local environment matters winter 2021 - anjec

WINTER 2021WINTER 2021Local Environment MattersLocal Environment Matters

Inside:

• Highlights of ANJEC2020 Environmental Congress

• Winners of ANJEC EnvironmentalAchievement Awards

• Why stormwater utilities?

Inside:

• Highlights of ANJEC2020 Environmental Congress

• Winners of ANJEC EnvironmentalAchievement Awards

• Why stormwater utilities?

2 ANJEC REPORT – Winter 2021

Director’s Report


Single-use plasticis unwelcome in NJ

New Jersey is now home to the strongestPlastic Pollution Reduction Act in the UnitedStates!

When Governor Murphy vetoed theplastic bag ban in 2018, it wasn’t clear thatthis is where we would arrive. The 2018 billwas a bad bill. It was the product of honestefforts to tackle the mounting crisis ofplastic pollution by going straight to theNew Jersey Legislature. However, theprocess got hijacked by plastic, oil, and gasindustry lobbyists, who out-hustled ANJECand other environmentalists and pushedthrough a poorly written, ineffective, do-nothing bill. To his credit, Governor Murphyheard the pleas of environmental advocatesand vetoed the bill.

Unfortunately, by the summer of 2018,we were left with less than nothing. Wedidn’t have a plastic pollution law or aviable bill. The industry won the day and lifecontinued with business as usual becausethe New Jersey Legislature had no appetiteto take up another plastic bill after the lastone was vetoed.

Then, hundreds of environmental com-mission (EC) members gathered at ANJEC’s45th annual Environmental Congress. Withonly two local plastic pollution ordinancesadopted, ANJEC posed the challenge formore local action. We developed a modelordinance to address plastic bags, polysty-rene food containers and straws. ECs,ANJEC, and allied non-profits gathered bythe hundreds over the next year in regionalforums at the shore to address oceanimpacts, and in Morris and HunterdonCounties to combat plastic pollution in theDelaware River Watershed.

By April of 2019, we were celebrating 50local ordinances adopted and closing in on100 by the end of the year. Senator BobSmith and Assemblywoman Nancy Pinkin,chairs of their respective EnvironmentCommittees, were ready to fight for thecause again. With help from nonprofitexperts, informed by local ordinances, andthe national collaborative – Plastic FreeWaters, of which ANJEC is a foundingmember – we began drafting a new state-wide bill to reduce single-use plastic andplastic pollution. After many, many meet-ings with the Governor’s office, SpeakerCoughlin, Senate President Sweeney,countless legislators and their staffs, the billwas scheduled for votes in both chambers.

Plastic, oil, and gas industry advocateswere unhappy. They lobbied and launchedad campaigns, but they were no match forthe 130+ local ordinances that ECs helpedadopt to date and the thousands of phonecalls and emails that poured into legislators’offices and the Governors’ desk from thepublic demanding action.

The Plastic Pollution Reduction Act is agrassroots environmental success storybecause of you! I am honored to be on yourteam!

The Act will go into effect in May 2022.This phased implementation gives ANJEC,ECs and other advocates time to helprestaurants and bars make more sustainablechoices as they switch from polystyrene,and to educate consumers about the otheraspects of the law. Plastic and paper bagswill be banned, with some exceptions forplastic bags used for sanitary reasons, drycleaning and to wrap newspapers. Small

ANJEC REPORT – Winter 2021 3SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPERSUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

Jennifer M. CoffeyExecutive Director

2 Director’s Report

4 A report from the top onenvironmental protection inNew Jersey

6 Judith Enck: Winning the waron single-use plastics

8 Clean energy roundup

10 ANJEC honors 2020EnvironmentalAchievement Awardwinners

13 2021 Fundamentals forEffective EnvironmentalCommissions

14 Planning & Policy Updates

16 ANJEC honored withNJCCC’s “Rise to theChallenge” Award

17 Urban zones are hot zonesand trees are our#1 defense

19 Kaylee DiPasquale wins 2020ANJEC Lechner Scholarship

20 21st Century agriculture isthriving in New Jersey

22 Paterson Adopt-a-Catch-Basin program is goingstrong

23 Stormwater utilities…could2021 be the year?

25 Acting Locally

In this issue:

On the cover: Snow Geese in Warren County

ANJEC REPORT – Winter 2021 3

Executive Director ............................. Jennifer M. CoffeyEditor ................................................. Julie Lange Groth

The Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissionsis a private, non-profit educational organization serving environ-mental commission and open space committee members, con-cerned individuals, non-profits, and local officials. ANJEC’sprograms aim to promote the public interest in natural resourcepreservation, sustainable development and reclamation andsupport environmental commissions and open space committeesworking with citizens and other non-profit organizations.

The REPORT welcomes articles and photographs but is notresponsible for loss or damage. Opinions expressed by guestauthors do not necessarily reflect ANJEC policy. Articles may bereprinted with permission and credit.Please address correspondence to ANJEC REPORT,PO Box 157, Mendham, NJ 07945; tel: 973-539-7547.E-mail [email protected]. Website: www.anjec.org.

565 MUNICIPALITIES ............... ONE ENVIRONMENT

Vol. 41 / No. 1 WINTER 2021

Library Subscription$18.00

ISSN 1538-0742

Local Environment Matters

businesses (under 2,500 sq. ft.) can con-tinue to use paper bags with no fee tocustomers, as they always have. Polystyrenecontainers will be banned, with extensionsfor certain products such as the liner underpackaged raw meat. Plastic straws will beavailable upon request only when diningout, starting November 2021.

Throughout 2021, ANJEC will bepublishing more detailed information aboutthe new Plastic Pollution Reduction Act andpreferred sustainable options. We’re alsoworking on strategic next steps, including abill that will help create marketplaces forrecycled materials. We look forward toachieving more environmental progress andprotection with you in 2021!

Photo by Charlie Fineran

Click on an article to jump to that page


By Julie Lange Groth, ANJEC Report Editor

A report from the top onenvironmental protectionin New Jersey

The featured speaker at ANJEC’s2020 Environmental Congress was ShawnLaTourette, Deputy Commissionerand Chiefof Staff, New Jersey Department ofEnvironmental Protection (DEP), who gavea comprehensive presenta-tion on the organization’spriorities, goals and accom-plishments. But he startedwith a nod to the extraordi-nary efforts of his staff andenvironmental commissionsstatewide to function in themidst of the COVID-19pandemic.

“I just want to say howsurprising and how encour-aging each member of ourDEP staff has been through-out this time. I used to sayDEP is everywhere. Now Ireally mean it. They are protecting ourenvironment from kitchen tables and homeoffices across this State. The DEP staff hasdone tremendous work in one of thehighest pressure times we have ever seen.Much like the taxing of State and localgovernment resources with which I know somany of the participants here today arestruggling in lots of ways. I thank you foryour commitment.”

Protecting drinking waterOne of the critical issues the current

administration has advanced to protectdrinking water is the presence of fluoridatedsubstances. The DEP has identified criteriathat will guide the removal of PFOA, PFOS,and PFNA from drinking water supplies.

“New Jersey has led the way in develop-ing nation-setting standards to identify andremediate the presence of fluoridatedsubstances in our drinking water,”LaTourette declared.

“We are working hard toprotect public health and toenable other states to followour lead.

But the new rules havebeen very hard fought.”

He said some industriesresponsible for generatingthese chemicals havepushed back against theheightened standards. Andmunicipal suppliers havealso expressed concerns thatthe stricter rules couldincrease the cost of water.

He stressed the impor-tance of protecting the public, especiallychildren, from the bioaccumulation of thesesubstances that are present “in our environ-ment, in our garbage, even in our blood.”LaTourette added that one of the danger-ous side effects of this bioaccumulation is areduced response to vaccines during thepandemic.

Lead in drinking water is also on theDepartment’s to-do list. The Commissionersaid they are moving forward with the mostaggressive lead pipe replacement programin the country to protect the health ofchildren.

NJ climate initiatives LaTourette described a broad spectrumof initiatives the State has already under-

Shawn LaTourette

ANJEC REPORT – Winter 2021 5SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

taken to tackle the climate crisis, including:• Executive Order 89, a scientific report on

climate change;• Executive Order 100/Administrative Order

2020-01 – NJ Protecting Against ClimateThreats (NJPACT);

• The Energy Master Plan;• The Global Warming Response Act;• The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

(RGGI).

The Deputy Commissioner also spokeabout the Department’s efforts to revampenvironmental land resource protectionregulations to enable development andredevelopment that issafe, sustainable andresilient.

“One of the biggestdrivers of this initiativeis looking at what weare likely to experiencein terms of inundationand flood damage dueto sea level rise,” hewarned, citing recentestimates of anadditional one foot ofsea level rise by 2030,two feet by 2050,“…and beyond 2050,depending on ourmitigation efforts, sixfeet by 2100.”

Among the strate-gies the DEP isplanning to establish is a new regulatoryarea known as the inundation risk zone, toredefine the tidal flood hazard area toaccount for sea level rise, and to redefine thefluvial hazard area to anticipate increasedprecipitation and runoff.

RGGI strategic fundingThe DEP, the New Jersey Board of Public

Utilities, and New Jersey Economic Develop-ment Authority have released the State’sfirst Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative(RGGI) Strategic Funding Plan for years2020 through 2022. The Plan identifies thefour initiatives in which the agencies will

invest the RGGI auction proceeds, including:• catalyzing clean, equitable transportation;• promoting blue carbon in coastal habitats;• enhancing forests and urban forests; and• creating a New Jersey Green Bank.

Offshore windLaTourette said Governor Murphy recently

released the State’s Offshore Wind Strategy,with a goal of 7500 megawatts by 2035.

“It’s the right policy,” the Deputy Com-missioner said. “This is a fight for the future.And it’s here. And we all have to get onboard. We want to make sure wind is

developed expeditiouslyfrom the perspective ofour climate goals, butresponsibly for all thenatural resources we’recharged with protect-ing.”

Environmentaljustice

LaTourette alsolauded the “nation’smost empoweringenvironmental justicelaw” passed recently inNew Jersey.

“Today we released aguidance document foradministering environ-mental justice through-

out State government,” he added. “Allenvironmental commissions in New Jerseyshould pick up and take a deep read of thisdocument and think about how to bringsome of these principles into your worklocally. Because environmental justice is adeeply local issue. One of the biggesthurdles to further that promise is often localland use decisions made beyond the reach ofDEP’s jurisdiction.”

More infoShawn Latourette’s presentation –

www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0Xwu2ht64E&feature=youtu.be

NJDEP priorities• Reduce and respond to climate

change.• Protect New Jersey's water.• Revitalize our communities and

protect public health.• Manage and promote thriving

natural and historic resources.• Strengthen DEP.

NJDEP principles• Follow the law.• Use the best available science.• Listen to all sides.• Find the best balance.• Be transparent and honest with

the public

www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0Xwu2ht64E&feature=youtu.be


By Jennifer M. Coffey, ANJEC Executive Director

Judith Enck:Winning the war onsingle-use plastics

Pollution by single-use plastics is adriver of climate change and an environ-mental justice issue at its core.

Yes, we all know that single-use plasticscause plastic pollution. We know thatAmericans are enormous consumers ofsingle-use plastics. Foreign countries suchas India, Thailand, Indonesia, and China, onwhich we once relied to take our recyclableplastic materials, are now refusing theonslaught of our waste. We know that theWorld Economic Forum has compiled datashowing that unless wechange our behavior andsystems, we will have moreplastic than fish in ouroceans by 2050. Micro andnano plastics have infil-trated our drinking water,particularly bottled water;our food, especially fish andshellfish; and even the airwe breathe.

Most of us are justlearning, however, thatsingle-use plastics are also amajor contributor toclimate change, and thatthe communities that mostbear the brunt of the air pollution causedby plastic production are low-income andminority.

During the keynote address at the 47thannual – and first virtual – ANJEC Environ-mental Congress, Judith Enck showed usthe trail from single-use plastics to theclimate crisis and the human damagecaused along the way.

“Plastic pollution, in fact, is a climatechange issue. It’s an ocean issue. It’s anenvironmental justice issue. It’s an equityissue. It also deals with overconsumption,”Enck told Environmental Congress attend-ees. “You cannot solve the climate changeissue without solving the plastic pollutionissue.”

Enck, the founder of Beyond Plastics andformer EPA Region 2 Administrator underPresident Obama, is currently a visitingprofessor at Bennington College in Ver-

mont. She explained thatwhile most plastic used tobe made from chemicals inoil, 99 percent of plasticsare now made from ethane,a waste product of thefracking industry. ANJECstaff have indeed testifiedat New Jersey Senatehearings, where industryrepresentatives haveasserted that they rely onthe demand for single-useplastics to make thefracking industry solucrative.

Through a process knownas “cracking,” facilities convert ethanewaste from fracking into ethylene with highheat, essentially cracking the molecules.The ethylene is then converted into solidplastic and manufactured into single-useutensils, straws, polystyrene and plasticpackaging. Enck explained that “thesecracking plants are multi-billion dollarfacilities designed to keep America stocked

Judith Enck


in single-use plastics. Ethylene crackerplants are being built wherever there arefracking activities, and there are severaldozen proposed in the United States at themoment, mostly located in Pennsylvania,West Virginia, Texas, and Louisiana. Thesefacilities emit air toxins like benzene. Theyalso are super emitters of carbon.”

Fracking waste that is converted intosingle-use plastics threatens to undo all ofour global progress in reducing greenhousegas emissions and in fact exacerbates thethreats, Enck said. “According to a reportby the conservation group Center forInternational Environmental Law, if plasticproduction and use grows as is currentlyplanned, by 2030, some 10 years from now,the carbon emissions of these ethanecracker facilities will be equivalent to thecarbon released by 295 coal plants. So, aswe are working so hard worldwide to getoff coal and fossil fuel, these ethane crackerplants are super-emitters of carbon.”

Enck continued, “We’re moving awayfrom fossil fuel use for electricity genera-tion, and investing in solar, and wind, andgeothermal. We’re slowly moving towardscleaner transportation choices and moreinvestment in mass transit. So, the fossilfuel industry looks at plastic production astheir plan B. And all of this is to just giveus cheap plastic and mostly cheap plasticpackaging.”

Plastic production also compoundsexisting environmental justice issues.“Plastic production is very much anenvironmental justice issue. These facilitiesare almost always sited in low-incomecommunities and communities of color. Soin addition to emitting greenhouse gases,they emit benzene, volatile organic com-pounds, nitrogen oxides, which contributeto smog formation, sulfur dioxide, and avast amount of particulate pollution,” Encksaid. “I maintain that if they were locatedin more affluent communities, they wouldnot have been built. And the companiesthat are behind these new ethane crackerplants are …Exxon and Shell, and they viewthese [low-income and communities ofcolor] as communities of least resistance.”

Enck said that despite the challenges,she is optimistic. She advised attendees tofirst become informed and visitBeyondPlastics.org. She encouraged otherstates to pass plastic bans like New Jersey’splastic trifecta law that bans plastic bags,polystyrene food containers, and makesplastic straws available upon requests. Shesaid that she strongly believes that in NJwhat made all the difference was havinglocal laws on the books. So, local environ-ment matters!

The ultimate next step is national actionwith the US Congress taking up the BreakFree from Plastic Pollution Act (Senate 3263/House 5845). This federal bill includes manyof the same features as New Jersey’s newPlastic Pollution Reduction Law. It alsomandates extended producer responsibilityand creates a national bottle depositprogram to dramatically increase recyclingrates.

Thanks to ANJECmember communities

We are grateful to the thousands ofvolunteers serving as local officials inmore than 260 municipalities andcounties that are members of ANJEC.These dedicated people – from municipaland regional environmental commissionsand green teams to open space commit-tees, planning boards, governing bodies,shade tree commissions and zoningboards – dedicate their time and effortsto assure a clean environment and highquality of life in their communitiesthroughout our State. Thank you!

Environmental Congresspresentations may be viewedon ANJEC's YouTube channel,ANJEC Views, atwww.youtube.com/channel/UCCEuWtY-juaDStB-22S5SpQ.

www.youtube.com/channel/UCCEuWtY-juaDStB-22S5SpQ

http://BeyondPlastics.org


Clean energyroundup

DBy Sheila Baker Gujral, ANJEC Resource Center

uring October’s Environmen-tal Congress, ANJEC hosted “New Jersey’sClean Energy Future,” featuring: ShawnLaTourette, Deputy Commissioner andChief of Staff for the New Jersey Depart-ment of Environmental Protection (NJDEP);Kelly Mooij, Director of Clean Energy forthe New JerseyBoard ofPublic Utilities(BPU); andGray Russell,SustainabilityOfficer for theTownship ofMontclair. Thesession wassponsored byØrsted, thecompany thatis buildingOcean Wind, a 1.1-gigawatt wind projectoffshore from Atlantic City.

New Jersey’s clean energyfuture

LaTourette discussed how the 2007Global Warming Response Act (GWRA)informed the 80x50 Report, a newlyreleased NJDEP progress document on thegoal of reducing emissions by 80 percentbelow 2006 levels by 2050 – known as the80x50 goal.

The goal is necessarily ambitious,LaTourette said. “We’re looking at a steepdecline over the next thirty years. Doingthis requires work across all of our agencies,all of our constituencies, work with theindustrial sector, work with the waste sectorand how we reduce landfill space, how wedeploy food waste digesters, how we work

to diminish the amount of carbon depositionon land that ultimately makes its way intothe atmosphere, and how we work withmunicipalities/local communities to assistthem in their carbon sequestration goals.”

“If there’s nothing else you take away fromthis presentation, let it be that our 2050

goal is hard toreach. We cando it. I firmlybelieve that wecan get therebut it requirestransformativechange.” Thetransportationsector is respon-sible for a largeportion – 42percent – ofemissions and 70

percent of that is from vehicles. So one ofthe things the State is working hard on isthe EV (electric vehicle) sector and EVadoption throughout NJ.

BPU – a small but mighty agencyKelly Mooij heads up the Clean Energy

Program at the BPU, “a small but mightyagency.” The goal of the Program is toeducate and change behavior, to provideopportunities for all residents of NJ toreduce energy and lower operating costs forthemselves, protect the environment, andlower emissions. To that end, the BPUdeveloped the 2019 Energy Master Plan, “ourcreed, our goal,” with support from agenciesacross State government .

The Energy Master Plan sets out a compre-hensive road map to meet New Jersey goalsthrough seven strategies:


1. Reduce energy consumption and emis-sions from the transportation sector.

2. Accelerate deployment of renewableenergy and distributed energy resources.

3. Maximize energy efficiency and conserva-tion and reduce peak demand.

4. Reduce energy consumption and emis-sions in the building sector.

5. Decarbonize and modernize New Jersey’senergy systems.

6. Support community energy planning andaction with an emphasis on encouragingparticipation by low- and moderate-incomeand environmental justice communities.

7. Expand the clean energy innovationeconomy.Some of the programs that help us move

toward that goal are:1. Renewable energy (offshore wind, TREC,

solar registration, community solar);2. Specialized energy efficiency (community

energy grants, state facility incentives,R&D Energy Tech Hub, workforce develop-ment)

3. Commercial and industrial (energy audits,energy efficiency incentives, trade allies)

4. Distributed energy resources (combinedpower and heat – fuel cells, microgriddevelopment, battery storage, electricvehicles)

5. Residential (new construction, existinghomes, energy efficient products, tradeallies)

Getting it doneGray Russell, Montclair’s Sustainability

Officer for the past nineteen years, is afrequent flyer in the Clean Energy Programand has led Montclair to become a cleanenergy leader. The three programs he focusedon for this presentation were the RenewableEnergy Aggregation Program, the electrifica-tion of both private and public vehicles, andthe BPU Microgrid Pilot Program.

Montclair, along with Maplewood, SouthOrange, Verona, and Glen Ridge teamed upto procure energy for their towns in anenergy aggregation agreement. By combin-ing their bargaining power, they were able tosource electricity with 40 percent renewable

content (vs. the usual 20 percent) whilestill saving customers money on their bills.The five towns estimate that they savedalmost $1.9 million in the first 12 monthsof the program. The program expires thisDecember, but will start up again in March,and the towns of Livingston and Glen Rockwill join in for cleaner and cheaper energy.

As LaTourette pointed out, one of theways to focus on reducing the greenhousegases associated with transportation (nearlyhalf of the total) is to “electrify, electrify,electrify.” Mooij discussed EVs in theEnergy Master Plan and the 2020 ElectricVehicle Law. Russell showed how thisworked on the ground level by providingfor residential, commercial and municipalelectric vehicles in Montclair.

Montclair remains on the State’s leadingedge in energy practices and is participat-ing in a BPU Microgrid Pilot Program.Having a microgrid addresses energychallenges such as multiple weather-induced power outages and grid securitydue to cyber-hacking and terrorism.

To hear the presentations in theirentirety, go to our “ANJEC Views” YouTubechannel for the full webinar and a moreextensive list of resources. https://youtu.be/mwW9NGHcwEg .

Resources:• Charge Up New Jersey Program – https://

chargeup.njcleanenergy.com/• New Jersey’ s Global Warming Response

Act: 80x50 Report – www.nj.gov/dep/climatechange/docs/nj-gwra-80x50-report-2020.pdf

• New Jersey Energy Master Plan website-www.nj.gov/emp/ (Read the full report atwww.bpu.state.nj.us/bpu/pdf/publicnotice/NJBPU_EMP.pdf)

• New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program –www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUikROKFQrk,https://njcleanenergy.com/

• Township of Montclair Microgrid StudyReport – www.state.nj.us/bpu/pdf/energy/Montclair%20Microgrid%20Feasibility%20Study%20+%20Attachments.pdf

www.nj.gov/dep/climatechange/docs/nj-gwra-80x50-report-2020.pdf

www.nj.gov/emp/

www.bpu.state.nj.us/bpu/pdf/publicnotice/NJBPU_EMP.pdf

www.state.nj.us/bpu/pdf/energy/Montclair%20Microgrid%20Feasibility%20 Study%20+%20Attachments.pdf

https://youtu.be/mwW9NGHcwEg


A

ANJEC honors 2020EnvironmentalAchievement AwardwinnersBy Elizabeth Ritter, ANJEC Deputy Director

NJEC’s 2020Environmental Congress kickedoff with a celebration ofaccomplishments by environ-mental commissions (ECs) andnonprofit organizations byawarding our annual Environ-mental Achievement Awards.The winning projects this yearwere all the more impressive aslocal environmentalists had toadjust their plans and programsdue to the pandemic.

ANJEC is pleased to honorthe following ten groups fortheir tremendous successes inthe face of unforeseenhardships:

“One Thousand Trees”Berkeley HeightsEnvironmental Commission

Berkeley Heights Township CouncilMember Susan Poage applied for 1,000 treeseedlings from NJ Department of Environ-mental Protection (NJDEP) and theBerkeley Heights EC planned on distribut-ing them on Arbor Day in April. ThenCOVID-19 happened and NJDEP suspendeddelivery of tree seedlings. Not to bedissuaded, the EC picked up the seedlingsthemselves and set up a contact-freedistribution procedure where more than160 residents stopped by to pick upseedlings. An additional 400 seedlings weredistributed to the fourth grades in town.

“Nature’s Best Hope”Caldwell Environmental Commission

The Caldwell EC has been promotingpollinator gardens for several years. Theywere planning on offering a workshopaccompanied by native plants distributionfor Earth Day, but those plans werecancelled during the statewide shutdown.Instead, they got Dr Doug Tallamy, authorof Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach toConservation that Starts in Your Yard, tooffer a webinar for his new book. His feewas high, so the EC got other groups tosponsor – West Caldwell EC, Kiwanis ofWest Essex and Morgan Farm of the CedarGrove Historical Society. Successfulpromotion for the event resulted in 1,365registrations for the Zoom presentation.

Berkeley Heights set up a contact-free distributionprocedure where more than 160 residents stopped

by to pick up tree seedlings for planting.


“10th Anniversary of Cherry HillTrails Program”Cherry Hill Environmental Board

With only one trail in existence in 2009,the Cherry Hill trails system has grown to11 locations with multiple trails at mostlocations, and has gained the US Depart-ment of the Interior’s National RecreationalTrail recognition. The Cherry Hill Environ-mental Board took advantage of the 10thanniversary to market the availability of thetrails, educate people about natural life onOpen Spaces, and provide opportunities forpeople to experience and support naturalareas and trails. Activities included monthlyarticles highlighting trails in the WeeklyMayor’s Message, with pictures andinformation and community serviceopportunities. There were also educationalarticles about common wildlife that live inopen space areas.

“Cedar Street Beach DuneRestoration Project”Keyport BoroughEnvironmental Commission

In Keyport, sand was blowing from thedunes into an adjacent park at greatinconvenience and expense to the Bor-ough. In an effort to build resiliency fromstorm surges and preserve their shoreline,the EC employed a “Living ShorelinePolicy” that started with dune restoration.

A group of volunteers began by clearingthe area of invasive plants. They receivedhelp from the Jersey Shore SurfriderAssociation, consulted with a local ecolo-gist and began plantings in late 2017. Theyrepeated the effort in late 2018. By late2019, the dunes were climbing and thebeach grass was thriving.

“Ditching Disposables”Lambertville Environmental Commission

Lambertville’s 2018 ordinance banningthe use of plastic straws, polystyrene foamand plastic bags by businesses in the Cityspurred the Ditching Disposables Initiativefocused on fueling a culture shift awayfrom single-use plastics. They do this byeducating the community, providingresidents with a range of easy-to-adoptactions that can help transition away fromsingle use plastics, and reinforcing andcelebrating positive changes. The followingsuite of programs are the result: Sustain-able Business Forum, Ditching Disposablesreusable bag education campaign, Commu-nity Canvassing Day, Repurpose a T-shirtworkshop, a sustainability lecture,Sustainability Story Time, plastics ordi-nance info session & distribution ofDitching Disposables signage to businesses,Sustainable Business Awards, and GreenBusiness Certification.

“Eco House andGarden Tour”Madison EnvironmentalCommission

The Madison EC orga-nized an Eco House andGarden Tour highlightingenergy efficient houses withgeothermal heating andcooling, ultra-insulated wallsand windows, inductionstoves and airtight, energy-saving construction. For

The Madison EC held an EcoHouse and Garden Tour.


more conventional houses, the tour offeredaccessible ideas for saving energy, such assolar energy and retrofits. Gardens on thetour showcased both pollinator-friendlynative plants and organic vegetables, aswell as beehives and chickens. In additionto the tour, the EC offered $49 discountedenergy audits, and sold waste compostersand rain barrels. Not only did they showwhat could be done, but also offered thetools for action.

Natural Resource InventoryMontgomery Township

In 2016, a new environmental commis-sioner from Montgomery Townshipattended ANJEC’s “Fundamentals forEffective Environmental Commissions”course and went in search of the town’sNatural Resources Inventory, or NRI. Whathe found was a document more than 10years old using data that (by that point)was 20 years old. The EC prepared their2018 budget to include partial funding forthe NRI and the remaining costs werecovered by the Planning Board. In addition,the town’s in-house GIS specialist providedmapping for the report, which saved moneywhile enhancing accuracy due to use oftownship-generated data sets and on-the-ground knowledge. This NRI not onlycatalogs the natural resources in themunicipality, but also identifies over 65potential projects that will become a workplan for the EC and the Township overall.

“Environmentally Yours”Insightful ArticlesWall Township Environmental AdvisoryCommittee

The Wall Township EnvironmentalAdvisory Committee (EAC) has developed aseries of “Environmentally Yours” articlesthat are published in the monthly WallTownship Living magazine. The list ofpublished articles starting in March 2020includes: “Who We Are and What We Do;”“Facts on Single Use Plastic Bags – ChooseCloth Bags;” “Green Business RecognitionProgram;” “Planting Your Own Garden;”

“How and Where to Recycle;” “TheCommunity Park Self-Guided NatureTrail;” “The Wreck Pond Nature Preserve;”and “Conservation and Green MoneySaving Tips.” The benefits of this seriesare twofold – residents get some environ-mental education and the EAC shows itsvalue by offering education and resourcesto their community.

“Princeton Climate Action Plan(CAP)”Sustainable Princeton

Sustainable Princeton worked withbusinesses, subject matter experts,community groups, schools andPrinceton University to address climatechange while fostering community. In a16-month effort, an ambitious, commu-nity-based plan took shape to reduceemissions 50 percent (from 2010 levels)by 2030, 65 percent by 2040, and 80percent by 2050 (while pursuing effortsto achieve 100 percent reductions). Over4,600 community members participated,including 50 who served on a steeringcommittee and five working groups. Over80 meetings were held to vet and finalizethe plan’s 84 specific strategies and adraft plan was made available for feed-back. To ensure that CAP objectives areactually attained, Sustainable Princetonholds various educational events, such asan “Ask an Expert Series,” a “Great IdeasSeries,” the Green Fest and a farmer’smarket to share knowledge and reinforcesustainable behaviors community wide.The CAP was adopted by the PrincetonCouncil in July 2019. Specific strategiesidentified in the Plan have been pursued,including adoption of a Green Buildingand Environmental Sustainability Elementinto Princeton’s Master Plan, implementa-tion of a Renewable Energy AggregationPlan which offers Princeton residentsaccess to cleaner energy at a small costsavings, resiliency planning, establishmentof a Flood and Stormwater Commissionand more.


Save the dates!2021 Fundamentals for EffectiveEnvironmental CommissionsThis year ANJEC's annual training will be fully remote and each

of four sessions will be offered twice.Learn best practices for Environmental Commissions (ECs) and

hear from ANJEC experts as well as experienced EC members.

• Environmental commission powers and responsibilities• Developing/updating an ERI/NRI• Land use planning: The municipal master plan process,

municipal ordinances• Site plan review – with new remote “hands-on” learning!• Networking opportunities – Connect with other EC members

around the State.

Session One:• Saturday, February 27th, 9:30 am• Tuesday, March 2, 7:00 pm

Session Two• Saturday, March 6th, 9:30 am• Tuesday, March 9th, 7:00 pm

Session Three• Saturday, March 13th, 9:30 am• Tuesday, March 16th, 7:00 pm

Session Four• Saturday, March 20th, 9:30 am• Tuesday, March 23rd, 7:00 pm

ANJEC Members attend for free.Registration details and more at www.anjec.org.

“Living in Harmony with Nature:the Warren Green Team responseto COVID-19”Warren Township Green Team

The Warren Green Team initiated a seriesof educational materials and virtual eventsentitled “Living in Harmony with Nature” inorder to promote sustainable practices inthe Township during the COVID-19shutdown. They used social media and theTownship website to promote updated,comprehensive resources while peoplesheltered in place: this resulted in an 1800

percent increase in viewership. In partner-ship with the Somerset County LibrarySystem, they conducted a two-partenvironmental webinar series for residents,including – “Discover How to IncorporateHealthy Environmental Standards in YourHome and Yard and Why It Matters,” and“Managing Your Environmental Footprint.”They also initiated a food drive andcollected over 2,500 pounds of food plusan additional anonymous donation worth$1,000.


Environmental justiceis the law in NJ

In the fall issue of the ANJEC Report, wereported on the Environmental Justice Bill,also known as the Cumulative Impacts Bill(S232/A2212). This is a landmark piece oflegislation that works to repair the environ-mental damage caused to communities ofcolor and low-income communities in NewJersey. ANJEC is excited to report that,thanks to the efforts of groups such asClean Water Action, Ironbound CommunityCorps and NJ Environmental JusticeAlliance, Governor Murphy signed this billinto law in September. Now the strongestenvironmental justice law in the nation, itrequires the New Jersey Department ofEnvironmental Protections (NJDEP) to takeinto account the cumulative effects ofpollution on communities when reviewingapplications for new permits or permitrenewals. The NJDEP is required to denythe permit if the new project will contrib-ute to the adverse effects of pollution inthe community. While this is just the firststep towards combating environmentalracism in New Jersey, it is an importantone.

A knockout punch forplastic pollution

Another landmark piece of legislation –the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act – wassigned into law recently:. This law is thestrongest in the country, and a huge blowto the polluting plastic and fossil fuel

industry. It will ban all single-use plasticbags, dramatically reduce single-use paperbags, ban polystyrene food containers andreduce plastic straws.

If your municipality already has anordinance regulating any of these types ofplastics, don’t worry; you’re allowed to keepyours in place until the implementationdate for each of the law’s provisions. Forplastic bags, paper bags, and polystyrene,that’s May 2022, and for plastic straws it’sNovember 2021. ANJEC will be workingwith the NJDEP, the regulating agency forthis law, on education and outreach effortsin the coming months. Keep an eye out forwebinars and other educational opportuni-ties from us!

Funding for DelawareRiver Basin restoration

The Delaware River Basin RestorationProgram (DRBRP) is a critical federalprogram that provides funding for on-the-ground water quality projects in the fourBasin states: Delaware, Pennsylvania, NewYork and New Jersey. The Senate Appro-priations Committee released bills recentlythat maintained the previous level offunding at $9.7 million. While it is positivethat even amidst a pandemic Congresschose to maintain funding levels, theCoalition for the Delaware River Watershed(CDRW), of which ANJEC is a member, willcontinue to advocate for the full share of$10 million until the final budget isapproved, likely in December 2020.

By Alex Ambrose, ANJEC Policy Associate

While ANJEC staff is working from home to keep ourselvesand our loved ones safe, our advocacy at the local, state, andfederal level has continued in a whirlwind of events. Check outjust a few of the accomplishments ANJEC has been privileged tobe involved in over the past few months.


Highlands Councilappointment finallyapproved

The New Jersey Highlands Council is theState planning agency that oversees theNew Jersey Highlands region and imple-ments the Highlands Act. During hisadministration, Governor Christie politi-cized the agency by packing it with hisanti-Highlands Act allies who voted againstthe best interests of Highlands residentsand natural resources.

ANJEC, along with our friends at theNew Jersey Highlands Coalition, have beenadvocating for the Senate to approveGovernor Murphy’s new nominees to theCouncil. With two appointments stillwaiting since early 2019, Dr. Dan Van Abswas successfully approved to join theCouncil in August. Van Absis an Associate Professor ofProfessional Practice forWater, Society and Environ-ment at Rutgers University,School of Environmental andBiological Sciences. He isconsidered one of thepreeminent experts onwatershed management andwater policy in New Jersey,and particularly in theHighlands area, and we arelucky to have him serving onthe Council to protect thenatural resources in theHighlands.

NJ State budgetsmall grants

Because of the unusual challenges of thepandemic, the State budget process for fiscalyear 2021 (July 2020-June 2021) was post-poned until the end of September. TheGovernor’s proposed budget, released in earlySeptember, included diversion of $22 millionfrom the Clean Communities Fund and theState Recycling Fund to pay for Parks Man-agement. While this amount is only a smallfraction of the total budget, it helps providecritical grants to local governments, especiallyECs, in the fight against plastic pollution byproviding recycling and cleanup services.

We are proud to announce that at ANJECand our partners’ urging, the Legislatureamended the final budget to not only endthose diversions, but to fully fund all threeprograms – Clean Communities, StateRecycling, and Parks Management – andGovernor Murphy has approved this budget.This is a huge accomplishment and demon-strates that the environment remains apriority amid a public health crisis.

New rules for smarterstormwatermanagement

In March 2020, the NJDEP released newrules for stormwater management. One of

the biggest changes isthat developers arenow required to usegreen infrastructure tomanage flooding,pollution, and ground-water recharge. Thismeans instead ofrelying only on large

This rain garden atWoodstown BoroughHall is an example ofgreen infrastructurerequired by new storm-water rules in NJ.

Associate Professor Daniel Van Abs hasbeen appointed to the NJ Highlands Council


For ANJEC, the pandemic isn’t the only crisis in progress. The fight againstpersonal protective equipment (PPE) related litter is just as paramount. Due to themany unknowns caused by this pandemic and with an increase in PPE litter acrossthe state, ANJEC has provided important virtual training for New Jersey CleanCommunities coordinators, offering education credits. That is why in November theNew Jersey Clean Communities Council (NJCCC) awarded ANJEC its “Rise to theChallenge Award,” given to organizations that stepped up to help greatly limit thespread of COVID-19 litter.

“While we all navigated the new normal that came with the pandemic, we justcouldn’t put this fight against litter on the backburner,” said ANJEC ExecutiveDirector Jennifer Coffey. “The pandemic provided challenges to plastic pollution as itdid with many other things. Yet we were still able to move forward – even in crisis.”

NJCCC Executive Director Sandy Huber noted that, “Through its webinars, socialmedia campaigns and other educational efforts, ANJEC has made a major impact inhelping communities reduce PPE little and single-use plastic.”

In early spring, as State environmental leaders noticed a stark increase in residentsusing outdoor spaces, ANJEC made a presentation with Liz Sweedy, Morris CountyClean Communities Coordinator. The webinar was titled: “Single-Use Plastics Impacton the Habitat & Waterways.” In August, the organization offered clean communi-ties credit hours for another workshop: “Single-Use Plastics and The Pandemic.”

ANJEC’s online training courses have been watched by more than 1,000 people in2020, with the number of viewers growing daily. Each webinar is recorded, postedon the organization’s YouTube channel and is free to view. Equal access to theproper education is key to the fight against plastic pollution, according to Coffey.She applauded State officials for also not giving up the fight against plastic litter aslegislation was signed Nov. 4 prohibiting single-use plastic and paper bags andplastic foam containers. The ban, which goes into effect in May 2022, prohibits thetype of bags customers get from restaurants that offer takeout and from groceriesand other stores. “This is a phenomenal step in tackling plastic litter in a systematicway but it’s not the only step,” Coffey said, adding that over the next year, theANJEC will be hyper-focused on the implementation of this new law. Learn moreabout the NJCCC at NJClean.org

concrete basins that foster mosquitos andcreate eyesores in a neighborhood, develop-ers must now include natural approacheswherever possible, such as small, localizedgreen spaces like rain gardens and swales tomanage stormwater. Of course, the NJDEPallows local governments to go further andcreate stronger protections in theirstormwater ordinances, which is whyANJEC and The Watershed Instituteteamed up to create an Enhanced

Stormwater Model Ordinance. Municipali-ties are required to have their new ordi-nance implemented by March 2, 2021.

While the pandemic rages on, ANJEC issafely ensuring that the environmentremains a top priority in New Jersey. As weenter the New Year, our staff will continueto advocate for both public health and thenatural resources of our beautiful GardenState.

ANJEC honored with NJCCC’s“Rise to the Challenge” Award

http://NJClean.org


I

Urban zones are hotzones and trees areour #1 defense

f the winter months are making youlong for summer, just remember that thesummer of 2020 was the second hottest onrecord in New Jersey, with July being thehottest month ever recorded. This continuesa long-term warming trend in the GardenState and across the planet as we are moreand more affected by climate change.

Urban heat islands are anenvironmental justice issue

Heat is felt even worse in urbanized areaswith a difference upwards of 15 to 20degrees Fahrenheit compared to surround-ing rural areas. Not only are urbanized areashotter, there is a direct correlation betweenlower-income neighborhoods and highertemperatures, as shown by several studies,including an on-the-ground project1 usingmobile mapping of street level tempera-tures, adding extreme heat to the list ofenvironmental social justice issues. A recentspatial analysis study of 108 US urbanareas2 revealed that 94 percent of thestudied areas with elevated land surface

temperatures were in formerly redlineddistricts (referring to the historical practice ofrefusing home loans or insurance to wholeneighborhoods based on race) compared tonon-redlined neighborhoods. The major factordriving the elevated heat was the preponder-ance of impervious land cover and the lack oftree canopy.

This should come as no surprise, consider-ing three of New Jersey’s designated UrbanEnvironmental Justice (EJ) communities –Trenton, Newark, and Camden – have treecanopy cover averages of 12.5 percent, 7.6percent and 8.1 percent respectively, com-pared to the overall State canopy coverage of44 percent. These statistics fall in line withthe nationwide trend of tree canopy coveragedisparities along racial and income lines.

Mitigating urban heat islandsIt has been recognized since the late 1990s

that increased vegetation, especially trees,effectively mitigate Urban Heat Island (UHI)effects through shading and evapotranspira-tion. Properly selected and planted trees can

reduce outsidesurface temperaturesas much as 20 to 40percent, according tothe EPA. A 2004study3 using the GISCITYGreen modelingapplication showed

By Randi K. Rothmel, Ph.D., ANJEC South Jersey Project Director

NJ Tree Foundationplanted these streettrees in Camden inthe fall.


that urban vegetation could both reducehealth hazards and effectively reduceenergy consumption in UHI areas ofCamden and Newark. Heat is the largestweather-related cause of death accordingto the Centers for Disease Control. Lackingtree canopy in EJ communities is one ofmany considerations targeted by the NJEnvironmental Justice Interagency Council,according to the recently released “Further-ing the Promise: A Guidance Document forAdvancing Environmental Justice AcrossState Government.” (www.nj.gov/dep/ej/docs/furthering-the-promise.pdf).

Philadelphia is putting these findingsinto practice, announcing last year itsintention to launch a 10-year urban forestryplan, an outgrowth of the city’s Green-works program to achieve a 30 percent treecanopy in every Philadelphia neighborhood.Initial steps are underway with the hiring ofa landscape architectural firm to design aplan for some of the more shade-chal-lenged areas of the city.

NJ municipal urban forestryinitiatives and opportunities

The New Jersey Tree Foundation (NJTF)has worked since 1998, gradually increasingthe tree canopy in underserved communi-ties by putting community residents at thecenter of their effort – a “transformativeexperience for the residents and volunteers”according to Lisa Simms, NJTF’s executivedirector. Of the 257,000 plus trees NJTFhas planted statewide, over 10,000 havebeen installed through their community-based urban programs in underservedneighborhoods of Camden, Newark andTrenton, removing over 2.3 acres ofimpervious surface. Working only incommunities where they are invited, NJTFensures that residents will care for andprotect the trees they help plant. Plans areunderway to expand this program toneighborhoods in Gloucester, Jersey Cityand Atlantic City.

Considerations in Newark, according toNathaly Agosto Filión, Newark’s ChiefSustainability Officer, include plantingmore trees on streets where the city owns

the right-of-way. One issue the city hasencountered is when developers plant treesbut fail to care for them, leading the city toconsider adopting rules requiring developersto maintain trees planted for at least a year.

Statewide, grants are available to munici-palities for developing their own communityforestry management plans (CFMPs) throughthe NJ Department of Environmental Protec-tion Urban and Community Forestry (NJUCF)Program. Shade tree commissions, environ-mental commissions and green teams can beinvolved in this process.

The goal of the NJUCF Program, accordingto Program Coordinator Carrie Sargeant, is to“engage, educate, and empower local com-munities to build self-sustaining, local, urbancommunity forestry programs in order tomaintain healthy safe and sustainable urbanand community forests.”

It is noteworthy that 94 percent ofidentified EJ communities either currentlyparticipate or have previously participated inthe NJUCF Program. Through the Program,over $3 million dollars of grant funding hasbeen awarded since 2015 for implementingCFMPs, resiliency planning (tree inventory,risk assessments), and tree planting. TheNJUCF is currently in the process of updatingits CFMP guidelines to include assessing theenvironmental function of trees, such asstormwater mitigation, air pollution mitiga-tion, energy demand reduction, and carbonstorage and sequestration.

Tree protection ordinances are anotherimportant way that municipalities canprotect their tree resources. Ordinancesprovide clear guidance for planting, maintain-ing and/or removing trees from streets, parks,and other public spaces as well as activitiesthat are required or prohibited. Establishing atree escrow fund as part of the ordinance forwhen trees are removed without beingreplanted onsite provides another fundingmechanism to plant trees in other locationssuch as UHI-affected areas.

Shade trees are a resource worthy ofinvesting time and money, from planting tostewardship, in order to maximize the eco-logical benefit, and they’re key to fightingurban heat.


References1 Morrison, J. (2019). Can We Turn Down

the Temperature on Urban Heat Islands?https://e360.yale.edu/features/can-we-turn-down-the-temperature-on-urban-heat-islands

2 Hoffman, J.S,. Shandas, V., & PendletonN. (2020). The Effects of HistoricalHousing Policies on Resident Exposure toIntra-Urban Heat: A Study of 108 USUrban Areas. Climate 8(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli8010012.

3 Solecki, W.D., Rosenzweig, C., Parshall, L.,Pope, G., Clark, M., Cox, J., & Wiencke, M.(2005). Mitigation of the Heat IslandEffect in Urban New Jersey. EnvironmentalHazards, 6, 39-49.www.geo.hunter.cuny.edu/courses/geog702_ibrahim/articles/heat_island_effect.pdf

More InformationNJ Tree Foundation – https://njtrees.org/NJ DEP Parks and Forestry programs –

https://njtrees.org/Urban Forestry Tool Kit –

www.vibrantcitieslab.com/toolkit/urban-tree-canopy/

Mapping Tools – ITree (www.itreetools.org/); NJ Forest Adapt (https://njforestadapt.rutgers.edu/#/splash); NJUrban Heat Island Map (www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=cb57fa89169d49e2bfd35cd2b4721225&extent=-74.8549,40.4428,-73.8407,40.9509)

Kaylee DiPasquale wins 2020 ANJECLechner ScholarshipBy N. Dini Checko, ANJEC Resource Center

Kaylee DiPasquale of Howell has won the 2020ANJEC Lechner Scholarship. DiPasquale is a junior atRider University majoring in earth sciences with aconcentration in marine sciences. She is deeplypassionate about clean water and sharing her love forthe environment.

During college breaks, DiPasquale works as anAssistant Naturalist at the Manasquan ReservoirEnvironmental Center where she teaches variousnature programs to school-aged groups and thegeneral public. Through her role with MonmouthCounty Parks, she’s been able to learn how the NJWater Supply Authority treats the water receivedthrough the Manasquan watershed for water qualityand habitat protection. This job experience also enriches her classroom knowledgeas she continues to understand the complexities and the interconnectedness ofthe natural environment. Every chance she gets, Kaylee enjoys hiking the trailaround the reservoir and living her personal motto to “leave only footprints.”

ANJEC awards this scholarship biannually in memory of Hermia Lechner, one ofthe State’s foremost conservationists, to honor her commitment to the preserva-tion of open space and natural resources in New Jersey until her death in 1994.

Kaylee DiPasquale

www.geo.hunter.cuny.edu/courses/geog702_ibrahim/articles/heat_island_effect.pdf


21st Centuryagriculture is thrivingin New Jersey

ABy Lyle Landon, ANJEC Development Director

s the nation’s most denselypopulated state, calling New Jersey theGarden State may seem ironic. Neverthe-less, food and agriculture is our State’s thirdlargest industry behind pharmaceuticals andtourism. NJ farms generate more than $1billion annually. Although you might notexpect it, the nursery/greenhouse/sodindustry is the leading commodity group,followed by fruits and vegetables, fieldcrops, poultry, eggs and dairy. Our Stateproduces more than 100 different kinds offruits and vegetables, and is one of the top10 producers of blueberries, cranberries,peaches, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant,cucumbers, apples, spinach, squash andasparagus. New Jersey growers also producespecialty crops, such as grapes for vineyards,which are a growing segment of theindustry.

Despite our urban image, the number offarms and acreage in NJ is actually growing.Having seen the past results of poorfarming practices – soil compaction andpollution from stormwater runoff contain-ing manure, chemicals, micro plastics,pesticides and fertilizers – many of today’sfarmers are taking a different approach.Aiming to produce and sell healthy anddelicious products, they are using moreenvironmentally responsible practices – likezero tillage, crop rotation and covercropping – to increase carbon sequestrationand reduce soil erosion, thereby keepingimportant nutrients in the soil, protectingthe environment and tackling climatechange.

New Jersey’s 9,000+ farms also provideaesthetic and economic benefits. Coveringover 720,000+ acres, farms are also thesingle largest source of scenic vistas in theState, luring residents and tourists to visitand experience their beauty and purchasetheir fresh products. Driving the growth inthe number of farms and acreage in NewJersey are three main factors: farm preserva-tion, favorable legislation and innovativeentrepreneurship.

Keeping the Garden State greenThe future of agriculture depends on a

stable land base. New Jersey’s first FarmlandPreservation program was created in 1983,and in 1998 citizens voted to amend theState Constitution to dedicate a portion ofsales tax revenues to farmland, open spaceand historic preservation. Today 30 percent ofNew Jersey’s available farmland has beenpermanently preserved, a higher percentagethan in any other state. At the end of 2016the total acreage preserved was 224,695 acres.

In a farm preservation program, the statebuys the development rights for the farm-land from the owner, but the farmer retainsownership. Farm preservation is an impor-tant investment in our economy and ourfarming heritage.

Favorable legislation also played a role inthe growth of specialty product farming andprocessing, such as: organic and high-techfarming, vineyards, breweries and distilleries.Organic agriculture is not only the fastestgrowing segment in New Jersey, but in thenation and worldwide. Consumer demand


has grown by over 10 percentannually for more than adecade. The number ofnatural foods stores hasblossomed and now over 70percent of traditional grocerystores carry organic products.

Becoming a certifiedorganic farm can requiremore time and money than many smallerfarms can afford. New Jersey has 53organically certified farms, but many moresmall farms have organically grown prod-ucts. Community Supported Agriculture(CSA) has helped to support smaller farmsusing a farm-share subscription model.Classically the boxed shares are deliveredfor pickup to a central location once everyone or two weeks. During COVID-19’slockdown, many grocery stores ran out ofproduce due to more home cooking andsupply chain disruptions. Consumerssearched for alternative sources and foundCSAs and local farm options. Some localfarms added farm stands and homedelivery. Thus, a growth in delivery optionsfrom farmers and increased consumption(and appreciation) by new consumers havegrown the marketplace.

The new face of farmingThe high-tech farming segment is also

addressing a global food scarcity issue. Asmore food is needed for a growing popula-tion, high-tech hydroponic and aeroponicfarmers have reduced the need for acreage,and have added innovative strategies tosolve community-based problems. Forexample, Aerofarms, based in Newark, isaddressing an urban food desert challengefor fresh greens while hiring locally andproviding training programs, a living wageand benefits.

Fine wines, craft beer and local ingredi-ent-based distilled spirits were not alwaysthriving businesses in New Jersey. Only one

vineyard per million people was allowed byState law, way below the national average!Liberating legislation helped unleash newgrowth. The New Jersey Winery Act of 1981and subsequent legislation have reducedthe required number of acres for a vineyardand the taxes on bottled products. Nowthere are 52 licensed vineyards in NJ.

Legislation has been a boon for craftbreweries too, which have seen 43 percentgrowth since 2015 in our State. Lawsenabling breweries to sell directly to consum-ers and open tasting rooms led towns torealize the positive economic impacts totourism, and to welcome these new entre-preneurial businesses. Like craft breweries,craft distilleries are characterized by high-quality, smaller batch sizes and traditionaldistilling methodologies. The smaller batchsize allows distilleries to feature local andseasonal ingredients and display theircreativity in naming their products.

To hear from New Jersey farmers andproprietors who use outstanding environ-mental practices to produce award winningproducts, watch two free ANJEC videos atwww.youtube.com/channel/UCCEuWtY-juaDStB-22S5SpQ. Featured speakers arefrom Honey Brook Organic Farm,AeroFarms, Villa Milagro Vineyards, FlyingFish Brewing Company and SkunktownDistillery.

Aerofarms inNewark, New Jersey


Paterson Adopt-a-Catch-Basin programis going strongBy Sheila Baker Gujral, ANJEC Resource Center Director

When it rains, it pours. Andfloods. And sometimes sewers overflow.Many of us here in New Jersey have apersonal history with storms and floods. Inaddition to increased intensity of weatherevents, some of our communities haveancient water infrastructure, which wasn’tdesigned for the challenges of high-density,modern-day living.

Take Paterson. The city was founded in1871 by Alexander Hamilton when heestablished the Society for EstablishingUseful Manufactures, spurring the industrialrevolution. Almost 150 years later, Patersonin 2020 has a population of 145,871, is NewJersey’s third largest city, and is the eighthmost densely populated city in the State.Paterson is also one of twenty communitiesin New Jersey that are grappling with out-dated combined sewer water infrastructure.

Combined sewer systems are more of achallenge than other antiquated waterinfrastructure because when they areoverwhelmed, the excess stormwater isdiverted from the sewage treatment facilityand piped directly into our waterways.Sometimes the overwhelmed sewagesystem backs up into basements. While thePaterson municipal government and thePassaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC)are working on their Long Term Control Plan(www.nj.gov/dep/dwq/cso-ltcpsubmittals.htm)to combat this issue, Paterson’s Green Team,along with Sewage Free Streets and Rivers,Rutgers Water Resources, the Great SwampWatershed Association, and ANJEC, havebeen hard at work putting together anAdopt-a-Catch-Basin program and trainingand educating the adopters.

You might say, “It’s just water goingdown the storm drain. What’s the big deal?”Well, first of all, the big deal is pollution; it’sestimated that more than half of waterpollution issues, in fact up to 60 percent, areattributable to stormwater or nonsourcepollution.1 Second, with rain events becom-ing more frequent and more intense, ouraging infrastructure is not prepared toprocess those storms, resulting in floodingand backed-up sewage. So by simplycleaning and maintaining storm drains orcatch basins, you can solve more than halfof the water pollution issues AND helpdefend your homes, businesses, and neigh-bors from the ravages of flooding andsewage backups.

In August of 2019, Paterson Mayor AndréSayegh and Councilwoman Ruby Cottonhelped the group kick off the Adopt-a-Catch-Basin program with a communitybarbeque at Barbour Park in Paterson. InSeptember 2020, the second round waslaunched at Eastside Park. There are over 60catch basins adopted already and recruit-ment is ongoing. You can see a map of allthe adopted basins at https://bit.ly/38Sxsn4.If you would like to adopt a catch basinin Paterson, please [email protected].

Additional Information:Adopt-a-Catch-Basin Kickoff https://bit.ly/

3fPjOTeAdopt-a-Catch-Basin Map https://bit.ly/

38Sxsn4

1 www.nj.gov/dep/dwq/highway/pdf/HAguidance.pdf

https://bit.ly/3fPjOTe

https://bit.ly/38Sxsn4


Stormwater utilities…could 2021 be the year?

WBy Cheryl Reardon, ANJEC Project Director

A rain garden at Nervine Pondin Bernardsville

e have come to the end of ayear that has been filled with challenges tobe safe from COVID-19 while we dream ofenjoying life without fear once again. Here inNew Jersey, our many great water resourcesoffer some respite by providing beautifulplaces for swimming, fishing, paddling,picnicking and just enjoying the view.

As we enter a New Year with valuablelessons learned about the need to protectourselves and loved ones, along with thehealth & safety of our communities, weshould also guard our waterways fromstormwater pollution and toxins.

When a bloom is not a flowerClimate change has brought us warmer

winters with less snow and algae-killing frost,along with warmer and wetter seasons withmore severe storm events leading to floodingand excessive runoff into our waterways. Thissituation, combined with fertilizer runoff fromresidences and agricultural lands, sewagedischarges, and runoff from urban areas andindustrial facilities, sets up the perfectconditions for Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs)that destroy habitat, limit recreational accessand often close lakes across New Jersey.

In addition to spoiling our fun, HABs aretoxic to fish and wildlife, hurt businesses thatdepend on recreational tourism and contami-nate our drinking water. It’s important thatwe begin to make changes now if we want tosave our local economies, improve our waterquality, and ensure New Jersey’s preciouswater resources are safe and protected forfuture generations. Effective stormwatermanagement can prevent HABs.

Addressing stormwater runoffAs stormwater runoff flows off of rooftops

and parking lots, over lawns, driveways androadways, into catch basins and through drainpipes and ditches, it picks up toxins, bacteriaand other pollutants (gas, motor oil, antifreeze,fertilizers, pesticides and pet droppings). Thisstormwater runoff is usually not treated and isdischarged into local surface waterbodies andgroundwater. Communities can be proactiveby using a variety of green infrastructuretechniques that capture, absorb and naturallyfilter stormwater runoff at the source. Generalguidance and resources regarding stormwaterrunoff are available at www.cleanwaternj.org.

The Clean Stormwater and FloodReduction Act

In March 2019, Governor Phil Murphysigned into law the Stormwater UtilityLaw, officially known as the CleanStormwater and Flood Reduction Act. Thislaw gives local and county governmentsand certain utilities the ability to createstormwater utilities. As required underthis law, the NJ Department of Environ-mental Protection (NJDEP) is required toprovide guidance on the followingstormwater utility topics, along withfuture updates:


1. Technical assistance for establishing astormwater utility;1

2. Establishment of fees and credits;3. Development of an asset management

program for stormwater managementsystems;

4. Development of guidance forstormwater management related publiceducation and outreach.Stormwater utilities are widely consid-

ered the most effective and equitablemethod to fundstormwater manage-ment because theyfollow the “polluterspay” principle. Astormwater utilitywould raise the fundsto pay for greeninfrastructureprojects to managestormwater byintercepting pollut-ants before theyenter our lakes andwater resources.These funds cannotbe diverted to amunicipality’s generalfund. They are“legally dedicated,”meaning the fundscan only go towardstormwater manage-ment projects,placing a priority ongreen infrastructure.Green infrastructuredoesn’t use big pipes or concrete facilities,but rather it mimics the natural flow andhydrology of the land to stop and controlthe water on site, and lets it percolate intothe soil.

Although New Jersey has led the way onmany fronts over the years to protect waterresources, we were behind the times inadopting stormwater utilities. There werealready 1,800 stormwater utilities existingacross 41 states in the US before NJ’s newstormwater utility tool was created in 2020.With impervious cover and climate changeputting stress on our stormwater infrastruc-ture over many years, our State’s problemswere compounded by the fact that NJ has

not maintained,upgraded, andreplaced old and,in many cases,failing stormwatermanagementsystems. A $40billion investmentis needed over thenext 20 years forall of New Jersey’swater infrastruc-ture, with $16billion of thatamount requiredfor stormwaterinfrastructure.

In addition tofunding neededinfrastructure,stormwaterutilities also savethe taxpayersmoney. Instead ofcontinuouslyaddressingdestruction from

flooding, a steady revenue stream enablescommunities to prevent damage, protectingproperty values from being negativelyaffected due to flooding, wet basements,mold and other problems. Green Infrastruc-ture and wise stormwater planning can alsolead to a range of well-paying local greenjobs that support local economies.

For more information on building on-the-ground projects that protect againstflooding, capture polluted runoff and repairfailing infrastructure, visitwww.FloodDefenseNJ.org

The new NJDEPStormwater Guidancewebsite

NJDEP has a new stormwater websiteoffering mayors, town councils, profession-als, environmental commissions andpermittees stormwater managementguidance. The website (www.nj.gov/dep/stormwater/) provides links to technicalinformation, guidance materials, forms,applications, and additional program andresource links.

Let’s make 2021 the year for understand-ing solutions that are good for our health &safety, our businesses, communities,economy – and our enjoyment!

Please contact the ANJEC ResourceCenter for more information on stormwaterutilities,and stay connected with ANJEC viaemail ([email protected]), on Facebook and onTwitter (@anjectweets) to find out aboutupcoming educational workshops.

1 A stormwater utility assesses fees and uses therevenue from these fees to maintain infrastructuredesigned to control stormwater flooding andreduce pollutants from entering into waterbodies.According to the Law, the established utility feesmust be based on a “fair and equitable approxima-tion of the proportionate contribution ofstormwater runoff from real property.”


By Randi Rothmel, Ph.D., ANJEC South Jersey Project Director;Isabella Castiglioni, ANJEC Outreach Manager;

Michele Gaynor, ANJEC Resource Center

Bernardsville plants through the pandemic

The new rain garden atBernardsville Public LibraryKristi MacDonald

The Bernardsville Environmental Com-mission continued their work during thepandemic with the installation of several raingardens. A 140-sq.-ft.-rain garden installed atthe Bernardsville Library in June has thecapacity to filter 25,000 gallons of storm-water per year. The work was a collaborationbetween the Raritan Headwaters Association(RHA), the Bernardsville EC and the RutgersUniversity Water Resources Program.

Two more rain gardens were installed atNervine Pond. The Public Works Departmenthas confirmed that the rain gardens arefunctioning well and, in fact, would supportthe idea of another garden in the area due tothe excessive run-off from Rt.202. The townis also thinking about a second rain gardenat the Library in early spring. EC Member Kristi MacDonald initiatedthe project. The installations were sup-ported by Mayor Mary Jane Canose andhad the cooperation of the Public Works

Department. Chris Obropta from Rutgerscontributed valuable engineering, environ-mental, and cost management resources.

The town considered 12 other potentialsites for rain gardens and other StormwaterBMP’s on municipal and school propertiesand places of worship. The library andNervine Pond were selected as sites becauseof priority of need and visibility to the public.It is the intent and hope that these raingardens will be modelled by residents. One rain garden was partially funded byan ANJEC Open Space Stewardship grant.Through MacDonald’s position as sciencedirector at the Raritan Headwaters Associa-tion, she has developed a close workingrelationship with Chris Obropta and histeam and has been promoting his Impervi-ous Cover Assessments (ICAs) and Reduc-tion Action Plans (RAPs) throughout thewatershed. Obropta was asked to partnerwith Bernardsville and he decided to use

the municipality as one of two“exemplary” projects for how togo about implementing plans forgreen infrastructure involvingmultiple partners. Such a greatsuccess story!

– Michele Gaynor


Hopatcong cleansup despite COVID

With good weather and socialdistancing practices it is possiblefor ECs to continue their environ-mental stewardship work,even in the midst of a pandemic.Over the past several years,Hopatcong’s CleanupDay has become a fall event that theydo in conjunction with Sussex County (SC)Mosquito Control Program, but due toCOVID-19, they were unsure if the eventwas going to happen in 2020. In Septem-ber, as the infection rate improved andthings slowly opened up, the town decidedto go ahead with it. Volunteers were ableto borrow the vests and grabbers neededfrom the SC Clean CommunitiesProgram.

In the end, Hopatcong’s Cleanup Day wasvery successful – even more productivethan in the past. There were 45 volunteers,fewer than in previous years, but theymanaged to pick up nearly twice the trashand recyclables. They collected 97 bags oflitter for a total of 925 lbs. of recyclablesand trash. In addition, they collected 800lbs.of scrap metal, six tires and a couch.

SC Mosquito Control was able to jointhe cleanup and delivered a presentation onthe role of trash in mosquito breeding, inparticular the Zika mosquito, which canbreed in small quantities of water trappedin something as small as a bottle cap. Thishappens to be a problem in the Hopatcongarea due to its wetlands.

The feedback from volunteers confirmed itfelt great to be outside and productive, andthey would be back to do it again next year.

A win for MansfieldThe longstanding Mansfield Township

Environmental Commission (EC) inBurlington County will be saved thanks to

its residents. This 21.9-square-mile, agricul-turally rich municipality has become one ofthe latest battlegrounds for warehousedevelopment due to its proximity to the NJturnpike, Interstates I-95, I-295 and USRoutes 206 and 130. Despite environmentalconcerns noted by the EC and to the dismayof many residents, the Township Committeeapproved three new warehouse develop-ments and is planning a fourth, paving overlarge swaths of agricultural land. A previ-ously approved 1.78 million-square-footdistribution center has already been con-structed near I-295.

The standoff between residents and townofficials came to a head last August with amove by the township to disband the EC byordinance, despite widespread oppositionfrom residents, stating that the Environmen-tal Commission was “inefficient” and sloweddown the development review process.Limits were also placed on public commentsincluding the need to preregister commentsprior to the conference meetings via phone.The EC was then replaced with an Environ-mental Advisory Committee, consisting ofone or more people appointed by the mayorto assist or collaborate with the PlanningBoard in its duties.

Outraged by these actions, Robert Tallon,the ousted EC chair, and Daniel Golenda, anewcomer to Mansfield politics, launched awrite-in campaign to unseat Mayor JaniceDiGiouseppe and Committeeman EfthimiosTsiknakis. Advocating for more transpar-ency, public engagement and smart develop-ment, not “dirty” warehouse development,Tallon and Golenda gained support from the

Volunteers learn about mosquitobreeding at Hopatcong Cleanup Day


community and won their election bid,making way for the reestablishment of theEnvironmental Commission in 2021.Reported by WBNC News, Robert Tallonsaid “This was in no way anything otherthan a small victory for an individualcandidate, but a large win for people havinga voice in their own destiny and protectionof the commons, environment, and qualityof life.” – Randi Rothmel

Hoboken sues forclimate changedamages

Already facing rising sea levels due toclimate change, the City of Hoboken hasbecome a leader in resilience, thoughperhaps more by force than by choice.According to the City of Hoboken’s Officeof Sustainability and Resiliency, Hobokenwas awarded $230 million by the USDepartment of Housing and Urban Develop-ment (HUD) in 2013 to implement protectivemeasures against flooding and storm surge.Columbia University’s Sabin Center forClimate Change Law reports that it will takeapproximately $500 million to implement thefull resiliency plan and adequately mitigateclimate change-related damages in the City.

Faced with such a high cost to adapt,Hoboken filed a complaint in September2020 against Exxon Mobil and other fossilfuel companies with the Supreme Court ofNJ. According to the Sabin Center, the fossil

fuel industry “caused climate change-relatedharms through production of fossil fuels andconcealment of fossil fuels’ harms.” The casecharges that, while these companies knewabout the threats that climate changebrings, they ignored the science and contin-ued to peddle a dangerous product. The casehas been removed from the NJ SupremeCourt and must be pursued through thefederal court system, since the majority ofthe petroleum was produced offshore, on thecontinental shelf. However, Hoboken is farfrom the only city facing a steep cost forclimate change adaptation. As time passes,we should see more places incorporatingresilience and climate change mitigation intotheir planning. The case continues to berelevant and will be worth watching as itcontinues to move through the courts.

– Isabella Castiglioni

Cherry Hillsees trail use increase

Cherry Hill reports an increase in trail usein the municipality during the pandemic.

The Environmental Board has made it easyto find a hike on one of the twelve localtrails by posting trail maps on the municipalwebsite at www.cherryhill-nj.com/399/Cherry-Hill-Trails. Those trail maps include informa-tion about GPS location and which of thetrails are ADA accessible, so potential visitorscan gauge which trails most suit their needs.After all, if residents don’t know where openspace is available, they can’t use it! Thanks to

Chesterfield Township organizeda pumpkin composting driveafter Halloween in partnershipwith some student volunteersfrom SEWA. Residents were gladto leave their discarded pumpkinscurbside, where volunteers pickedthem up and took them to HoneyBrook Organic Farm forcomposting. Residentsappreciated that their pumpkinswere not going into landfills,according to Chesterfield residentSuruchi Batra.


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good planning and communication efforts,Cherry Hill offers residents and visitors plentyof safe, accessible opportunities to getoutside.

Many of us can relate: With the pan-demic, the outdoors has provided theopportunity to see loved ones more safely,stretch our legs, and get some much-neededsunshine. The increased need for safe, localoutdoor recreation opportunities has many

of us either wishing we had better accessto open space or finding ourselves thankfulfor our proximity to undeveloped areas.

Through planning for open spacepreservation and stewardship, municipali-ties can provide more outdoor recreationopportunities for residents. Finding waysto let folks know how to access theiroutdoor resources, as Cherry Hill does, isthe next step. – Isabella Castiglioni

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maito:[email protected]

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SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER ANJEC REPORT – Winter 2021 29

• Wetland Delineations• Ecological Impact Assessments

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTSJill Stein Dodds

President

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• Endangered Species Surveys• Wildlife Inventories/Studies• Habitat Mitigation Proposals

• Photography• Expert Testimony

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Garden State Laboratories, Inc.BACTERIOLOGICAL & CHEMICAL TESTING

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Providing Environmental and EcologicalServices for Over 34 Years

Ecological Surveys • EIS • Habitat RestorationWetland Delineation • Permitting • GIS Mapping

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SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER ANJEC REPORT – Winter 2021 31

ENVIRONMENTAL &ENGINEERING STUDIES

● Environmental Impact Statements● Wetland Studies● Floodplain Studies and Flood Control● Stormwater Best Management Practices● Natural Resource Inventories● Site Evaluation Studies● Permits● Expert Testimony

John A. Thonet, PE, PP14 Upper Kingtown Road • Pittstown, NJ 08867

Tel: [email protected]

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ENVIRONMENTALLAND USE PLANNING

● Community Master Plans● Zoning and Land

Development Ordinances● Environmental Ordinances● Site Plans & Subdivisions● Development Feasibility Studies● Expert Testimony

Thanks to ANJEC Supporters

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Environmental Strategy Consulting

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ANJEC REPORT – Winter 2021 33SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPERSUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER ANJEC REPORT – Winter 2021 33



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SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER



ANJEC REPORT – Winter 2021 35

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