2100.
The NJPACT REAL regulations simply require new development and redevelopment standards to prepare for the flooding that is happening and that we know will happen through the year 2100. The NJPACT REAL rules will require that new development be elevated above the areas that will flood. States like Florida have already passed similar regulations.
When Van Drew and local lawmakers come wielding false accusations about the validity of the science and emotional appeals crying financial hardship for millionaire and billionaire friends — saying that these rules will cost too much money — they are asking everyday New Jerseyans to put their very lives and livelihoods on the line for other people’s profits.
When elected officials cast doubt on the science, it’s either because they don’t understand it or they want to ignore it.
The truth of the matter is: New Jersey experiences a $1 billion weather event on average every 32 weeks. From 1980 to 2024 (as of Sept. 10, 2024), there have been 72 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion in damages each to affect New Jersey communities, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
New Jersey residents know we have flooding problems. The NJPACT REAL rules are a commonsense approach that says we simply need to build new development above and out of the way of flooding.
The data that informs the flood elevation levels in the NJPACT REAL rules are moderate rather than an “extreme” approach as Rep. Van Drew claims.
What he doesn’t understand or rather doesn’t want you to understand is that the extreme scenario for climate flooding impacts New Jersey predicts nine feet of sea level rise, and NJPACT REAL takes a moderate approach and plans for five feet.
Climate change is not a belief system. It’s science.
Now is the time we in New Jersey need to activate our resistance to the anti-science agenda. Gov. Phil Murphy needs to stand up and fight back.
New Jersey needs the NJPACT REAL rules to save lives. We need the NJPACT REAL rules so we can be both Jersey strong and Jersey smart.
On Earth Day, Essex County celebrates 10th anniversary of dedicated open space funding
- Published: Apr. 22, 2025, 8:18 p.m.
- N.J. Community News
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. joined the Keep It Green Coalition to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of legislation that provides dedicated open space funding in New Jersey.
In November 2014, voters approved Public Question 2 to dedicate existing corporate business tax funds to open space and environmental initiatives.
During the last decade, more than $2 billion has been invested to protect New Jersey’s clean drinking water, open spaces, farmland, and historic sites, as well as to improve water quality and clean up polluted sites.
“Anyone visiting Essex County can see the resources we invest each year to revitalize our parks and keep our recreation facilities up to date. Essex County is one of the most densely populated and densely developed areas in the country, so being able to continually revitalize and expand our open spaces has a profound impact on our residents’ health, quality of life and property values,” DiVincenzo said.
“I am honored to be part of the celebration of the 10-year anniversary of dedicated open space funding. It’s good to be here celebrating what we accomplished in the past but also what we can achieve in the future,” Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill said.
“On this Earth Day, we are reminded of just how essential our parks and green spaces are – not only for protecting our environment but for improving public health, enhancing quality of life, and bringing communities together, especially in our urban centers,” said Ed Potosnak, executive director, New Jersey LCV.
“The Keep It Green coalition is a shining example of what we can achieve when we unite around a common cause. Thanks to the tireless work of more than 165 partner organizations over the last ten years, we’ve secured over $2 billion to preserve New Jersey’s natural treasures – from forests and farmland to historic sites and urban parks. These investments ensure that future generations will have access to clean air, safe outdoor spaces, and the beauty of nature right in their own neighborhoods,” he added.
“Parks and open spaces have such a profound impact on people’s lives, and they have to think of our parks as part of their own backyard. We have accomplished a great deal but there is still so much more we can do,” said Martha Sapp, director of the NJ Green Acres Program.
“We all have a responsibility in the preservation of green spaces as we are the foundation for generational sustainability. Green spaces in urban environments have the ability to change how we see and engage with the world…thus it is our duty to preserve them,” said Dr. Jacqueleen Bido, Chief Strategy Officer with Newark Science and Sustainability Inc.
“Preserving open spaces like we are doing today is especially important when the environment is being threatened and challenged,” said Jennifer Coffey, Executive Director of the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions.
“Parks are necessary resources for people and it’s amazing the many different ways people use the parks for their enjoyment. Parks are a wonderful investment for everyone,” Don McLaughlin, chairman of the Brookdale Park Conservancy.
The collaboration between the Ivy Hill Neighborhood Association and the county has led to millions of dollars being invested to revitalize and enhance the quality of Ivy Hill Park. It has made the park a place for people to come together and unite,” said former Ivy Hill Neighborhood Association President Doug Bell.
The NJ Keep It Green Coalition consists of more than 150 organizations committed to land conservation, agriculture, historic preservation, environmental protection, urban parks, hunting and fishing, and outdoor recreation. The coalition works together to sustain and guide funding for the preservation and stewardship of New Jersey’s natural resources for quality of life and future generations.
Board of Public Utility Considers Establishing an Urban Heat Island Mitigation Program
March 17, 2025
The proposed UHI Mitigation Program (“UHI Program”) is a comprehensive approach to address extreme heat impacts and enhance resilience in overburdened communities (“OBCs”). The UHI Program will employ interventions proposed by community-based organizations (“CBOs”) and will be supported by interventions described in the following state plans: 2019 State Energy Master Plan (“EMP”), Community Energy Plans, NJ Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan, Priority Climate Action Plan (“PCAP”), and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (“RGGI”) Strategic Funding Plan.
It is proposed to use $5M in funding from the NJ Clean Energy Fund to provide grants to eligible entities. The grants would be available in three (3) main categories: Comprehensive UHI Interventions, Cooling the Built Environment, and Urban Microclimate Interventions. More Information on proposed program can be found here.
New Jersey Environmental Groups Call for Passage of State Plastics Reduction Bill
Urgent Need for Bill’s Passage to Save Tax Dollars,
Protect Public Health and New Jersey’s Environment
For Immediate Release: February 10, 2025
Contacts:
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Judith Enck, Beyond Plastics — judithenck@bennington.edu, (518) 605-1770
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Doug O’Malley, Environment New Jersey — domalley@environmentnewjersey.org, (917)-449-6812
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Brooke Helmick, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance — brooke@njeja.org, (909) 919-4318
TRENTON, New Jersey — Leading environmental groups held a news conference at the New Jersey State Capital in Trenton, New Jersey, urging the state legislature to pass the Packaging Product Stewardship Act (S3398/ A5009), introduced by Senator Bob Smith and Assemblywoman Alixon Collazos-Gill. The news conference immediately followed a New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee meeting.
Speakers included Beyond Plastics founder and former EPA regional administrator Judith Enck, Environment New Jersey director Doug O’Malley, Clean Ocean Action executive director Cindy Zipf, Beyond Plastics advisory board member Brian Thompson, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance policy director Brooke Helmick, Clean Water Action New Jersey state director Amy Goldsmith, Beyond Plastics NJ Youth lead and Sierra Club New Jersey Youth Committee Communications and Outreach Coordinator Shirin Sood.
Watch the Facebook Livestream here.
New Jersey has a growing plastic pollution crisis — 82% of items collected on local beaches were plastic in Clean Ocean Action’s 2022 annual report — and residents are paying with their health (in addition to their taxes). As plastic polluters increase plastic production, pollution will only grow while environmental justice communities around New Jersey’s landfills and incinerators suffer.
The Packaging Product Stewardship Act will require:
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Companies selling products in New Jersey to cut plastic packaging by 50% over the next 10 years;
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Prohibit some of the worst toxic chemicals known to science to be used in packaging, including PFAS, lead, mercury, vinyl chloride, and formaldehyde;
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Provide new revenue to local governments to improve local recycling and waste reduction programs; and
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Prohibit the plastics industry’s latest false solution, known as chemical recycling, from counting as real recycling.
“The issues plaguing EJ communities — toxic air quality, disproportionate health impacts, siting of industry in EJ communities, and the dumping of plastic waste, among others – are all connected back to a root cause: an overproduction of plastic materials and waste. A product stewardship bill can decrease unnecessary plastic packaging which can reduce plastic pollution as well as the associated air emissions and energy consumption. These outcomes decrease the disproportionate burden of waste and air pollution that EJ communities experience,” said Brooke Helmick, director of policy at New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance.
“Tax relief, tax relief, tax relief, that’s what this promises — if you reduce the trash then you reduce the ‘tipping fees’ your town pays to get rid of it. And that reduces your tax burden so what’s not to like?” said Brian Thompson, retired NBC New York journalist, Monmouth Beach Environmental Commission member, and Beyond Plastics advisory board member.
“During Black History Month, it needs to be highlighted that environmental justice communities are exposed to a disproportionate amount of pollution. That said, everyone is affected by the toxics of plastic. Most plastic is made from reconstructing fossil fuels — oil, natural gas, and coal — which causes it not to be biodegradable. Instead, plastic breaks down into tiny micro- and nanoparticles. There are over 16,000 different chemicals that make up plastic that can leach toxic chemicals into the foods we eat, beverages we consume, and air we breathe. Micro- and nanoplastic pollution has been found in the most remote places on Earth and throughout the human body. Toxics from plastic have been linked to metabolic disorders and endocrine disruption leading to cancers, diabetes, reduced fertility, impaired brain development, birth defects, and mutations. The burden should be on the manufacturer to reduce our exposure to an unnecessary amount of poisons,” said Marta Young, New Jersey zero-waste specialist at Clean Water Action.
“We can’t recycle our way out of the plastics crisis — our waterways and our bodies are literally swimming in plastics. More than two and a half years after the ban of single-use plastic bags, the Senate Environment Committee’s passage today of a program to reduce plastic packaging is the next critical step to stop this wave of plastics swamping our environment,” said Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey. “Extended producer responsibility is a simple concept of requiring the companies that produce plastic waste to take responsibility for their products — and reduce the amount of plastic packaging that ends up in our environment and our bodies. We want to thank Chairman Bob Smith for his leadership and we urge Senate President Scutari to move forward on this bill to reduce plastic waste.”
“The Packaging Product Stewardship Act is a vital step toward reducing plastic waste and protecting public health. With a strong, comprehensive approach, this legislation holds companies accountable and tackles the growing plastic pollution crisis. No longer should taxpayers bear the burden of managing packaging waste — it’s time for corporations to take responsibility. We urge its swift passage,” said Jennifer Coffey, executive director at Association of NJ Environmental Commissions.
“Recycling simply can’t keep up with the production of single-use plastic packaging. That is why we need to focus on measures to reduce plastic production at its source, limit the use of single-use plastic, and embrace reusable packaging solutions. The legislation asks manufacturers to pay and innovate to solve the enormous waste problems created by producing and selling their own products. This is a vital initiative because packaging forms a large category of waste material—28% in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency,” said Taylor McFarland, conservation program manager for the NJ Sierra Club. “This legislation, at its strongest, is essential to mitigating New Jersey’s plastic waste problem, and we urge the New Jersey Legislature to support it.”
“Attention New Jerseyans! Senator Smith has moved forward a bill that is just what the doctor ordered to help address the serious plague of plastic pollution. This prescribed plan is a remedy that will significantly reduce plastic contamination of our drinking water, food, air, and ocean. COA urges the legislature to support this bill, S3398, and quickly. The sooner we implement this sensible plan the healthier we will become” said Cindy Zipf Clean, executive director at Clean Ocean Action.
“Plastic pollution is devastating our waterways, ecosystems, and communities. The Packaging Product Stewardship Act is a necessary step to shift responsibility back to the corporations fueling this crisis, rather than placing the burden on taxpayers and municipalities. This legislation will not only protect Barnegat Bay and other natural resources from further harm but will also create healthier, more sustainable communities throughout New Jersey” said Britta Forsberg, executive director at Save Barnegat Bay.
“Single-use plastics are harming our oceans, climate, and communities. Strong policies to reduce the production of plastic packaging and support the use of reusable packaging are key to addressing this growing problem,” said John Weber, senior field representative at Oceana. “Oceana applauds Senator Smith and the Senate Environment and Energy Committee for taking an important step to tackle plastic pollution. We look forward to ensuring the Packaging Product Stewardship Act moves through the Senate to address the plastic pollution crisis at the source.”
“The New Jersey state legislature can protect the environment and public health for years to come if it passes the Packaging Product Stewardship Act this session,” said Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics and former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2, regional administrator. “New Jersey taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for plastic pollution, and residents never signed up for the negative climate and health impacts that come with it. This bill would finally tackle what’s becoming a more urgent issue every day: the neverending plastic that builds up in our landfills, gets burned in incinerators, and pollutes our beaches, rivers, parks, and neighborhoods.”
NJ environmental groups launch new agenda
With a crowded field of candidates in the race to succeed Gov. Phil Murphy, environmental groups are doing their best to keep their issues at the forefront, releasing a green agenda entitled “Enviro Fix in ’26.”
“The upcoming election is an opportunity for us to ask questions like, ‘Hey, candidate for governor, what are you going to do to reduce asthma rates in Newark and throughout our state?’” said Ed Potosnak, executive director of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters.
The agenda includes investing in the state’s electric grid and keeping Murphy’s goal of 100% renewable energy by 2035, making communities more resilient to storms, preserving open space and expanding access to parks.
State Sen. Bob Smith (D-Middlesex), who has introduced several bills aimed at reducing New Jersey’s carbon footprint, joined the environmental groups as they introduced the agenda in Trenton on Thursday.
“Despite what the president of the United States says, offshore wind is a key factor in New Jersey’s clean energy transition. But it’s been taking very untruthful hits,” Smith said.
Earlier this week, President Trump issued an executive order pausing new leases for offshore wind farms, and a review of current permits.
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