For Immediate Release
Contact: Jeff Tittel, NJ Sierra Club, 609-558-9100
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan announced that he is dismissing 40 Trump appointees from the EPA’s Science Advisory Board and the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). This is part of the EPA’s plans to reconfigure both boards.
“President Biden is getting rid of corporate lobbyists and representatives from environmental boards. Murphy should be doing the same thing in New Jersey. Christie stacked NJ’s Scientific Advisory Board with polluters and developers, but Murphy hasn’t replaced them yet. We need to have real scientists on this board for real transparency and to hold the state accountable,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “After only a few months in office, Biden is ending Trump’s war on science by dismissing 40 Trump appointees. It has been almost four years since Murphy was elected. He needs to end Christie’s war on science.”
The NJ Department of Environmental Protection has a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) that advises the DEP Commissioner on critical issues that impact public health and environmental protection. Current members of the board include John Gannon and Gerald Kennedy from Dupont Corporation, John Dysken from United Water, Paul Bovitz from Weston, and Tom Amidon from Kleinfelder.
“It is concerning that the DEP’s scientific advisory board still has Christie appointees. These boards make recommendations on toxic cleanups, environmental standards, and DEP proposals. Members that represent polluters and developers are there to weaken and undercut these standards. There are even two representatives from Dupont, which is outrageous because the state is currently suing them over PFAS and other contamination. They have at least 9 major toxic sites in our state, they shouldn’t be on an advisory board that deals with protecting clean air, clean water, and cleaning up toxic sites,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “If Murphy truly cares about protecting public health and the environment, he would dismiss these Christie-era appointees from the advisory board.”
The SAB provides peer review and advice on scientific and technical issues relevant to NJDEP’s mission. There are four committees that report to the SAB dealing with Climate and Atmospheric Sciences, Ecological Processes, Public Health, and Water Quality and Quantity. All five of the SAB members listed above have terms expiring this year.
“Biden is making sure to replace Trump’s appointees with real scientists, activists, environmentalists, and others. No Governor Murphy needs to do the same when replacing Christie’s appointees. These members have been negatively influencing the DEP for years. They have been using the SAB to push their own corporate and polluter agendas on state environmental regulations. This is absolutely unacceptable,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Christie’s appointees are also still dominating the Highlands Council, Pinelands Commission, Clean Air Council, and Clean Water Council. If Governor Murphy really cares about protecting our environment and public health, he would make sure that these members get replaced. If Biden can do it, so can Murphy.”