Pallone Statement on Court Ruling Approving Controversial ExxonMobil Settlement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 25, 2015


LONG BRANCH, NJ – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, decried today’s state court approval of the Christie Administration’s controversial settlement with ExxonMobil. The Christie Administration decided to settle New Jersey’s $8.9 billion environmental damage lawsuit against ExxonMobil for a mere $225 million. The settlement comes after an 11-year legal battle to recover damages from ExxonMobil for the contamination of more than 1,800 acres of wetlands, marshes, meadows and waters in northern New Jersey.

“The Christie Administration’s settlement destroys years of hard work and sets an extremely dangerous precedent for future polluters to degrade our state with virtually no consequences,” said Congressman Pallone. “New Jerseyans deserved nothing less than to be fairly compensated for the degradation of our land and resources. However, the settlement and the ruling, along with ExxonMobil’s attempts – supported by the Christie Administration – to shirk responsibility, are an insult to New Jersey. I am further troubled that the settlement fails to hold Exxon accountable for pollution at 16 other facilities in the state. Today’s ruling, which effectively lets big oil off the hook, is a reminder that those of us in New Jersey who are committed to the environmental health and economic well-being of our state must redouble our efforts in the leadership void left by Governor Christie.”

In June, Pallone wrote to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection urging the rejection of the proposed settlement.

In his letter, Pallone wrote, “I was sent to Congress in 1988 to put a stop to ocean dumping and the reckless industrialization of the Jersey Shore. Ensuring the ecological vitality of New Jersey’s coastline and waterways has always been one of my top priorities. This insufficient settlement is an affront to the long term objective of cleaning up New Jersey’s legacy of toxic contamination.”

The full text of his letter is available HERE.

Pallone Encourages New Jersey Fisherman to Access Federal Fishery Disaster Relief Funds

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) encouraged New Jersey fishermen affected by Superstorm Sandy to apply for federal fishery disaster relief funds being administered by the state of New Jersey. This comes in response to the state’s announcement that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will make more than $2 million in grants available to help offset the costs that fishing-related businesses and recreational fishing infrastructure, such marinas and bait-and-tackle shops, incurred as a result of Superstorm Sandy. Congressman Pallone fought hard in Congress to see that these funds were appropriated to the state as part the Sandy Aid package and later as part of the Fiscal Year 2014 federal budget.

“New Jersey’s commercial and recreational fishing industries are vitally important to the state’s economy,” said Pallone. “While I strongly believe that more federal funds should be made available to fishermen and fishing-related businesses that were devastated by Superstorm Sandy, I’m glad to see that the state is finally taking an important first step to get this relief money into the hands of those who need it.”

At Pallone’s urging, Acting Secretary of Commerce, Rebecca Blank, declared a federal fishery resource disaster in New Jersey in November 2012, so that local fishermen and businesses could get much-needed federal assistance in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. The Sandy relief package originally appropriated $5 million for fishery disaster relief in New York and New Jersey. Congressman Pallone continued fighting for additional fishery disaster funds in the Fiscal Year 2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill which provided approximately $3 million in federal funds to New York and New Jersey fisheries that were declared fishery disasters.

“The shore is my home, and I know what fishing means to life here,” Pallone added. “We must make sure that the damages suffered by New Jersey fishermen are not forgotten as we continue to rebuild and recover.”

Individuals and/or businesses in six fishing-related sectors—bait-and-tackle shops, commercial dealers, commercial fishermen, for-hire (party and charter) operations, marinas and shellfish/aquaculture—may submit Expression of Interest pre-applications to the DEP beginning October 1 until October 31. The pre-application is only available online and can be accessed here.

STATE TAKES LEGAL ACTION TO STOP SEISMIC BLASTING!

For Immediate Release:
July 6th 2014

DEP ASKING FEDERAL COURT TO HALT WORK OFF THE COAST OF BARNEGAT INLET THAT COULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE STATE’S TOURISM AND FISHING INDUSTRIES, AND TO MARINE LIFE

TRENTON – – The Christie Administration is taking legal action to halt a federally approved seismic ocean survey that is scheduled to start this month off the New Jersey coast, and which could adversely impact the state’s vital tourism and fishing industries, and marine life, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin announced on July 3.

The state has filed legal papers to seek injunctive relief in federal court to prevent the vessel, R/V Marcus G. Langseth, from conducting seismic research off the coast of New Jersey at this time. Please visit: http://www.nj.gov/dep/docs/seismic-testing-federal-complaint.pdf

The DEP believes this research, which would use loud, powerful sound blasts to map the ocean floor over a 30-day period, will likely have a detrimental effect on New Jersey’s fisheries and marine mammals. The study is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and led by Rutgers University.

“We must carefully safeguard those resources, which play such a key role in our state’s $40 billion tourism industry, for the benefit of our residents, businesses and the environment,’’ Commissioner Martin said. “The Christie Administration continues to focus on clean ocean water quality, protecting our coastline and working to enhance our coastal recreation and fishing industries."

“We have made our concerns clear to the NOAA and remain hopeful that, at the very least, this initiative will be rescheduled for a less impactful time of year," Commissioner Martin added. "The timing of this program will be detrimental to various marine species that migrate and breed off the New Jersey coast and will negatively impact the commercial and recreational fishing industries, and related tourism, that relies heavily on these resources.

DEP contends that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration failed to act properly when NOAA denied the DEP’s request to study fisheries impacts. This request was made in addition to comments the DEP provided for a federal permit allowing for incidental harming or killing of marine mammals in the study area.

The NSF’s own environmental study concludes that because of limited knowledge of the effects of seismic surveys on marine fish, this “makes drawing conclusions about impacts to fish problematic.”

Part of the study area includes areas identified as essential fish habitat (EFH), which are important for fish spawning, breeding, and feeding. In approvals for this study, NOAA concedes that “it appears that some level of adverse effect to EFH may occur.”

Rutgers University received funding from the National Science Foundation to conduct seismic ocean blasting tests between 15 and 50 miles east of Barnegat Inlet as part of a climate change study. The process involves the repeated blasts of compressed air by underwater seismic air guns, designed to determine the scientific understanding of changes in sea level rise by examining deep sea sediments. These air-gun blasts can generate up to 250 decibels underwater.

The DEP’s Bureau of Marine Fisheries and Office of Environmental Review have both concluded this seismic activity would likely negatively impact New Jersey’s fish and marine mammal populations, including several endangered species.

NOAA is in the process of updating its Marine Mammal Acoustic Guidance, which set standards on how man-made sounds like seismic testing, sonar tests and ship noise, can affect marine mammals. Currently, the threshold level where underwater noise is considered to pose dangers to marine wildlife is 160 decibels, which is louder than a jet engine.

DEP contends that this proposed seismic research can either directly harm fish or disrupt migration patterns that will have a detrimental impact on our commercial and recreational fishing industry. The study’s one-month time window coincides with the height of fish migrations through the study area. This time window also accounts for nearly 20 percent of the annual catch for many species of fish.

In addition to fisheries impacts, the DEP further contends that the study will have an impact on marine mammals that migrate through the area and into New Jersey’s coastal waters. This concern is further reinforced by NOAA’s permit authorizing some harm to marine mammals, including threatened and endangered species

Pallone Announces FEMA Grants to Reimburse the Cleaning of New Jersey Waterways

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding to reimburse the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for the use of contractors to load, haul and dispose of debris from the state’s waterways as a result of Superstorm Sandy.

“Getting New Jersey back to pre-Sandy conditions remains my number one priority,” said Pallone. “The state faced so many unanticipated costs after Sandy, and it is necessary that FEMA help cover the costs after such a statewide emergency. It’s important to keep our state’s waterways free from unsafe and unsightly debris, and these grants have helped.”

FEMA has awarded two grants to DEP that will cover 75% of each debris removal project for New Jersey’s waterways. $23,160,047 will be awarded for the statewide debris removal project, and $15,994,244 will be awarded for the removal of debris in the Northern Region of the state.

BUONO STANDS AGAINST GOVERNOR'S ASSAULT ON THE ENVIRONMEN​T

Resolution would declare Waiver Rule inconsistent with legislative intent


TRENTON – State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) issued the following statement in regards to Gov. Christie's administration approval the Department of Environmental Protection waiver rule.

“The environment is not something that should be horsetraded by bureaucrats. Environmental protections that took decades and multilateral cooperation to put in place are now going to be bypassed based on unilateral decisions of the Christie administration.

“Environmental advocates predict increased pollution, flooding, and sprawl as a result. There could also be unintended consequences; for instance, the perception that politically-connected entities are being given waivers by the Christie administration.

“I am sponsoring a resolution, SCR59, that declares the Waiver Rule to be inconsistent with Legislative intent. We are fighting this rule in Trenton, but it never should have been put in place to begin with.”

Federal Fracking Panel Responds to Growing Backlash Against Polluting, Destructive Practice: Statement of Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenona

August 11,2011

WASHINGTON - “Today, the Shale Gas Subcommittee of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board released its recommendations regarding the regulation of U.S. shale gas production. With six out of seven of the subcommittee’s members having direct financial ties to the natural gas industry, their recommendations will not go nearly far enough in protecting consumers and the environment from the risks associated with shale gas obtained through the process of hydraulic fracturing. The report does outline the major environmental and public health issues associated with shale gas drilling.

“While the natural gas industry has advocated for, and has been granted exemptions from key environmental regulations, it has racked up countless violations of the rules that do apply to them, and has been questioned about the validity of their gas production forecasts. Yet the subcommittee nonetheless suggests that natural gas producers should play a large role in ensuring that hydraulic fracturing operations do not endanger consumers or natural resources by providing the public information about shale gas production and adopting industry-wide ‘best practices.’

“Just last week The New York Times reported that players within the natural gas industry helped bury evidence produced by the Environmental Protection Agency that hydraulic fracturing had, contrary to industry claims, contaminated drinking water supplies. How can we trust the industry to show ‘leadership in improving environmental impact’ when it has actually gone to great lengths to cover up its detrimental impacts to public health and natural resources?

“Much like the hearings it convened in the months leading up to the study, which mainly reflected the views of the natural gas industry and policymakers, this study downplays the concerns of those affected by fracking—communities that have been turned into sacrifice zones at the expense of the natural gas industry’s desire to turn a profit.

“While the report recommends allowing the natural gas industry to create a new national organization to police its own practices, it proposes leaving protection of public health and the environment to ‘each relevant jurisdiction.’ We know that industry has gone to great lengths to influence local governments, and even greater lengths to avoid culpability at a national level. Why should we let the industry police itself while leaving localities to fight for themselves?

“Moreover, we are extremely disappointed that federal involvement in this matter will focus on providing money to the natural gas industry for research and development to help greenwash their practices, rather than removing exemptions from key environmental regulations. The federal government should be taking an active role in protecting consumers and the environment from hydraulic fracturing, not throwing money at a destructive and unprofitable industry.”

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Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and by transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink.

Christie Will Say Anything

Chris Christie will say anything to get elected and you can't believe any of it.

In the latest Corzine campaign ad, Corzine's Republican challanger Chris Christie, states that he is behind President Obama's efferts on energy and the enviroment, only to later stated at a press conference that he expects as Governor to have clashes over these very same policies between a "Christie administration DEP and an Obama administration EAP".

What gives here Mr. Christie? Either you stand behind the President and his policies of green jobs, and green energy alternatives such as solar and wind or you don't. You can't speak out of both sides of the mouth.