FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: anjuli.ramos@sierraclub.org
TRENTON, NJ – Today, the Senate Environment and Energy Committee released the following legislation:
S429 (Smith): Provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging stations and for commercial zero emission vehicle fleet conversions.
“This bill will help incentivize electric vehicles and EV infrastructure for New Jersey. “This legislation is an important way to expand electric vehicles and charging stations across the state. Providing tax credits will help encourage electric vehicle use in our state, and will save ratepayers. More charging stations will also reduce range anxiety by making it easier for people to access EV infrastructure,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, NJ Director of the Sierra Club. “Over 45% of our greenhouse gasses in New Jersey come from vehicles and our state suffers from failing air levels. This bill is the first major step in reducing pollution and GHG’s from our transportation sector.”
A642 (Coughlin) / S1369 (Vitale): Steel slag-concerns use as aggregate.
“This bill perpetuates industrial waste generation. The production of waste by the steel industry is how steel slag is generated; and monetizing the waste supports its future generation”, said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, NJ Director for the Sierra Club. “The handling of the waste is what causes the pollutant to be released into the environment and to expose people to the pollutants. This bill fails to include the air pollution implications of handling the steel slag as an aggregate as it only focuses on not exceeding drinking and groundwater quality standards. Additionally, this bill prolongs the dependence on a mostly imported waste product that already faces a constrained supply.”
S438 (Smith): Changes entity responsible for management of NJ School of Conservation to nonprofit organization, and directs DOE to request funding for the center annually. This bill would change the management of the New Jersey School of Conservation (NJSOC), located in Stokes State Forest, Sussex County, from Montclair State University to the Friends of the New Jersey School of Conservation, a nonprofit organization.
The School of Conservation occupies land and facilities owned by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and has been managed by Montclair State University since 1981. Legislation signed by Governor Byrne in 1981 established the School in perpetuity as an environmental field center and assigned its management to Montclair State. The legislation also provided an annual appropriation for the operation of the School.
“We fully support this bill which will keep The School of Conservation’s doors open. The SOC is one of the best places in New Jersey to study climate, conservation and more. It offers critical conservation programs and has educated thousands of students ranging from kindergarten to graduates and teachers. The location is truly special because it is in the middle of a major wildlife area,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot. “This school is incredibly important especially because of the impending impacts of climate change and the need for more scientific environmental education. We thank Senator Smith for his leadership on this bill and his work to make sure this school remains open for future generations.”
SR67 (Smith): Urges Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to continue prohibiting harvest of female horseshoe crabs.
"Horseshoe crabs are an important part of the ecosystem, especially in New Jersey. Their eggs are the major food source for shorebirds migrating north, including the red knot. Without the horseshoe crab the red knots and other migrating bird populations would plummet. That’s why we need to protect this integral species that is interconnected in this ecological food web,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot.
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About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information about our work in New Jersey, visit www.sierraclub.org/new-jersey.