Issue Position: Environment

Issue Position

* Introduced the COAST Anti-Drilling Act in January 2007, which places a permanent ban on offshore drilling off the Jersey Shore and all North and Mid-Atlantic states from Maine to Virginia.

* Introduced the Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act to undo EPA regulations weakening toxic reporting requirements that have been in place for nearly two decades so that communities once again know what, if any, toxic chemicals are being dumped in their neighborhoods.

* Introduced the Beach Protection Act that requires tough new beach water quality testing and public notification standards so beachgoers are better informed about the safety of their beaches. This legislation passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in October 2007.

* Introduced legislation that will ensure solid waste facilities next to rail lines fall under the same regulations as every other waste facility. This would allow New Jersey to regulate approximately 15 railroad transfer facilities that have been proposed or are now in operation. Also passed through the House an amendment that provides states the authority to regulate solid waste facilities.

* Supported legislation that provides a recommitment to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, by authorizing $14 billion over the next four years. This legislation helps local communities have clean lakes and streams, as well as safe drinking water.

* Worked with U.S. Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez in 2007 to request that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cease all excavation activities at the Ringwood Mines/Landfill Superfund Site until the appropriate testing is completed to ensure the health and safety of the residents. Later that year, the New Jersey lawmakers questioned the EPA regarding the problems surrounding the cleanup of the Ringwood Superfund Site and the possible role environmental racism may have played.

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