inside: • anjec congress highlights • the changing face of

ANJEC REPORT ndash Winter 2020 1SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

Inside

bull ANJEC Congress highlights

bull The changing face ofrecycling

bull Building sustainableaffordable housing

Inside

bull ANJEC Congress highlights

bull The changing face ofrecycling

bull Building sustainableaffordable housing

WINTER 2020WINTER 2020Local Environment MattersLocal Environment Matters

2 ANJEC REPORT ndash Winter 2020

Directorrsquos Report


Year in review Whatrsquos nextThis past year has brought a bounty of

success for New Jerseyrsquos environment andthere is so much more to do Please join mein reviewing milestones from 2019 andsharing your local success stories on ourFacebook page and tagging us on TwitterANJECTweets

Ending plastic pollutionSUCCESS ndash Environmental Commissions(ECs) across the Garden State flexed theirleadership by supporting the adoption ofmore than 100 municipal ordinances to bansingle-use plastic bags polystyrene(Styrofoam) use for food intentionaloutdoor balloon releases and plastic strawsECs are hosting T-shirt to totes workshopspartnering with local businesses to swapplastic for more sustainable choices securinggrants to buy and distribute reusable bagsand more

WHATrsquoS NEXT ndash As we go to press theNew Jersey Legislature has yet to adopt acomprehensive statewide bill to reduceplastic pollution ANJEC will continue toadvocate for a statewide bill and willcontinue to support dozens more munici-palities who are ready to adopt plasticpollution ordinances We will also providetechnical support for the municipalitieswhose ordinances went into effect onJanuary 1 2020

Flood reductionSUCCESS ndash In March Governor Murphysigned the Flood Reduction Act This new lawallows municipalities to adopt stormwaterutilities to reduce localized flooding andimprove water quality ANJEC is a proudfounding member of the Flood DefenseCoalition that advocated for this law givingmunicipalities more ability to make good

decisions for the environment and theircommunities

WHATrsquoS NEXT ndash Through our work with theFlood Defense Coalition ANJEC is drafting amodel ordinance for municipalities to usewhen considering the adoption of a storm-water utility We are also providing support tothe New Jersey Department of EnvironmentalProtection (NJDEP) in the development oftheir guidance document for municipalities toassess if a utility is right for them and how toimplement one should they choose to do so

Open space preservationSUCCESS ndash In November the NJDEP an-nounced that 1400 hundred acres inCumberland County known as Holly Farm arebeing preserved by the State Holly Farm isowned by Atlantic City Electric (ACE) and wasnearly developed a number of times Itconnects two preserved wildlife areas totalingapproximately 5500 acres and is the mostdensely populated threatened and endangeredspecies habitat in New Jersey Many environ-mental groups have worked for more than 20years to preserve this land ANJEC was one ofthe groups engaged in a lawsuit over it fornearly a decade and has provided support toMillville Cumberland County and ACEencouraging the preservation

MORE SUCCESS ndash Governor Murphy signedlegislation over the summer allocating the2014 voter-approved constitutionally dedi-cated funding for open space farmland andhistoric preservation in perpetuity Nowpreservation can continue just as New Jerseyvoters intended

WHATrsquoS NEXT ndash ANJEC will continue tooffer our municipal open space grants toenvironmental commissions seeking to cleanup trails remove invasive species create

ANJEC REPORT ndash Winter 2020 3SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPERSUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

Jennifer M CoffeyExecutive Director

2 Directorrsquos Report

4 Number one NJDEP challengendash Climate change

6 Dr Anthony Broccolion climate change inNew Jersey

8 ANJEC EnvironmentalAchievement Awards

12 ANJEC EnvironmentalJournalism Award 2019

13 Recycling in NJ ndash The historyand current status

15 Good tools for new rules ndashcommunicating aboutrecycling

17 ANJEC receives GovernorrsquosAward

18 Sustainable housing for allBuild it like the futuredepends on it

20 New Highlands Councilmembers awaitconfirmation

21 Lechner Scholarship for astudent in theenvironmental field

22 Acting Locally

24 ANJEC 2020 Open SpaceGrant Program

25 Fundamentals forEffective EnvironmentalCommissions

25 Student fundraiser benefitsANJEC

26 December press event inTrenton

27 2019 Congress memories

28 ANJEC 2020 people

In this issue

On the cover Male cardinal

pollinator and community gardens andmore Look for the grant announcement onpage 24

Climate changeand renewable energySUCCESS ndash Last summer New Jersey award-ed its first offshore wind project to Orsteadwhich will power approximately a half millionGarden State homes with 1100 megawatts ofclean energy This will be the largest offshorewind project in the United Sates In Novem-ber Governor Murphy also announced a newgoal to increase the Statersquos wind energy to7500 megawatts by 2035

In 2019 New Jersey also formally rejoinedThe Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiativeand enacted the updated Global WarmingResponse Act

WHATrsquoS NEXT ndash ANJEC will be offeringeducation programs for ECs in the New Yearto discuss the details of wind energy We willcontinue to work with coastal advocates toensure that offshore wind energy projects areproperly located to avoid impacts to marineconservation zones wildlife migration routesfisheries and shellfish beds

Honors and nominationsANJEC was also very pleased to celebrate

our 50th anniversary in 2019 and receive theGovernorrsquos Environmental Excellence Awardfor Healthy and Sustainable CommunitiesTwo ANJEC people were honored withnominations to important State postsWynnie-Fred Victor Hinds CommunityOutreach and Engagement Manager wasnominated to the Highlands Council and Iwas nominated to the Pinelands CommissionSenate confirmation was still pending as wewent to press

As we begin a new yearI am so grateful for the energetic creative

and dedicated work being done by thethousands of environmental commissionmembers in our State and I wish us all ahealthy and productive 2020

ANJEC REPORT ndash Winter 2020 3

Click on an article to jump to that page


Number oneNJDEP challenge ndashClimate change

ANJEC has long served as theeyes and ears of the statewide environmen-tal movement providing the DEP withvaluable advice and guidancerdquo stated NewJersey Department of EnvironmentalProtection (DEP) Commissioner CatherineMcCabe in her opening remarks at ANJECrsquos46th Annual Environmental Congress For50 years ldquoANJEC and the NJDEP haveworked hardhellip to protect the environmentrdquo

The number one environmental challengeis climate change she said citing five core

By Randi K Rothmeil PhD ANJEC South Jersey Project Director

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 ANJECrsquosprograms aim to promote the public interest in natural resourcepreservation sustainable development and reclamation andsupport environmental commissions and open space commit-teesworking 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 addresscorrespondence to ANJEC REPORT PO Box 157 Mendham NJ07945 tel 973-539-7547 fax 973-539-7713E-mail infoANJECorg Web site wwwanjecorg

565 MUNICIPALITIES ONE ENVIRONMENT

Vol 40 No 1 WINTER 2020

Library Subscription$1800

ISSN 1538-0742

ldquoprinciples that guide policy decisions on thisand other DEP challenges

bull following the lawbull using the best available sciencebull listening to all sidesbull finding the best balance andbull being transparent and honest

On climate change McCabe exclaimedldquoItrsquos here and New Jersey is ground zerordquoSea level is rising faster here than in otherparts of the country because of its longcoastline combined with the fact that NJ isgeologically sinking naturally To face thischallenge the State needs to reduce GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions adapt andbecome more resilient

Reducing GHG emissionsThe State has made significant headway

in the power sector towards reducing GHGemissions McCabe highlighted achieve-ments under the Murphy administrationincluding rejoining the Regional GreenhouseGas Initiative (RGGI) and continuing thenuclear power subsidy While controversialthe subsidy ldquohellipis a big dealrdquo stated McCabeldquobecause the nuclear industry represents theStatersquos largest sector of carbon-free energyrdquoat 38 percent

Another achievement was to increase therenewable energy portfolio standards suchas requiring 50 percent of New Jerseyrsquospower to come from renewable sources by2030 with a goal of 3500 megawatts fromoffshore wind The Statersquos first 1100-megawatt wind project is expected to beoperational by 2024


NJDEP CommissionerCatherine McCabe

Photo by Gary Szelc

Moving away from coal and oil to naturalgas in the power sector allowed NJ to meetits 2020 emission goals due to the upsurgeof fracking and increased gas supplyremarked McCabe and even though ldquohellipwedo not love where we are now we are in abetter placerdquo Reaching future goals willrequire moving toward renewable powerand addressing thetransportation sectornow the largest con-tributor of GHG emis-sions (over 40 percent)

On the transportationfront she noted thatNJrsquos goal is to get330000 electric vehicles(EVs) on the road by2025 and build thesupporting charginginfrastructure Currentlythe State has over 300vehicle charging stationsand the NJDEP will belaunching a location-finder app soon

Money from theVolkswagon settlementcontinues to fund grantsto build EV stations and replace buses anddiesel trucks with EVs especially in poorercommunities disproportionately affected byair pollution

Though the Partnership to Plug In NewJerseyrsquos Board of Public Utilities theEconomic Development Authority and theDEP are tasked with building the necessaryinfrastructure to support EV ownershipDEP will also partner with the NJ Coalitionof Automotive Retailers ChargEVC andPlug-In America to launch PlugStar an EVcertification program for automotivedealers

Building resiliencyMcCabe warned ldquoNo matter what we do

it (climate change) is coming anyway it isalready hererdquo So in addition to reducingour GHG emissions we ldquohelliphave to adaptwe have to become more resilientrdquo USArmy Corp of Engineerrsquos flood control and

coastal restoration projects utilizingSuperstorm Sandy funds are mostlycomplete with several resiliency projectsfunded by HUDrsquos Rebuild by Designinitiative yet to be built

The new DEP Office of Climate andFlood Resilience (utilizing coastal engineersand land-use planners) will provide plan-

ning and technicalsupport to New Jerseyrsquoscommunities in makingdecisions about climateresiliency along thecoastline and in tidal andinland areas prone torepeated flooding Thegroup is also tasked withintegrating climatepolicies into other DEPprograms and activities

DEP continuesworking on its CoastalResiliency Plan and adraft sea level rise reportwill soon be available forpublic comment ldquoAt aminimum we should allbe informed about thereal facts about sea level

rise and what to expect (using the bestscience) so we can plan accordinglyrdquo theCommissioner concluded adding that a lotof work is still needed such as determiningwhere modifications are needed in ourland-use rules and regulations to becomemore adaptable and resilient She addedthat the DEP is looking forward to workingwith ANJEC in this process

More informationbull NJDEP and Climate Change initiatives

wwwnjgovdepclimatechangebull Commissioner Catherine McCabersquos full address

can be viewed at wwwfacebookcomANJECpagevideos385226889046091 starting at 303minutes


Dr Anthony Broccolion climate change inNew Jersey

O

By Alex Ambrose ANJEC Policy Associate

Climate change is real its happening now andits affecting New Jersey It was clear right awayDr Broccoli wasnt there to equivocate

n October 4 attendees atANJECrsquos 46th Annual EnvironmentalCongress heard about the state of ourchanging climate and rising seas from anexpert a Professor of Atmospheric Scienceand Chair of the Department of Environ-mental Sciences at Rutgers University andCo-Director of the Rutgers ClimateInstitute And what a perfect time to hearabout ldquoClimate Change in New Jerseyrdquowhen just two days before the tempera-ture was 95 degrees in New Brunswick ndash inOctober While that warm Wednesday maybe hard to recall during these cold wintermonths it held the highest temperatureever recorded in any October in the StateDr Brocollirsquos presentation focused on threemain aspects of New Jerseyrsquos climatetrends temperature precipitation and sealevel

Higher average temperaturesThe rate of temperature rise has been

increasing rapidly ndash the nine warmestsummers on record have occurred since1999 and the four warmest winters haveoccurred since 1998 But that still doesnrsquottell the whole story Winters have a fasterrate of warming than summers do andthere is a higher rate of variability year-to-year which makes it harder to perceivelong term trends he explained

Changes in average temperature alsoinevitably lead to changes in extremesThere will no doubt be less cold weatherand a much higher incidence of hot andrecord-hot weather Perhaps the moststartling statistic he cited was this by2100 most of New Jersey could havebetween 10 and 25 days above 100 degreesFahrenheit every year Thatrsquos certainlysomething to sweat about

Precipitation extremesEveryone in New Jersey has a flood story

I personally remember the water being sodeep in my backyard during Hurricane Irenein 2011 I was watching ducks swim anddive for fish

While precipitation is trending upwardand there is great variability each decadeone chart stood out in Dr Broccolirsquospresentation It all comes down to greaterextremes in precipitation That includesboth non-precipitation days (leading todroughts and water shortages) and ex-tremely high precipitation events Heavyrain events will become heavier and therewill be more of them

Rising seasThe effects of sea level rise are most felt

during a storm surge although the resi-dents of the Jersey Shore surely know that


Dr Anthony Broccoli speaking at the ANJECEnvironmental Congress

already Sea levels have been rising globallyfor a century but in New Jersey the wateris coming up twice as fast And adding tothe impact of a rising sea our land issinking due to extraction of groundwaterfrom aquifers and the compaction of loosesediments

If all goes well and we are able to lowerglobal emissions the central estimate forhow high the water will rise is around 23feet However if we continue business asusual or even increase our emissions thecentral estimate is even higher ndash around34 feet Does this mean hurricanes andnorrsquoeasters will become more intense ormore frequent According to Dr Broccoliitrsquos hard to say However with an increasedbaseline for coastal flooding New Jerseyanswill have an increased risk of floodscomparable to those caused by Super-storm Sandy

So what nowThe problem certainly feels insurmount-

able With creeping trend lines and biggerspikes itrsquos hard to imagine what oneperson can do to make a difference But

that is not what Dr Broccoli wants you totake away

Trying to make the problem less seriousis a good goal he said If the doctor tellsyou to lose twenty pounds she wonrsquotcomplain if you only lose ten Anything andeverything we are able to do to help reducethe impacts of climate change can helpThe sooner the better and every little bitcounts

ldquoThe best thing to do if you find yourselfin a hole is to stop diggingrdquo said BroccoliAnd thanks to his research New Jerseyresidents ndash and especially the attendees ofour Environmental Congress ndash are nowbetter equipped to fight that fight

View a video of Dr Brocollirsquospressentation atwwwfacebookcomANJECpagepublishing_toolssection=VIDEOSampsort[0]=created_time_descending starting 22 minutes in

Photo by Gary Szelc


ANJEC EnvironmentalAchievement Awards

At ANJECrsquos EnvironmentalCongress on October 4th we acknowl-edged and celebrated those who havemade significant environmental achieve-ments in the past year Congratulations tothe winners and thank you to all who worktirelessly to protect the environment at thelocal level

Environmental commissioncategoryBerkeley HeightsEnvironmental CommissionBerkeley Heights Vegan Fest 2018

The Berkeley Heights EnvironmentalCommission (EC) sponsored a three-dayVegan Fest that was free and open to thepublic Through attendee education andparticipation the event aimed to provideresidents with tools to incorporate healthyliving into their daily routines The EC usedVegan Fest as a vehicle to increase peoplersquosawareness and mindfulness about theirdaily choices particularly their foodselection and exercise regimen A variety ofevents took place over a three-day period

from yoga and tai chi to expert panels onhealth and sustainability to a vegan cookingcontest By enabling the public to hear andinteract with experts with backgrounds inmedicine exercise wellness and law the ECeducated people about the health andenvironmental impacts of their dietHundreds of people babies through seniorsattended the series of events

Cherry Hill Environmental BoardConservation Community Service Project

The Cherry Hill Environmental Board tookan innovative approach to coordinatingvolunteer opportunities for communitygroups and individuals to help improvepublic lands They established a recruitmentand volunteer coordinator position to breakdown their volunteer projects into organiza-tional national and individual intensivecategories and tailored projects to meet theneeds of the volunteers so that they couldhave team building opportunities Byestablishing a recruitment and volunteercoordinator the Boardrsquos conservationprojects worked on

bull Connecting people with naturebull Erosion prevention and controlbull Litter and debris mitigationbull Invasive species removal andbull Sustainable trail use of open

space landsOver 400 hours of community

service were logged to improvetrails reduce erosion increaseaccessibility open blocked trailsremove invasive species and rescuea pollinator garden

Vegan Fest - 2018


Closter EnvironmentalCommissionCloster McBain Farm

The Closter Environ-mental Commissionstarted a farm projectthat began when a landexchange initiated by the Boroughpreserved five and a half acres of farmlandthat has been tilled since the early eigh-teenth century The original and ongoingmission of MacBain Farm is to introduceCloster families to fresh produce ndash how it isplanted grown and harvested withoutpesticides Closter residents are permittedto pick one bucket full of veggies each daythe farm is open (presently three days aweek) at no cost Residents are encouragedto volunteer at the farm to help withweeding welcoming visitors and learningand teaching about what happens at thefarm There is a section of the park thathas been made handicapped accessible andthe farm welcomes guests from Spectrumfor Living in Closter (serving people withdevelopmental disabilities) Over 60volunteers serve as greeters guidesweeders tillers hoers and tomato stakersAnd at their annual pumpkin festival theyeven work as film directors publicistsmusicians and storytellers

Delaware TownshipEnvironmental CommissionMeadow Trail

Delaware Township had a subdivisionthat resulted in the donation of openspace acreage located between homes onone side of the subdivision and theDelaware Township School on the otherThe donation included the stipulation thata trail be constructed between the subdivi-

sion and the school property so thatchildren could use it to walk to school TheEnvironmental Commission took advantageof this opportunity to restore the wetlandsand the surrounding area back to its nativehabitat for use as a community resourcetransforming it into an outdoor STEMclassroom for the 400 to 500 students atthe school It is an open space stewardshipeducation site for the greater communityas well providing an ongoing field studysite on wildlife habitats and wetlandecosystems

Hackensack Environmental CommissionHackensack Community Garden

The Hackensack Environmental Commis-sion was re-formed in 2018 and one of theirduties is to research the use and possibleuse of the open land areas of the city TheEC located an area of land that was beingunderutilized and had become a storageplace for Department of Public Worksequipment With a recommendation fromthe EC the City Council passed a resolu-tion designating that area of land alongwith a greenhouse to be designated asgreen space The garden has been expandedand embellished and has become a com-munity hub which provides educationalopportunities for residents Planting thecommunity garden in a former equipmentstorage area has refocused attention onthis unused resource

HackensackCommunity

Garden


Hopewell Township (Mercer)Environmental CommissionOut of the Ashes andthe American Chestnut

The Hopewell Township EnvironmentalCommission conducted an inventory of ashtrees when the loss of tree cover due to theEmerald Ash Borer became apparentRecognizing the tremendous impact thatthis loss would have on carbon sequestra-tion stormwater runoff and bird and smallanimal habitat the EC proposed a two-pronged approach to deal with the situa-tion The Hopewell Valley Arts Councilworked with The Howell Living HistoryMuseum and arranged for a sawyer tomill the wood of felled ashes The ArtsCouncil then utilized some of the wood byldquoupcyclingrdquo it for the construction ofeducational art installations in theTownship

The EC also has committed to reforesta-tion throughout the Township with aninnovative partnership with the AmericanChestnut Foundation and several areaenvironmental groups They identified sitesfor chestnut planting throughout theTownship Orchards of chestnut trees havebeen planted highlighting the efforts torestore this iconic and economicallyimportant American native tree whichis in danger of extinction due to thechestnut blight in the first half of the20th century

Madison Environmental CommissionPlastic-Free Week

To help create momentum for a single-use plastic bag ordinance the MadisonEnvironmental Commission launched aPlastic-Free Week and urged residents totake seven voluntary actions The campaignincluded a presentation to the BoroughCouncil on the hazards of plastic pollutionThe EC held events for people throughoutthe town from students to seniors frombusinesses to town employees Theyconducted reusable bag giveaways eventswhere people took the pledge and receiveda free native pollinator plant or a freereusable bag They did a great deal of

education and outreach groundworkculminating in the introduction andpassage of a single-use plastic bag ordi-nance

Waterford TwpEnvironmental CommissionRecycling Sticker Project

Waterford Township EnvironmentalCommission members attended recyclingworkshops in neighboring towns to gatherideas for how to increase local participa-tion They created flyers and social mediaposts and collaborated with neighboringBerlin Township to create special recyclingstickers for all of their residents ECmembers and township employees thencanvassed their town to place recyclingstickers on all recycling bins They alsodistributed stickers and explanatoryinformation during National Night Outand via a tax bill insert

Nonprofit CategoryRutgers Center for EnvironmentalExposures and DiseaseCountdown to Cleaner Air StreetScientists and the Fight for First Street

Local community members in partner-ship with community-based organizationschurches Rutgers University and electedofficials took action in Elizabeth NJ thatled to cleaner air by banning containertrucks in their neighborhood DeaconWalter Leak of the Mt Calvary UnitedChurch on First Street in Elizabeth makeshis living driving tractor trailer trucks andled the fight for cleaner air in the FirstStreet neighborhood Residents conducteda truck count that revealed more than 50trucks drove through the area each hourduring a typical weekday morning Airmonitoring results showed spikes in blackcarbon with each passing truck anindicator of diesel exhaust pollution

The City of Elizabeth Council thenunanimously passed an ordinance torestrict traffic on First Street to vehiclesunder four tons essentially banning tractortrailers A follow-up study found that there


was an 86 percent reduction in truck trafficand an 80 percent reduction in blackcarbon and ultrafine particle counts afterthe ordinance was enacted and enforced

Rowan GeoLab The Nature Conservancyamp NJ Conservation FoundationThe New Jersey Conservation BlueprintPhase II ndash Protecting New Jerseyrsquos Landand Legacy

The New Jersey Conversation Blueprint isa data-driven interactive mapping toolmade possible through a partnership of theNature Conservancy Rowan University andthe New Jersey Conservation Foundation Itis also a collaborative living vision of 21conservation-focused groups both govern-mental and nonprofits

The Conservation Blueprint Phase IIrepresents a major overhaul and rebrandingof the web site completed in June 2019The web mapping interface was completelyredesigned to be more intuitive efficientand elegant Multiple technical enhance-ments improved functionality and search

Fighting diesel pollution in Elizabeth

capabilities The initiative also included arebranding of the landing page includingnew icons and logos for the variousthemes

Conservation Blueprint Phase II hasreceived feedback from many constituentsand users who have indicated that theyregularly use the Blueprint and that it hasproven valuable for conservation andenvironmental activities

Sustainable Essex Alliance EnergyProcurement CooperativeCommunity Choice Energy Aggregation forFive Essex County Towns

The municipalities of Maplewood SouthOrange Montclair Verona and Glen Ridgecontracted for a third-party electricitysupplier which resulted in favorable bids fortheir residents Each of the towns heldtown hall meetings after the contract wasawarded to inform residents about theprogram and their right to opt out if theychose About 85 percent of the eligibleresidents remained in the program which

will run throughDecember 2020

The winning bidand the resultingcontract is expectedto save residentsabout 10 percent ofthe supply priceaveraging about $150per residence Theprovisions requirethat the supplyinclude 20 percentmore RenewableEnergy Certificatesthan required by NewJersey law and marksthe communitiesrsquocommitment toencourage a rapidtransition to renew-able electricitysupply


Get the latest news on theenvironment

Read theANJEC News

a biweekly e-newsletter forenvironmental commissionsand others who care about

natural resources in NJ

Emailed FREEto ANJEC members and

supportersSee the latest issue atwwwanjecnewscom

Tom Johnson NJ Spotlightwith ANJEC Executive DirectorJennifer Coffey Photo by Gary Szelc

For the first time ANJEC focused on thejournalists who are doing a great jobreporting on environmental issues Thisyears winner was Tom Johnson from NJSpotlight

Tom Johnson has 30 years experiencewith various news reporting organizationsincluding the Newark Star-LedgerRidgewood Newspapers and the HeraldNews He has covered energy environmen-tal and telecommunications issues formany years and has won State and nationalawards for his reporting including an awardfrom the US Environmental ProtectionAgency

After leaving the Ledger in early 2009Johnson served as Chris Daggetts presssecretary for his gubernatorial run In 2010he founded NJ Spotlight and is their energyand environment writer NJ Spotlight is anaward-winning online news outlet whichhas partnered with NJTV News to form aNew Jersey focused multimedia newsreporting organization

Thanks to Tom Johnson and to all of thejournalists out there who are focusing onenvironmental reporting and keeping usinformed

ANJEC EnvironmentalJournalism Award 2019


By Gary Sondermeyer Vice President of OperationsBayshore Recycling

Recycling in NJ ndashThe history and current status

The changing faceof recycling

At the ANJEC Environmental Congress in October a recycling workshopoffered tips and ideas for local recycling programs as well as an overviewof the industry Gary Sondermeyer of Bayshore Recycling reported on thestatus of recycling and offered goals for improvement with a focus on thecurrent collapse of international markets for commodities Amy Cook-Menzel of Atlantic County Utilities Authority shared ideas on educating andengaging the community in municipal recycling efforts Suggestions fromboth presenters provided ideas for statewide initiatives as well as local andregional programs to keep NJ at the forefront of the movement

Some 32 years ago New Jerseyembarked on a sweepingexperiment as the first state tomake recycling mandatoryToday the recyclingindustry employs27000 peopleadding $6 billionannually to ourState economyMost recentstatistics from theNew Jersey Depart-ment of Environ-mental Protection(DEP) show theState achieved a 61 percent recycling ratefor the total waste stream ndash among thehighest recovery rates for any state in theUS

Getting recycling started and to itscurrent level of success took a massiveeffort We now stand at a crossroads asinternational markets have all but col-lapsed based most notably on public

policy decisions and regulatory restrictionsimposed by China characterized as theGreen Fence and Green Sword initiativesThe impact on the economics of recyclinghas been painful While historically orders ofmagnitude cheaper than disposalthe current cost of recycling has risenalarmingly

Before the Green Sword was imposed byChina towns were regularly ldquopaidrdquo for theirmaterial by recyclers However the recentmarket crisis has resulted in tipping fees forsingle stream recycling in the range of $65


to $75 per ton and higher making themequivalent to and in some cases higherthan the cost of disposal New Jerseytowns have been forced to scramble undersevere budget constraints to coverunanticipated costs to maintain recyclingservices to residents

What nowThe Association of New Jersey

Recyclers has devised a 14-point plan toaddress the crisis

1 Reconvene the statutory AdvisoryCouncil on Solid Waste Managementwhich has been inactive for over five yearsto provide the Governor and DEP Com-missioner with expert advice on solidwaste and recycling matters

2 Create a State Markets DevelopmentCouncil of experts in commoditiesexchange to evaluate options to stimulatedevelopment of new domestic markets forrecycled materials

3 Keep the annual Recycling Fundwhole Annually over $20 million isgenerated by a tax on disposal but fundsare regularly diverted to other usesthrough the budget process

4 Towns should revert to dual streamrecycling where paper and cardboard iskept separate from beverage containers atthe curb Single stream recycling hasresulted in significant levels ofcontamination

5 To reduce contamination a publiceducation campaign is needed to addressldquowishful recyclingrdquo

6 Launch a statewide recycling educa-tion campaign to remind residents thatrecycling is mandatory in the residentialcommercial institutional and industrialsectors ndash no one is exempt

7 The State should establish a standardlist of what is required for recyclingCurrently each county has its own listwhich leads to tremendous confusionamong residents

8 URGENT Impose a Statewide ban onsingle-use plastic Legislation ( S2776A4330)is working its way through the legislaturenow

9 Restore historic incentives to the privatesector in the form of business recyclingloans In the past 35 percent of the StateRecycling Fund was dedicated to loans tohelp finance new recycling mills

10 Restore historic Executive Orders suchas EO 91 signed by Governor Jim Florio in1993 calling for procurement of productsmade from post-consumer material to helpstimulate markets

11 Increase the amount of post-consumermaterial such as glass and rubber used indesign mix for road construction tostimulate additional markets

12 Aggressively develop food wastereduction plans to help feed hungry peopleand also enact legislation currently pendingas S1206 to foster organic materialcomposting

13 Place renewed focus on recyclingresearch and development through NewJerseyrsquos outstanding college and universitysystem

14 Enforce municipal ordinances toremind residents that recycling is mandatoryin New Jersey despite rising costs due todeflated international markets

In 1987 we drove our then fledglingmandatory programs from infancy tomaturity as a thriving industry throughmultifaceted approaches like those high-lighted above We most certainly can do thisagain We simply need leadership to bringthe right people and expertise together toidentify logical approaches to drive marketdevelopment as we did in the past

Gary Sondermeyer can be reached atGSondermeyerbayshorerecyclingcom


ACUA tagged recycling bins with eitheran Oops or a Great Job sticker

By Amy Cook-Menzel Communications ManagerAtlantic County Utilities Authority

Good tools for new rules ndash communicatingabout recycling

You may have noticed changes in yourlocal recycling program Many communitieshave modified their rules due to globalchallenges facing the recycling industrysuch as Chinarsquos refusal to accept certaintypes of waste for recycling

Last December we at the Atlantic CountyUtilities Authority (ACUA) made changes toour recycling guidelines to reduce contami-nation and improve the quality of thematerials collected for processing Certaintypes of plastics (3 through 7) were evenmoved to the ldquodo not recyclerdquo list

Through this process we learned a fewmethods that may help others who are alsolooking to share recycling information withtheir communities Here are some ways youcan help spread the word to benefit yourlocal recycling program

Understand the messageTo get a handle on your local program

contact your county or municipal recyclingcoordinator Make sure everyone assistingwith your outreach efforts is on the samepage Everyone involved should understandwhat is being communicated and why

Make materials eye-catchingand easy to understand

At ACUA we started by updating ourprinted materials and website with attrac-tive easy to understand images and cleardescriptions The recycling leaderin your city or county mayalready have materials youcan share or you cancreate your own with easy-to-modify templates fromthe Recycling PartnershipThe NJ Department ofEnvironmental Protection (DEP)also has great recycling resources

You can also share photos of items thatare commonly recycled incorrectly such asplastic bags and point to the right informa-tion Your smartphone camera and a littlecreativity can get you rolling

Implement a diverseoutreach plan

Information comes through so manysources and everyone has their preferredway of getting it This means yoursquoll need adiverse communication effort While thismay sound daunting (or expensive) thereare many low-cost or no-cost options Inaddition to the more traditional modes ofcommunication social media platformsoffer an excellent way to reach and engagepeople Posting to your own personal pageor your townrsquos page is a ldquofreerdquo way tospread information Buying ads on Socialmedia is also a low-cost option that canbring great results

In addition to social media platformsdonrsquot overlook the power of email to reachout Constant Contact and MailChimp arejust two of many free or low-cost servicesthat can be used to create professionallooking e-newsletters


Thanks to ANJECmember communities

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

To save postage on expensive mailingsyou can also team up with your municipal-ity to share information in a tax or sewerbill or make use of the cable access stationor community newsletter

Partner upReach out to other local environmental

groups your municipal environmentalcommission local watershed associationenvironmental clubs Sustainable Jerseyand others to amplify your efforts

Presentations and eventsAt ACUA we leveraged our connection

with the public using tours and tabling atcommunity events and making presenta-tions to local civic groups to share newrecycling information Schools seniorcenters and community groups are oftenlooking for a speaker Your presentationdoesnrsquot need to be high tech but yourmessage should be clear Bring examplesfor ldquoshow and tellrdquo and provide printedmaterials people can take home

Educational tagging projectAnother initiative ACUA adopted is

targeting certain neighborhoods forrecycling inspections Trained volunteersaccompanied by staff have canvassedneighborhoods over the course of fourconsecutive recycling collection daysarmed with clipboards and ldquooopsrdquo andldquogreat jobrdquo tags (modified from theRecycling Partnershiprsquos free templates)Peering into recycling containers errors arenoted and tags are left on containers toprovide direct feedback on recycling

As we wrap up inspections in our fourthcommunity we have seen significantimprovement in every town which provesmost people really do want to do the rightthing but often lack the information theyneed

Get creativeLook for opportunities to raise aware-

ness ACUA hosts an annual Recycled ArtContest partnering with our county library

system and the local mall which donatesspace to exhibit artwork

How about challenging local studentswith a poster or video contest or celebratingAmerica Recycles Day on November 15ACUA uses this ldquoholidayrdquo to invite guests toan Open House at its Recycling Centercomplete with ldquoTouch a Truckrdquo opportuni-ties recycling center tours games recycledcrafts and activities Earth Day is anothernatural opportunity to bring attention torecycling

With a little creativity you can remindpeople how simple actions like recyclingproperly can positively impact the environ-ment Whatever tools you choose providingconsistent easy to understand informationabout recycling rules is an essential part ofyour local programrsquos success

More informationAmy Cook-Menzel can be reached at

amenzelacuacomAssociation of NJ Recyclers httpsanjrcomCounty recycling contact list wwwnjgovdepdshw

recyclingcounty_recycling_coordlstpdfMunicipal recycling coordinators wwwnjgovdep

dshwrecyclingrecycling_coordinatorspdfEducational tool kit httpsrecyclingpartnershiporg

social-media-kitNJDEP recycling resources wwwnjgovdepdshw

recyclingAtlantic County Utilities Authority wwwacuacomBayshore Family of Companies

wwwbayshorerecyclingcom


ANJEC receivesGovernorrsquos AwardBy Julie Lange Groth ANJEC Report EditorCulminating 50 years of

protecting New Jerseys natural resourcesANJEC was honored to receive New Jerseyrsquospremier environmental award theGovernorrsquos Environmental ExcellenceAward on Dec 9 Department of Environ-mental Protection (DEP) CommissionerCatherine R McCabe presented ANJECrsquosaward in the Healthy amp SustainableCommunities category during a ceremonyat the New Jersey State Museum

The recognition program is celebratingits 20th anniversary and the DEP receivedmore than 50 applications for the awardsthis year A panel of judges reviewed andscored the nominations on criteria includingdocumented environmental benefit contri-butions to meeting the Statersquos environmentneeds replicability by others leadership andinnovation and education and outreachundertaken as part of the effort

ldquoIt is truly an honor to recognize theseenvironmental leaders who are shiningexamples for all of us to followrdquo Commis-sioner McCabe said ldquoTheir commitmentand dedication provide proof that the spiritof environmentalism remains strong in NewJersey We congratulatethem on their outstandingachievements and thankthem for helping toimprove thehealth of ourenvironment ndashand our qualityof liferdquo

ldquoReceiving this award is an incrediblehonor for ANJEC especially this year whenwersquore celebrating our 50th anniversaryrdquo saidANJEC Executive Director Jennifer CoffeyldquoOur staff and trustees have worked incred-ibly hard to defend our Statersquos preciousnatural resources And we all stand on theshoulders of amazing environmental warriorswho have served before us who had thevision and courage to establish a frameworkfor protecting the environment in our Stateenacting laws and creating a legacy for us tofollow And wersquore especially grateful for thethousands of local environmental commis-sion members throughout New Jersey whoinspire us every day with their passion anddedicationrdquo

Commissioner McCabe also announcedthat former Governors Thomas H Kean andJames J Florio noted for their leadership ofthe State during pivotal periods in environ-mental protection were honored with RichardJ Sullivan awards The award named for thefirst DEP Commissioner will be formallypresented to Kean and Florio in April as partof DEPrsquos 50th birthday celebration and the50th anniversary of Americarsquos first Earth Day

From left DEP Commissioner Catherine McCabe ANJEC Trustee Barbara VadnaisSheila Baker Gujral ANJEC Resource Center ANJEC Development Director Lyle LandonANJEC Executive Director Jennifer Coffey ANJEC Deputy Director Elizabeth Ritter andDavid Zimmer Executive Director NJ Infrastructure Bank


C

Sustainablehousing for allBuild it like the futuredepends on it

limate change is our biggestthreat and it encompasses every aspect ofour lives from how we build our homes toour mental health and wellbeing By com-mitting to sustainable housing policies andinitiatives New Jersey municipalities canhelp mitigate the effects of climate change

Imagine you are making $10 per hour atyour job in Princeton Sure you would loveto live close to work but a one bedroomrental in town would mean that yoursquodneed to make $45 per hour So you decideto take a less expensive apartment furtheraway which means you need a car to getto work That contributes to making thetransportation sector the largest emitter ofgreenhouse gas emissions (GHG) Awhopping 42 percent of the NJrsquos net GHGemissions come from transportation

Given the cost of gas tolls insurance andcar maintenance that $10 per hour is stillstretched very tight with little room tocover essentials such as housing foodmedicines etc During a recent NJ SpotlightRoundtable discussion on affordablehousing it was reported that sadly 40percent of New Jerseyans cannot affordtheir basic needs and almost half ofresidents are spending more than 30percent of their income on rent Given thehigh cost of living in NJ itrsquos imperativethat every municipality provides affordableand sustainable housing

At ANJECrsquos 46th Environmental Con-gress three fantastic speakers offeredinsights and solutions First HeidiFichtenbaum Princeton EnvironmentalCommission Vice Chair made the case for

By N Dini Checko ANJEC Resource Center

Net-Zero housing In July 2019 Princetonunveiled an in-depth Climate Action Plan tohelp the community reduce greenhouse gasemissions and become more climate-resilient It establishes an ambitious goal ofreducing 80 percent of GHGs by 2050(based on 2010 emissions)

Princetonrsquos GHG analysis shows nearly 65percent of local emissions come fromelectricity and fossil fuels used in homes andcommercial buildings And over 32 percentof emissions are a result of transportingpeople and goods

Passive and affordable housingA critical opportunity to significantly

reduce GHG emissions and improve qualityof life locally is passive home constructionespecially for affordable housing but itrsquosalso appropriate for market rate housing andcommercial construction There are manybenefits including energy use reduction of70 to 95 percent lower total net monthlycost of living and increased personalcomfort because passive homes are builtbetter and require less maintenance

Who qualifies for affordable housingEarnings must be below specified levels orincome standards set by the federal govern-ment and based on median family incomeIn New Jersey income standards vary bycounty and household size There are threeprimary affordable housing categoriesbull families who meet income requirementsbull age restricted (generally 62 years or older)

andbull special housing such as supervised

apartments halfway houses and group


homes for people with developmentaldisabilities the mentally ill or otherspecial needsSometimes an unfortunate stigma is

attached to affordable housing and itsoccupants when in fact they are oftenhardworking people who are greatly neededin the community such as home healthaides They just canrsquot make ends meet onlow-wage jobs

Amazingly when Net-Zero low incomehomes are built and financed correctly theyare not more expensive than non-passivehouse construction (A Net-Zero homeproduces at least as much energy as itconsumes)

Making affordable homessustainable

Our second speaker Pam DeLosSantosAssistant Director for NJ Housing andMortgage Finance shared informationabout the Low Income Housing Tax Creditprogram Under this federal tax creditprogram every state develops a QualifiedAllocation Plan (QAP) to allocate eligiblecredits So far in NJ approximately 500projects and 50000 units have been createdusing this financing model Tax creditproperties must restrict rents and theincome eligibility of residents

The QAP has multiple criteria includingenergy efficiency DeLosSantos stressed theimportance of working with an Energy Starconsultant and using the NJ Office of CleanEnergyrsquos benchmarking program to maxi-mize energy efficiency This evolvingprogram will add criteria such as communitysolar and health and social equity in thecoming year Knowledgeable and commit-ted developers are key to successful imple-mentation

Our third speaker Lauren Zullo Directorof Environmental Impact at the JonathanRose Company is responsible for leadingenvironmentally sound and healthy buildinginitiatives This national award-winningdeveloper works closely with communitiesto build beautiful green affordable andmixed income housing that enhancespeoplersquos lives Zullo provided numerous

examples including the East Harlem Centerfor Living and Learning This mixed-usebuilding provides 89 units of affordablehousing school and nonprofit office spaceThe environment is a key element to alltheir designs

Too often unfortunately environmentalconsiderations take a back seat to costsavings especially for affordable housingdevelopment What if all requests forproposals (RFPs) required Net-Zero buildingand other environmental criteria All thespeakers highlighted numerous successfulprojects across the country with thecommon theme of strong private and publicpartnerships

What environmentalcommissions can do

ECs can advocate for sustainable afford-able housing design during preliminary siteplan reviews and for incorporating this goalinto the Master Plan Fichtenbaum outlinedkey steps municipalities can take to inte-grate sustainable housing for allbull Include Net-Zero and sustainability goals

in all public projects through the RFPprocess

bull Build relationships with design teams anddevelopers committed to sustainabilitygoals

bull Research and apply for available fundingsources to address climate change

bull Share learning statewide and advocate forState policy that incentivizes Net-Zerobuilding including passive houses andrenewables

bull Resolve legal issues where NJrsquos UniformConstruction Code standards conflict withlocal aspirations for Net-Zero building

More infobull Sustanable Princeton Climate Action Plan ndash

wwwsustainableprincetonorgclimate-action-planbull NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency ndash

wwwnjhousinggovbull Affordable Housing in New Jersey Whatrsquos Next

NJ Spotlight ndash wwwnjspotlightcom20190619-06-04-affordable-housing-in-new-jersey-whats-next


New HighlandsCouncil membersawait confirmationBy Julia Somers Executive DirectorNew Jersey Highlands Coalition

The New Jersey Highlands Councilwas established by the Legislature asmandated by the 2004 Highlands WaterProtection and Act The Council was chargedwith drafting a Regional Master Plan andpromoting municipal and county conform-ance to the Plans capacity-based planningprovisions The Act also charged the Councilwith performing a resource assessment ofthe region and determining the amount ofhuman development that could occurwithout adversely impacting water qualityThe New Jersey Department of Environ-mental Protection (DEP) is required toconsult with the Council on all land usepermit decisions within the Highlandsregion

The Council has 15 members all servingfive year terms with 13 of them nominatedby the Governor Eight of the Governorsnominees must be elected officials ndash threefrom county government and five munici-pally elected No more than four can be ofthe same political party

The Governor also nominates sevenldquopublic membersrdquo one of whom is recom-mended by the Senate President and oneby the Assembly Speaker These nomineesshould have expertise in water qualityprotection natural resource managementagriculture forestry land use or economicdevelopment At least four of the publicmembers must be property ownersbusiness owners or farmers in the High-lands or residents or nonresidents of theHighlands who benefit from Highlandswater If satisfying this Rubiks cube isntchallenging enough any NJ Senator whose

district includes a town in a nomineescounty may deny that nominees appoint-ment

While the rules of the game may seemsomewhat Byzantine the role of theCouncil is important According to the USGeological Survey 332 New Jersey townsreceive some or all of their water from theHighlands meaning 62 million people or70 percent of State residents depend onHighlands water making the role of theHighlands Council an environmentalpriority

Today three seats on the Council arevacant leaving only 12 voting membersTo authorize any Council action eightpositive votes are necessary which meansreaching a consensus is important tomoving new initiatives forward

Meet the nomineesGovernor Murphy has recently nomi-

nated three excellent members to theCouncil After a 30-year career Dr Danielvan Abs is the States foremost expert inwater resource management Dan began hiscareer at DEP then moved on to the NewJersey Water Supply Authority He subse-quently served as Director of Policy ampScience at the Highlands Council andtoday as a professor at Rutgers Universityhe lectures on water infrastructure environ-mental policy and regional environmentalmanagement You can hear him give aninspiring keynote speech at the March 2019Northwest New Jersey Rivers conference atwwwfacebookcomNJHighlandsCoalitionvideos263706941238407


Wynnie-Fred Victor Hinds is a resident ofNewark which was not previously repre-sented on the Council despite being thelargest single landowner in the Highlandswith extensive forests buffering its fivereservoirs Newarks interest in protectingHighlands water quality is huge Wynniealso co-chairs Newarks EnvironmentalCommission With her extensive back-ground in community engagement andenvironmental justice she currently worksas Community Outreach Manager atANJEC

Wynnie-FredVictor HindsANJECCommunityOutreach ndashEngagementManager

Bill Kibler is a West Point graduatehaving majored in environmental scienceAfter law school at Syracuse UniversityBill practiced environmental law beforejoining the staff of the South BranchWatershed Association Bill is currentlyPolicy Director at the Raritan HeadwatersAssociation He has an extensive record ofvolunteer service with organizations suchas the Raritan Basin Watershed Alliancethe NJ Council of Watershed AssociationsNJ Keep It Green the American WaterResources Association and the WetlandsForum The New Jersey HighlandsCoalition proudly counts him as a formertrustee where he chaired our PolicyCommittee

After approval by their Senators eachnominee must then be approved by theSenate Judiciary Committee and finallyby the full Senate An arduous processbut when theyre finally seated NewJersey will greatly benefit by the presenceof these stellar individuals on the High-lands Council

Lechner Scholarshipfor a student in the environmental fieldANJEC will award a $1200 scholarship to a New Jersey college student entering hisher junior or senior year The scholarship is granted to encourage qualified studentsto pursue a career in a field related to environmental protection The LechnerScholarship Fund is a living memorial to Hermia Lechner in recognition of her manyyears of dedicated service and contributions to the preservation of open space andnatural resources in New Jersey

An eligible student mustbull be a New Jersey residentbull attend an accredited New Jersey four-year college or universitybull be entering hisher junior or senior year in the fall of 2020bull be majoring in natural resources parks and recreation environmental law

environmental sciences or a related fieldbull have a cumulative grade point average of 30 or betterbull have demonstrated an activist role in the preservation of open space wildlife or

water resources in NJ andbull submit a completed Lechner Scholarship Application to ANJEC by Friday

May 1 2020 (application and information at wwwanjecorg)

The Lechner Scholarship will be awarded by June 1 2020 The winner will berecognized at ANJECs annual Environmental Congress in October


By Michele Gaynor ANJEC Resource CenterLyle Landon ANJEC Development Director and

Anthony Greco Cresskill Environmental Commission

Maplewood resolves to share the plastic burdenWith a wave of towns and cities across

the nation deciding to combat theoverwhelming plastic pollution problemsome towns are now turning their atten-tion to the manufacturers of plasticsConsumers should always do their best torecycle but itrsquos also time for those thatcreate the plastic to take responsibility forits environmental and human harm

Maplewood having already passed anordinance banning single-use plastic bagswent a step further to recognize that themanufacturers of disposable plastic itemsalso need to step up to the plate

Maplewoodrsquos resolution urges federaland State legislators to enact policies thatrequire manufacturers who use plastic tomake consumer goods bear a substantialpart of the burden The resolution statesthat recycling plastic is no longer providingmunicipal revenue but is now insteadcosting taxpayers Fees should be added toproducts packaged in plastics in order tofund recycling operations at local andstate levels

Plastic manufacturers fully comprehendthe damage their products inflict onpeople animals and the environment butmost choose not to take responsibility Sofar California is the only state creatinglegislation that forces plastics manufactur-ers to phase in the use of 100 percentrecycled plastics in their products

As the burden of recycling and properdisposal of plastics falls to local municipali-ties itrsquos well past time to push for changeand deal with the production and con-

sumption of this environmental hazardMaplewoodrsquos resolution can be found at

wwwtwpmaplewoodnjussitesmaplewoodnjfilesuploadsresolution_101-19pdf

ndash Michele Gaynor

High Bridge and trees ndashEnvironmental warriorpartners

Noting that many of the banks alongthe South branch of the Raritan River werein need of re-forestation the High BridgeEnvironmental Commission (EC) recentlytook on the project Along with localvolunteers Chair Jeanie Baker said ldquoWe

High Bridge EC planted and staked 128native trees


planted and staked 128 native trees Thetrees were in plastic tubes in order toprevent damage from wildliferdquo Over timethese trees and shrubs will become stream-side buffers that will stabilize banks filterout pollutants and provide extra storage forflood waters Project funding came from aRoots to Rivers grant from the NatureConservancy and from Sustainable Jersey

This was not the first tree project for theHigh Bridge EC In 2011 their efforts earnedthem the status of Tree City one of onlyfour in New Jersey at the time In 2013their work enabled High Bridge Commonsand Union Forge Park to become certifiedas a Wildlife Habitat Community

Nature sometimes needs our helpinghands and environmental commissionsgreen teams land use boards and shadetree commission members can protect orrestore trees so that they can grow intomature environmental warriors

While it is easy to understand thatfledgling trees and shrubs need protectionwe should not lose track of the manymighty environmental benefits maturetrees provide Most notably trees help allliving creature by absorbing carbon dioxideand potentially harmful gasses such assulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide fromthe air and by releasing oxygen One largetree can provide a dayrsquos supply of oxygenfor four people When news headlines sayldquoWe need to plant a billion trees to combatclimate changerdquo that statement makes alot more sense given the environmentalmath

Other benefits from trees include coolingthe land and water along with the humansand animals who live there decreasing noisepollution and wind erosion providing wildlifehabitat supplying food shelter and recre-ation improving air and water quality as wellas quality of life and enhancing propertyvalues

Letrsquos warrior on together ndash Lyle Landon

Cresskill studentscelebrate the environment

Award-winning posters and essays fromlocal students in grades 3 to 8 were cel-ebrated at an awards ceremony for the theCresskill Environmental Commissionrsquos 12thannual PosterEssay Contest The ceremonywas held at the Cresskill Senior ActivityCenter in June

Each year the Commission selects anenvironmental theme for the contest andteachers from the townrsquos schools ask theirstudents to interpret the theme in the formof a poster (grades 3-5) or essay (grades 6-8)This yearrsquos theme was ldquoWhy Trees AreImportant to Merdquo Winning students receiveda proclamation signed by Cresskill MayorBen Romeo as well as an Amazon gift card

The winning posters and essays weredisplayed at the Cresskill Public Library

ndash Anthony Greco

South Plainfieldrsquos studentsencourage sustainability

The South Plainfield Green Team asubcommittee of the Environmental Com-mission partnered with local students toproduce a video with the goal of encourag-ing residents to volunteer and become moreengaged The Green Team works hard in thecommunity to promote sustainability It wasimportant for them to let residents knowwhat the Green Team does and how peoplecan get involved and help with their efforts

With a grant from the PSEampG Foundationthe Green Team worked with a consultant tomake a video design a website and create asocial media campaign Students in grades 5

Cresskill students created award-winningposters and essays


and 6 were invited to enter an essaycontest on why it is important to protecttheir local environment while students ingrades 7 through 12 could submit a three-minute video on how South Plainfield couldbecome a more sustainable communityThe essay and video winners each receivedgift certificates and appeared on camera toshare their ideas and stories

The project culminated in a video inwhich the children spokeabout why itrsquos important forresidents to pitch in and helpthe town be more sustainableand resilient It was a way tolet the community know

what the Green Team has accomplished andhow itrsquos helping to preserve and protectSouth Plainfieldrsquos environment Studentsprincipal teachers the environmental cluband the Green Team all worked together onthis project and the video was unveiled at ascreening held at the town library

Watch the video here wwwyoutubecomwatchv=vi5P1Rjbi18 ndash Michele Gaynor

Funding announcement

ANJEC 2020 Open Space Grant ProgramANJEC is pleased to announce the continuation of the

ANJEC Open Space Stewardship Grantsfunded in part by the Sandy Batty Grant Fund

2020 marks the seventh year of this grant program

One-year grants of up to $1500 will be available to environmental commissionsin New Jersey whose applications are selected in 2020

Application materials are now available on the ANJEC website at wwwanjecorgGrant applications are due on Friday April 3 2020 at 430 PM

Successful applicants will be notified by May 15 2020

ANJEC expects to award approximately 15 grants in 2020Suitable projects include but are not limited tobull pollinator gardensbull trail building signage maintenancebull printed or online guides maps inventories of open space trailsbull open space or trails assessments plans mapsbull multi-town plans to link open space or trailsbull conservation easement inventories monitoring outreach educationbull management of invasive speciesbull habitat enhancement on open landsbull restoration or maintenance of riparian areas within preserved public open spacebull educational stormwater management projects on preserved public open spaceNo cash match is required

The South Plainfield GreenTeam produced a videopromoting community

engagement


Save the dates

Fundamentals forEffective Environmental Commissions

Saturday March 7 14 and 28900 AM to 130 PM

Join ANJEC staff and other experts for a full morning oftraining Learn how to be an effective member of a munici-pal environmental commission

Our 2020 program will include separate breakout sessionsfor experienced and new environmental commissioners plushands-on training and networking opportunities

The agenda includesbull Responsibilities and powers of an environmental

commissionbull Site plan reviewbull Creatingupdating an ERIbull The municipal master plan and the environmental

commissions role in the processbull Reviewing and updating municipal environmental ordinancesbull NJ Highlands actions and resources for environmental commissions

Registration DetailsIf your municipal commissioncommittee is an ANJEC member there is no charge toattend Non-member participation fee $45More registration information is coming soon Watch your email or contact us atinfoanjecorg or 973-539-7547

ANJEC was honored and grateful toreceive the proceeds of a fundraisermounted by a team of students in theInternational Baccalaureate Career-Related Program at Mendham HighSchool As part of the programs Philan-thropy Project the five-person team whocalled themselves the ldquoPlanet Peoplerdquochose ANJEC as the beneficiary of the$340 they raised by holding a bake saleThe team members included Erin DuffyKate Duffy Peter Bohlen Sydney Rileyand Ethan Ryan

Student fundraiserbenefits ANJEC

The Philanthropy Project is designedto introduce students to the possibilitiesfor service and help them identify theirphilanthropic interests

ANJEC and several other environmental nonprofits were out in forceon December 16 appealing to NJ legislators in Trenton to pass billsto prevent plastic pollution secure funding to protect the Delawarewatershed build more electric vehicle charging infrastructure andmore

From left Tony Landa Paramus EC Kelly Knutson State PolicyManager Coalition of Delaware River Watershed NJ Audubon CarolPeterson Oakland EC Sheila Baker Gujral ANJEC Resource Centerand Vinish Gujral ANJEC volunteer

From left NJ Senator Bob Smith NJ Assemblywoman Nancy J PinkinNJ Senator Linda R Greenstein NJ League of Conservation VotersExecutive Director Ed Potosnak ANJEC Executive Director JenniferCoffey NJ Highlands Coalition Executive Director Julia Somers andChargEVC CEO Pamela Frank


At the State House

2019 2019


Congress memories Congress memoriesPhotos by Renee Resky and Gary Szelc


BoardLeonard BerkowitzRay CywinskiEd DiFigliaPatricia ElkisLee FarnhamMarion McClaryCinny MacGonagleKenneth MillerMeishka MitchellBarbara RogersStephen SouzaGary SzelcJenine TankoosJohn ThonetNancy TindallBarbara Vadnais

Advisory CouncilChris AllynKirk BarrettSandy BattyMichele BellingerCynthia BerchtoldNancy BondNick DAmbrosioJulie GandyThomas GibbonsMarian GlennJoy GraftonLili HaramatyPriscilla HayesBlanche HoffmanKate HutelmyerMartha LieblichAmanda NesheiwatRenee Resky

Bruce RiedeKaren RiedePeg Van PattonNancy Wysocki

ANJEC StaffJennifer M Coffey Executive DirectorElizabeth Ritter Deputy DirectorLyle Landon Membership

and Development DirectorKaren Buchanan Financial ManagerIsabella Castiglioni Outreach ManagerN Dini Checko Resource CenterMichele Gaynor Resource CenterJulie Lange Groth Media DirectorSheila Baker Gujral Resource CenterCheryl Reardon South Jersey Bayshore

Project DirectorAlex Ambrose Policy AssociateRandi Rothmeil South Jersey Project

DirectorWynnie-Fred Victor Hinds Community

Outreach ManagerLouAnn Rosenthal Administrative Assistant

ANJEC VolunteersCandace Ashmun Environmental Summit

VolunteerJillian Madsen Media VolunteerSteve Carroll Resource Center VolunteerAnn Marchioni EarthShare Volunteer

people 2020

Advisory Council continued


ANJEC depends on our business members to help pay for the cost of printingthe ANJEC Report Please let them know that you saw their ad here

Remember however that ANJEC does not necessarily endorse any of these firms

SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER ANJEC REPORT ndash Winter 2020 29

Network with ANJECWersquod love to highlight your townrsquossuccesses on our Facebook page soplease ldquolikerdquo us at wwwfacebookcomANJECpage and then post your commis-sion or green team events activities andaccomplishments On Twitter pleasefollow ANJECtweetsand yoursquoll find ANJECon Instagram too

bull Wetland Delineationsbull Ecological Impact Assessments

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTSJill Stein Dodds

President

jsdoddsbiostarassociatescom(908) 996-3214

bull Endangered Species Surveysbull Wildlife InventoriesStudiesbull Habitat Mitigation Proposals

bull Photographybull Expert Testimony

rogerconcretewashoutnjnycomwwwconcretewashoutnjnycom

973-942-3131

Lower Total Cost Alternative100 Compliant

EPA RecommendedReclaimed Concrete is Recycled

The environmentally-consciouschoice for safe responsible and

efficient concrete washout

30 ANJEC REPORT ndash Winter 202030 ANJEC REPORT ndash Winter 2020



Garden State Laboratories IncBACTERIOLOGICAL amp CHEMICAL TESTING

410 Hillside Ave bull Hillside NJ 07205 bull (800) 273-8901

ldquoQuality is No Accidentrdquondash Mathew Klein MS

Founder

infogslabscomwwwgslabscom

CIVIL ENGINEERS LAND SURVEYORSPLANNERSCIVIL ENGINEERS LAND SURVEYORSPLANNERS

PARK DESIGNGREEN ACRES SURVEYSREDEVELOPMENT

PO Box 191258 Main Street

Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

wwwcaseyandkellercom

Casey amp Keller IncCasey amp Keller Inc

Environmental Impacts bull Wetlands bull wwwnjecocom

Environmental ConsultingThomas DrsquoAngelo

17 Indian TerraceLafayette NJ 07848

973bull875bull8585Fax 973bull875bull8080

mailamygreenecom bull wwwamygreenecom

Providing Environmental and EcologicalServices for Over 33 Years





ENVIRONMENTAL ampENGINEERING 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 bull Pittstown NJ 08867

Tel 9082380473 bull Fax 9082389164johnthonetthonetassociatescomwwwthonetassociatescom

ENVIRONMENTALLAND USE PLANNING

Community Master Plans Zoning and Land

Development Ordinances Environmental Ordinances Site Plans amp Subdivisions Development Feasibility Studies Expert Testimony

Thanks to ANJEC Supporters

PSEGAtlantic City Electric

Church amp Dwight Co IncAn Exelon Company

Environmental Strategy Consulting

TheNomadGroupcom (973) 771-3745infothenomadgroupcom

CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE




ANJEC REPORT ndash Winter 2020 33SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPERSUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER ANJEC REPORT ndash Winter 2020 33






SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER




As stewards of the earths most preciousnatural resource we know the importance ofprotecting our environment All living things needwater to survive By investing in water conservationeducation innovative treatment and deliverytechnologies we are working to make a differencefor our communities and our worldLearn more at newjerseyamwatercomBe sure to check out our tips onhow to use water wisely becauseevery drop counts

No

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Directorrsquos Report


Year in review Whatrsquos nextThis past year has brought a bounty of

success for New Jerseyrsquos environment andthere is so much more to do Please join mein reviewing milestones from 2019 andsharing your local success stories on ourFacebook page and tagging us on TwitterANJECTweets

Ending plastic pollutionSUCCESS ndash Environmental Commissions(ECs) across the Garden State flexed theirleadership by supporting the adoption ofmore than 100 municipal ordinances to bansingle-use plastic bags polystyrene(Styrofoam) use for food intentionaloutdoor balloon releases and plastic strawsECs are hosting T-shirt to totes workshopspartnering with local businesses to swapplastic for more sustainable choices securinggrants to buy and distribute reusable bagsand more

WHATrsquoS NEXT ndash As we go to press theNew Jersey Legislature has yet to adopt acomprehensive statewide bill to reduceplastic pollution ANJEC will continue toadvocate for a statewide bill and willcontinue to support dozens more munici-palities who are ready to adopt plasticpollution ordinances We will also providetechnical support for the municipalitieswhose ordinances went into effect onJanuary 1 2020

Flood reductionSUCCESS ndash In March Governor Murphysigned the Flood Reduction Act This new lawallows municipalities to adopt stormwaterutilities to reduce localized flooding andimprove water quality ANJEC is a proudfounding member of the Flood DefenseCoalition that advocated for this law givingmunicipalities more ability to make good

decisions for the environment and theircommunities

WHATrsquoS NEXT ndash Through our work with theFlood Defense Coalition ANJEC is drafting amodel ordinance for municipalities to usewhen considering the adoption of a storm-water utility We are also providing support tothe New Jersey Department of EnvironmentalProtection (NJDEP) in the development oftheir guidance document for municipalities toassess if a utility is right for them and how toimplement one should they choose to do so

Open space preservationSUCCESS ndash In November the NJDEP an-nounced that 1400 hundred acres inCumberland County known as Holly Farm arebeing preserved by the State Holly Farm isowned by Atlantic City Electric (ACE) and wasnearly developed a number of times Itconnects two preserved wildlife areas totalingapproximately 5500 acres and is the mostdensely populated threatened and endangeredspecies habitat in New Jersey Many environ-mental groups have worked for more than 20years to preserve this land ANJEC was one ofthe groups engaged in a lawsuit over it fornearly a decade and has provided support toMillville Cumberland County and ACEencouraging the preservation

MORE SUCCESS ndash Governor Murphy signedlegislation over the summer allocating the2014 voter-approved constitutionally dedi-cated funding for open space farmland andhistoric preservation in perpetuity Nowpreservation can continue just as New Jerseyvoters intended

WHATrsquoS NEXT ndash ANJEC will continue tooffer our municipal open space grants toenvironmental commissions seeking to cleanup trails remove invasive species create














22 Acting Locally







In this issue























ISSN 1538-0742









Photo by Gary Szelc

















O






















Photo by Gary Szelc












Vegan Fest - 2018









HackensackCommunity

Garden



























Read theANJEC News























































































C


















































































ndash Anthony Greco



















engagement


Save the dates
















At the State House

2019 2019














people 2020









President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

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age

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nto

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NJ

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11

4P

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57M

endh

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945

AN

JEC

rece

ives

Gov

erno

rs A

war

d S

ee p

age

17














22 Acting Locally







In this issue























ISSN 1538-0742









Photo by Gary Szelc

















O






















Photo by Gary Szelc












Vegan Fest - 2018









HackensackCommunity

Garden



























Read theANJEC News























































































C


















































































ndash Anthony Greco



















engagement


Save the dates
















At the State House

2019 2019














people 2020









President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

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ISSN 1538-0742









Photo by Gary Szelc

















O






















Photo by Gary Szelc












Vegan Fest - 2018









HackensackCommunity

Garden



























Read theANJEC News























































































C


















































































ndash Anthony Greco



















engagement


Save the dates
















At the State House

2019 2019














people 2020









President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

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US

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age

17



Photo by Gary Szelc

















O






















Photo by Gary Szelc












Vegan Fest - 2018









HackensackCommunity

Garden



























Read theANJEC News























































































C


















































































ndash Anthony Greco



















engagement


Save the dates
















At the State House

2019 2019














people 2020









President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

t O

rg

US

P

ost

age

P

A

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Tre

nto

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NJ

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945

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rece

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age

17



O






















Photo by Gary Szelc












Vegan Fest - 2018









HackensackCommunity

Garden



























Read theANJEC News























































































C


















































































ndash Anthony Greco



















engagement


Save the dates
















At the State House

2019 2019














people 2020









President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

t O

rg

US

P

ost

age

P

A

I D

Tre

nto

n

NJ

Perm

it N

o

11

4P

O B

ox 1

57M

endh

am N

J 07

945

AN

JEC

rece

ives

Gov

erno

rs A

war

d S

ee p

age

17











Photo by Gary Szelc












Vegan Fest - 2018









HackensackCommunity

Garden



























Read theANJEC News























































































C


















































































ndash Anthony Greco



















engagement


Save the dates
















At the State House

2019 2019














people 2020









President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

t O

rg

US

P

ost

age

P

A

I D

Tre

nto

n

NJ

Perm

it N

o

11

4P

O B

ox 1

57M

endh

am N

J 07

945

AN

JEC

rece

ives

Gov

erno

rs A

war

d S

ee p

age

17












Vegan Fest - 2018









HackensackCommunity

Garden



























Read theANJEC News























































































C


















































































ndash Anthony Greco



















engagement


Save the dates
















At the State House

2019 2019














people 2020









President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

t O

rg

US

P

ost

age

P

A

I D

Tre

nto

n

NJ

Perm

it N

o

11

4P

O B

ox 1

57M

endh

am N

J 07

945

AN

JEC

rece

ives

Gov

erno

rs A

war

d S

ee p

age

17









HackensackCommunity

Garden



























Read theANJEC News























































































C


















































































ndash Anthony Greco



















engagement


Save the dates
















At the State House

2019 2019














people 2020









President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

t O

rg

US

P

ost

age

P

A

I D

Tre

nto

n

NJ

Perm

it N

o

11

4P

O B

ox 1

57M

endh

am N

J 07

945

AN

JEC

rece

ives

Gov

erno

rs A

war

d S

ee p

age

17



























Read theANJEC News























































































C


















































































ndash Anthony Greco



















engagement


Save the dates
















At the State House

2019 2019














people 2020









President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

t O

rg

US

P

ost

age

P

A

I D

Tre

nto

n

NJ

Perm

it N

o

11

4P

O B

ox 1

57M

endh

am N

J 07

945

AN

JEC

rece

ives

Gov

erno

rs A

war

d S

ee p

age

17













































































C


















































































ndash Anthony Greco



















engagement


Save the dates
















At the State House

2019 2019














people 2020









President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

t O

rg

US

P

ost

age

P

A

I D

Tre

nto

n

NJ

Perm

it N

o

11

4P

O B

ox 1

57M

endh

am N

J 07

945

AN

JEC

rece

ives

Gov

erno

rs A

war

d S

ee p

age

17





































































ndash Anthony Greco



















engagement


Save the dates
















At the State House

2019 2019














people 2020









President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

t O

rg

US

P

ost

age

P

A

I D

Tre

nto

n

NJ

Perm

it N

o

11

4P

O B

ox 1

57M

endh

am N

J 07

945

AN

JEC

rece

ives

Gov

erno

rs A

war

d S

ee p

age

17















engagement


Save the dates
















At the State House

2019 2019














people 2020









President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

t O

rg

US

P

ost

age

P

A

I D

Tre

nto

n

NJ

Perm

it N

o

11

4P

O B

ox 1

57M

endh

am N

J 07

945

AN

JEC

rece

ives

Gov

erno

rs A

war

d S

ee p

age

17


Save the dates
















At the State House

2019 2019














people 2020









President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

t O

rg

US

P

ost

age

P

A

I D

Tre

nto

n

NJ

Perm

it N

o

11

4P

O B

ox 1

57M

endh

am N

J 07

945

AN

JEC

rece

ives

Gov

erno

rs A

war

d S

ee p

age

17





At the State House

2019 2019














people 2020









President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

t O

rg

US

P

ost

age

P

A

I D

Tre

nto

n

NJ

Perm

it N

o

11

4P

O B

ox 1

57M

endh

am N

J 07

945

AN

JEC

rece

ives

Gov

erno

rs A

war

d S

ee p

age

17














people 2020









President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

t O

rg

US

P

ost

age

P

A

I D

Tre

nto

n

NJ

Perm

it N

o

11

4P

O B

ox 1

57M

endh

am N

J 07

945

AN

JEC

rece

ives

Gov

erno

rs A

war

d S

ee p

age

17








President





973-942-3131











Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

t O

rg

US

P

ost

age

P

A

I D

Tre

nto

n

NJ

Perm

it N

o

11

4P

O B

ox 1

57M

endh

am N

J 07

945

AN

JEC

rece

ives

Gov

erno

rs A

war

d S

ee p

age

17







Founder





Millburn NJ 07041Ph 973-379-3280Fx 973-379-7993

























CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

n P

rofi

t O

rg

US

P

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age

P

A

I D

Tre

nto

n

NJ

Perm

it N

o

11

4P

O B

ox 1

57M

endh

am N

J 07

945

AN

JEC

rece

ives

Gov

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rs A

war

d S

ee p

age

17

















CAGE 819L6 DUNS 82-795-91511

SBE















No

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US

P

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age

P

A

I D

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nto

n

NJ

Perm

it N

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11

4P

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Gov

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17















No

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17

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