Competitive Power Ventures Plans Natural Gas Plant in Woodbridge -

a test of commitment to energy goals and environmental justice

Since 2015, Competitive Power Ventures has operated a 725 MW gas powered electric plant in the Keasbey industrial area of Woodbridge. In 2021, CPV was acquired by the energy company OPC, which has acquired a number of plants across the U.S.

CPV now plans a second, 630 MW plant at its site, which is near the Raritan River. The Woodbridge Township Planning Board approved the siting of the plant in a brownfields redevelopment district, but a number of residents opposed it on environmental and health grounds. The governing bodies of many surrounding towns have either passed resolutions opposing the plant or expressed opposition in other forms.

The nonprofit Food & Water Watch launched a campaign to bring public awareness to the negative impacts of the proposed plant and organize opposition to the air pollution permit submitted the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. The Boards of Directors of NJEL and EEF voted to join in the opposition by signing a letter composed by the non-profit Food & Water Watch (FWW). The letter will be sent to Governor Murphy. It asks him to use one of several existing authorities to reject the plant. At this writing, almost 30 towns, environmental, civil rights, and faith organizations have signed the letter.

According to F&WW, CPV’s air permit application asks for approval of annual emissions of almost 2.4 million tons of green house gases and other pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, ammonia, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, and comparatively small tonnages of formaldehyde and unspecified “hazardous air pollutants.” Together, the two plants could produce 4.6 million tons of emissions.

In 2020, Governor Murphy set ambitious goals of 100 per cent clean energy in New Jersey by 2050 and an 80 per cent reduction in green house gas (GHG) emissions. He won praise for that, as well as for his administration’s actions to encourage power generation with renewables. A year later, the Governor accelerated the GHG goal to a 50 per cent reduction by 2030. Praise came with warnings that meeting that goal would require aggressive action to reduce the State’s use of fossil fuels. 2030 is only 8 years in the future. Adding significant fossil fuel generating capacity is not a good strategy for meeting the goal.

Further, F&WW notes that besides Woodbridge Township, the four towns bordering it are overburdened as defined in New Jersey’s Environmental Justice & Cumulative Impacts Act. That law requires a permit applicant to provide an assessment of the public health and environmental impacts of any new or expanded facility that would be a source of air pollution. Under the law, DEP has the power to deny a permit if the facility would constitute an unreasonable risk of cumulative damage to the community.

As part of its effort to inform the public about the proposed plant, Food & Water Watch partnered with the NAACP Perth Amboy Branch to host a forum on May 14. The NJEL Board Directors who registered for the forum will share the information in an upcoming interim newsletter.

To take individual action to oppose the proposed CPV plant, sign the online petition created by F&WW:
https://fwaction.us/stopwoodbridgepp

Those who think that an additional fossil fuel plant will affect only its immediate area are wrong. Continued emissions of green house gases will raise the threats of sea level rise, health care costs, agricultural uncertainty, and more severe storms for all of New Jersey.

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Presidential Executive Order Acknowledges Old Growth Trees
In April, President Biden signed an Executive Order (EO) directing federal agencies to inventory mature and old growth forests on Federal land, identify threats to them from climate change, particularly wildfires, and develop policies to protect those forests. The complicated issue of logging is not addressed in the EO. Watch for the next newsletter for an explanation of what this order means, and doesn’t mean, for forests.

An Outstanding Recruit for the Environmental Education Fund, and A New Board Member -

EEF President Lindsey Kayman did it again! A great judge of talent and commitment, Lindsey recruited an outstanding Drew University student to assist with education and outreach. Ten months ago, Erica Cowper became a consultant to EEF, to expand EEF’s public education efforts and take on special projects.

Erica is majoring in biology and minoring in Italian and Environmental Studies. Her senior Biology Honors thesis is a study of changes in leaf length and area due to rising temperatures and precipitation over time. The tools for her thesis are leaf specimens, historical temperature databases, and ImageJ software*. She is a board member of the Drew Environmental Action League and the Chair of Youth Outreach for the North Jersey Sierra Club.

It soon became evident that Erica would be an asset to NJEL’s advocacy mission. Lindsey nominated Erica to one of NJEL’s vacant Board seats, and it was affirmed by the Board of Directors. Erica’s election to the Board reinstates the practice of including an undergraduate student on the Board of Directors.

* software developed by the NIH and the Laboratory for Optical & Computational Instrumentation at the University of Wisconsin for processing and analyzing scientific images.

About Erica Cowper (By Erica Cowper) -

For the past year, I have been working with the Environmental Education Fund on several projects. The first was Redefine Sustainability, which is still a main focus of our organization. Many definitions of sustainability are humancentric and do not include nature and its intrinsic value. Even AASHE Stars*, a sustainability ranking system for colleges, does not include nature and preserving natural resources. The goal of Redefine Sustainability is to preserve nature by creating a redefinition of sustainability, and by incorporating this definition into higher education and the AASHE Stars program. At a panel discussion titled “Promoting Harmony with Nature in Sustainability,” I talked about the petition I wrote to the President of my university, Drew University. I proposed to change the definition of sustainability from the humancentric version, “Sustainability means meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”, to include global ecosystems and natural resources, “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations of humans and global ecosystems to thrive”. I also proposed to add a land acknowledgment to Drew’s website, to honor the indigenous peoples, the true nature defenders. I worked closely with the student government, and I was able to get both of these initiatives implemented on the Drew University website.

A priority for EEF is passage of a Green Amendment to the New Jersey constitution, to protect the right to pure water, clean air, a stable climate, and a healthy environment. Adoption of a Green Amendment will improve government decision-making and give legal standing to those who have been denied access to clean air and water. There are many towns in New Jersey that suffer with contaminated water, polluted air, superfund sites, and habitat loss. A Green Amendment is a tool for righting these injustices.

EEF reached out to state senators and assembly members, explaining the issue, informing them of other states that had adopted such an amendment, and asking them to vote to place the amendment on the November 2021 ballot. Legislators need to know that the public supports a Green Amendment. In partnership with the North Jersey Sierra Club, I hosted a Kahoot event to raise awareness about the Green Amendment. Unfortunately, we did not enlist the 24 senators and 48 assembly members required to place it on the ballot, but we have not given up. We are now looking toward the November 2022 ballot and I hope to host another event to promote a Green Amendment for New Jersey.

After being contacted about logging on Sparta Mountain, EEF began focusing on the risks to New Jersey’s forests. The worst deforestation is happening in Sparta. Large, healthy trees are being cut down under the guise of creating a young forest. There are benefits to young forests, but there are also benefits to old-growth forests, including as habitat and for carbon sequestration. Healthy trees should not be logged in high conservation areas and national heritage spots. EEF is working to expand awareness of the immediate threat to Sparta Mountain and the implications of reckless logging for other New Jersey forests. EEF is advocating for a moratorium on logging on Sparta Mountain and is reaching out to college students in particular to encourage them to contact their legislators. We visited Sparta Mountain to see the devastation firsthand. It was shocking; my jaw dropped. There were acres and acres of holes in the forest and in the canopy. EEF, with the help of an editor and filmmaker, created a video which is being utilized to bring awareness to the deforestation.

I am involved in several other issues on behalf of EEF, including its ongoing program of environmental film festivals, land acknowledgments at CUNY schools, and Save the Drew Forest. Save the Drew Forest is the initiative of the Friends of the Drew Forest. “Friends” is a group of interested citizens, formed under the auspices of the Land Conservancy of New Jersey, that is working for the permanent preservation of what is known as the “Drew Preserve.” The Preserve is 53 acres of contiguous forest owned by Drew University. For a dozen years, the University and partners have engaged in a restoration and stewardship program that has produced a stunning forest of trees, native plants, and ponds that is a habitat for birds and a peaceful haven of trails and benches for humans. Unfortunately, the Preserve is now threatened with a development of high density housing, as Drew University seeks to improve its financial position. The “Friends” are seeking to achieve a conservation sale that will permanently preserve the forest.

I have really enjoyed working with the Environmental Education Fund, and I look forward to working further on these projects!

NJEL Member Tackles Product Packaging -

NJEL Member Celeste Racano has a message for our members and a request in reference to the popular Eggland Eggs:

The Eggland Eggs company advertises the health benefits of their eggs. However, they continue to use Styrofoam packaging. I have called the company and explained the contradiction between consuming their healthy eggs while creating an unhealthy environment with their choice of packaging material. A representative reassured me the company was investigating several vendors for environmentally friendly packaging. I replied that I would be boycotting their product until a change in packaging is made. Several months have passed and the time frame of “very soon,” as I was initially reassured, has not occurred. Their latest response is that they will implement a change to eco-friendly packaging in about a year from now.

Please consider giving them a call and also joining in the boycott. Their phone number is: 1-800-922-3447. Multiple voices should be very persuasive. Of course, involving any social media platform could be helpful, too. Thank you!

But Wait . . . Celeste Was Not Finished!

Celeste is a customer of Panera Bread, a company that prides itself on its environmental sensitivity. Celeste reviewed the company’s 2020 Responsibility Report, which described its disposable cutlery “opt-out” feature. Panera management recognized that many patrons take their purchases home and do not use the disposable utensils that are included in take-out orders. Patrons who order online, at kiosks, or from delivery services can decline the plastic utensils. Panera estimates that this option eliminated 125,000 pounds of plastic in one quarter alone.

Panera also redesigned its napkins to maintain functionality with less paper. In a letter to the Panera CEO, Celeste complimented the initiatives and took the opportunity to suggest a few more and to provide some data.

Quoting from her letter:

A study by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) shows if plastic production continues at its current pace, by 2030, annual emissions from plastic production and incineration could reach 1.34 billion tons. Disposable plastic straws must no longer be available at Panera. I offer the following suggestions:

* Complete the transition from plastic to eco-friendly recycled paper straws.

* Offer an incentive (perhaps extra MyPanera Reward points) for utilizing the “opt-out” of single use cutlery choice on take-out orders. There are over 42.4M Loyalty members - Imagine what an impact this one change could make!

* For your restaurant waste disposal, consider using plastic bags made from recycled oceanbound plastic collected off beaches before it reaches the ocean. (www.HippoSak.com) Per a 2020 report in Oceana, about two garbage trucks’ worth of plastic enters the ocean every minute.

Thank you for your continued efforts towards environmental responsibility. I am hoping other food chain restaurants will follow your leadership.

We encourage other members to follow Celeste’s lead and speak out to companies when you see excess or environmentally damaging packaging. It takes some time and effort (although electronic communications make it more convenient) but when their loyal customers are dissatisfied, they pay attention. Action by many individuals adds up to a movement!

Forests? NJ Has Forests? What Exit?
Senator Smith Establishes Forest Stewardship Task Force -

By Anne Poole - NJEL President

I’m joking, of course. Anyone who is reading this newsletter knows that New Jersey has forests. The forests of the Highlands, Pinelands, and Skylands regions are famous. There are also localized forests that are recognized by their host communities not only as natural resources, but as quality of life assets.

We are all familiar with travelers who know New Jersey only by what they see as they speed up or down the Turnpike. Many (but not all!) know that New Jersey has a sea coast but have no idea that it has huge swaths of forests, mountains, numerous rivers and lakes, leafy towns, and that it still has farms!

That may be understandable, but there also are also many New Jersey residents who are unfamiliar with the natural resource characteristics of their own state. Or, they are so accustomed to the nature around them that it does not occur to them that those resources might change irreparably or even disappear.

This is a possibility for publicly-owned forests in New Jersey, and it is happening now on Sparta Mountain. As with many iconic, publicly owned assets in New Jersey, from Liberty State Park to beaches, Sparta Mountain has been coveted by private interests. In the case of Sparta Mountain and other public lands, the forest products industry has lobbied for years for legislation that would make it easier to harvest trees from publicly owned forests and those acquired with Green Acres funding for conservation or recreational use. Much of this has been in the guise of maintaining “healthy” forests. Due to conservation groups like the Sierra Club and the Highlands Coalition, proposals were beaten back with scientific arguments, but industry tried again. NJEL’s January–April 2021 newsletter explains those bills.

The poster child for mismanagement is Sparta Mountain, state-owned land that encompasses a wildlife management area and was designated a “natural heritage priority site” by the State of NJ. Those sites contain rare plant species and ecological communities. Many are also habitat for rare and endangered animal species. For years, concerned citizens advocated for proper stewardship of Sparta Mountain with the “Save Sparta Mountain” campaign. When more intense logging became a risk for other public forests, the group formed New Jersey Forest Watch to protect forests state-wide.

Some logging had been carried out on Sparta Mountain for years, but inexplicably, the N.J. Division of Fish & Wildlife announced that it would be allowed near the ecologically significant Edison Bog. In addition to the natural resource value, there is human value in that area. Because of its incredible beauty, it is a favorite hiking spot.

N.J. Forest Watch/Save Sparta Mountain and other forest advocates are calling on Governor Murphy to stop the logging on Sparta Mountain. The Governor’s seeming lack of interest is perplexing, given that one of the most publicized priorities of his administration is reduction of greenhouse gases.

In addition to their value in stabilizing soils, absorbing pollutants, and providing wildlife habitat, trees are repositories of carbon. The older the tree, the more carbon is stored. Degrading forests, along with adding new fossil fuel infrastructure, is not a path to meeting the Governor’s milestones and goals for clean energy and emissions.

Lumbering is necessary for fulfilling human needs, but clear cutting old growth trees in the guise of encouraging “new growth” masks an attempt by private interests to benefit from public resources. As a result of the campaigns of conservation organizations, opposition to state policy increased among the public. In response, Senator Bob Smith, Chairman of the state Senate Environment & Energy Committee established a Forest Stewardship Task Force, co-chaired by representatives of NJ Audubon Society, the NJ Conservation Foundation, the NJ Forestry Association, and the NJ Sierra Club. The task force is expected to identify the proper management practices for New Jersey’s forests, including those related to climate change, forest fires, ecosystems, and water quality. According to Senator Smith, the purpose of the task force is to “develop consensus solutions which could form the basis for future legislation.”

The formation of the Forest Stewardship Task Force by the Senate committee does not reverse current NJDEP policy on the Sparta Mountain logging, and conservation advocates are continuing their campaigns for executive action to stop logging in Natural Heritage Priority Sites.

The announcement of the task force’s initial (online) meeting promised transparency and public participation. Several NJEL Board members registered as interested parties, and will presumably be kept apprised of the activities of task force workgroups and given opportunities to comment.

You can learn more about New Jersey forests in general and Sparta Mountain in particular on the Highlands Coalition’s YouTube channel (560) New Jersey Forests Forum: Presentations - YouTube. The Coalition is a valued environmental partner of NJEL. NJEL is proud to be an organization member of the Coalition and to have a seat on its policy committee. For years the Coalition has studied the Highlands region’s forest ecology. It is an authority on both the value and the management of its forests.

New EEF Trustee Is an Expert in Engaging the Public through Creativity -

In January, the EEF Board of Trustees elected Nancy Rhodes to a vacant seat. Nancy is a distinguished opera theater director, producer, and librettist. She is the co-founder and artistic director of the Encompass New Opera Theatre Company in Brooklyn. As the name implies, it is dedicated to the creation and production of new and diverse opera and music theatre works, as well as revivals. For several years, Nancy collaborated with and assisted EEF in presenting programs that engaged the public to raise awareness of environmental and diversity issues. The Board looks forward to utilizing Nancy’s expertise and creativity to fulfill EEF’s education mission.

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REMEMBER!

The New Jersey Environmental Lobby is your voice in Trenton. We are an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on the preservation and protection of a healthy environment for all our citizens. We need your support! JOIN NJEL and help us change the laws!

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