Share this
Twitter
Myspace
Digg
Del.icio.us
Reddit
Slashdot
Furl
Yahoo
Technorati
Newsvine
Facebook
Export PDF
Print
E-mail
Tags
BY TOM HESTER SR.
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
The cleanup of Barnegat Bay, the operation of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, and the retrofitting of diesel engines statewide will be short-term priorities of a reorganized state Department of Environmental Protection.
The reorganization, which was announced Monday by DEP Commissioner Bob Martin, calls for the creation of new offices and changes in the structure of the department.
Martin has set July 15 as the deadline for completion of the reorganization.
The commissioner said his long-term priorities include protecting New Jersey's clear and salt waters and natural resources, make regulations less complex, move to privatize the clean up the state's 20,000 contaminated sites, expand the use of wind and solar energy, and preserve and protect the state parks and wildlife areas.
"The message should be loud and clear: DEP's core mission is and will continue to be to protect the air, water, land and natural resources of our state,'' Martin said. "We will not compromise the environmental laws of New Jersey. At the same time, however, we need to play a key role in the economic growth of the state. We will work hard at restructuring the permit process, work to get responses out the door to individuals and businesses as fast as possible. We want to treat people and businesses coming to the DEP as valued customers.''Martin said that in the next few weeks, DEP officials will start meeting with stakeholders in an effort to establish a solution to the cooling systems problem at Oyster Creek nuclear power plant; begin a review of the clean water program, establish a crackdown on polluters, implement a program to accelerate the retrofit of diesel engines, and determine the best approach to clean up Barnegat Bay with stronger laws and rules to address the nitrogen and phosphorus that is polluting the bay.
"Since formally joining the department on January 19th, I have had a very exciting twelve weeks and have learned a lot and I love my job,'' Martin wrote in the memo. "I have been impressed at every turn by the professionalism, dedication and commitment of management and staff across the four corners of the DEP.''
The commissioner added, "I have also carefully evaluated our organizational structure and personnel toward moving forward with the change needed to implement Governor Christie's and my vision for a department which balances rigorous environmental protection with the need to play our part in restoring the broken economy of our state.''
Among the structural changes, Martin is creating an Office of Green energy Development and Office of Economic Growth Coordination, both guided by an assistant commissioner; an Office of One Stop Permitting, guided by a deputy commissioner; an Office of Economic Analysis, which will report to the DEP's counselor, an Office of Communications, will deal with the news media and so-called constituent relations, and the Office of Natural & Historic Resources will fall under a new Office of Ecological Restoration.
Martin is also moving the Division of Water Quality, the state Geological Survey, the Watershed Standard Setting; Water Supply, Water Monitoring and Standards to a new Water Resource Management Program. He also plans to consolidate the Office of Planning and Sustainable Communities with Land Use Management.
"...We need to play a key in the economic growth of the state,'' Martin said in the memo. "We must make permitting and inspection of individuals, businesses, governmental bodies and other organizations both timely and predictable, basing decisions on science, data, facts and a cost/benefit analysis.
"Individuals, businesses and all entities coming to the DEP for permits must be treated like customers. Our work must be done with transparency and accountability,'' Martin said. "The challenges at DEP are significant. Our staffing has been cut by almost 20 percent over the past eight years. During the same time more federal and state laws have been passed and more rules created. It is incumbent upon us to streamline operations, become more efficient and take full advantage of technology.''
Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said the reorganization is not in the public good.
"The re-organization plan for DEP is the special interest wish list for changing DEP,'' he said. "They are weakening the offices that do planning, science and environmental revue while creating new offices to act as lobbyist for polluters and developers. This re-organization plan implements many of the Red Tape Review panel's recommendations like the One-Stop Shop that leaves out environmental review and sets up a stakeholder process to weaken or eliminate rules that protect our air and water. Under this plan, DEP now calls the companies that they regulate "clients" so DEP works for the polluters not the public."
Martin said that his senior staff is mainly in place except for a few "key editions'' he will make over the next few weeks.
Irene Kropp, who was assistant commissioner for Site Remediation and a 28-year DEP employee, is the new deputy commissioner with the role of overseeing all DEP operations and Martin's agenda.
Magdalena Padilla, former director of business and economic policies for the state Commerce and Economic Growth Commission and a lawyer, is the new DEP director of legislative affairs.
Ray Cantor, a lawyer with 20 years of experience in state government, is Martin's chief counsel.
Amy Cradic will remain as an assistant commissioner and head the new Office of Ecological Restoration.
Marilyn Lennon, who a planner with almost 30 years in environmental consulting, is the new assistant commissioner for Land Use Management.
Nancy Wittenberg, formerly the DEP's director of Environmental quality and the Office of energy, is the new assistant commissioner for Environmental Regulation.
John Plonski, who served as CEO of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources from 1995 to 2004, is the new assistant commissioner for Water Resources Management.
Wolf Skacel, will continue as assistant commissioner of Compliance & Enforcement.
Cathy Tormey will continue as deputy counselor to Martin.
Dave Glass, former head of Republican Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande's staff, is the new deputy chief of staff and legislative liaison.
Larry Ragonese, a former assistant chief of The Star-Ledger's Morris County bureau, is the new communications director.
Richard Boornazian, who has 28 years of experience in real estate, finance and information technology, is the new Green Acres Program administrator.
Scott Brubaker, former chief of the DEP's Bureau of Coastal and Land Use Compliance and Enforcement, is the new director of the One-Stop Office.
Cindy Randazzo, who has 28 years of experience in business and finance, is the new director of the Office of Local Government Assistance.
Benjamin Witherell, formerly with the Delaware River Basin Commission, is the new director of Economic Analysis.
