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Stops two other bills opposed by environmentalists

As one of his last acts in office Monday night, Gov. Jon Corzine vetoed legislation that environmentalists had tagged "the Dirty Water Bill'' and two other bills they argue would have weakened environmental regulation in the state.

By vetoing what environmentalists described as "one of the worst bills ever, the Water Quality Planning Act,'' they said Corzine took the side of clean water. He also vetoed the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and a change to notice of contaminated sites.

"The governor stepped forward last night,'' said Jeff Tittel, New Jersey Sierra Club director, on Tuesday. "He not only stood up for clean water but also the public's right to know about contamination in their neighborhood, and a bill that would have slowed new regulation."

Corzine did approve other 19 bills, including the Permit Extension legislation into law.

"We were disappointed that he signed permit extension," Tittel said. "We thought the governor would have vetoed this massive giveaway, unfortunately it was signed and will haunt us for years to come preventing green buildings and good planning in New Jersey.''

Corzine vetoed 2985/A4257, the "Extends implementation of the Water Quality Planning Act " which proposed extending Department of Environmental Protection implementation of planning rules by one year and three months. Environmentalists said the extension would have undermined water quality protections, violated federal law, and increased water pollution and sprawl.

Implementing the Water Quality Planning Act will keep sewers out of environmentally sensitive areas and makes sure there is enough water for existing developments. Tittel said delaying implementation and allowing sprawl to move into environmentally sensitive areas would have threatened New Jersey's drinking water supply. The federal Environmental Protection Agency also opposed the bill.

"The legislators took the side of polluters over the public interest, but the governor took the side of New Jersey," Tittel said.

Corzine also vetoed S1793/A832, the "Regulatory Flexibility Act," which would have expanded the scope of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. Tittel said the legislation would undermine rulemaking and environmental regulation. He also vetoed S3004/A3852, the "Scope of Notice, which would have shifted notification of site remediation from 200 feet from the contaminated property to 200 feet from the portion of the site that is contaminated. Tittel said that in many of the worst contaminated sites 200 feet may not go beyond the property line, so there will be no notification for adjoining property owners.

"If the people in Pompton Lakes were notified 20 years ago, they would have tested their homes and null would not have spread through the community at the rate they have now," Tittel said. "The people who live near these sites need to know about the contamination and determine if it affects their property and their families' safety, we are pleased the governor stood up for our right to know."

Corzine did sign S3137/A4347, the "Extends expiration date of certain permits pursuant to "Permit Extension Act of 2008," which will extend the permit extension act by another 2.5 years. Tittel said the law will undermine good planning and jeopardize green building initiatives to provide builder's a massive giveaway.

"The Permit Extension bill received legislative support under the guise of an economic relief measure,'' Tittel said. "However, allowing developers to further postpone their construction projects will only delay economic growth and the long-term burden will go to taxpayers and municipalities responsible for providing services. The only thing green about this Legislature is the campaign contributions they get from developers. Permit extension will only stimulate the wallets of developers with a huge cost to the taxpayers and the environment. We will be dealing with the same bad projects in 2025."

During the drafting of the legislation Corzine opposed allowing permits to be extended for four years, citing a concern that developers would wait until the next economic boom to begin construction. The legislation would make the total extension time 4.5 years on top of the 10 years developers have already received

"In the last two weeks Governor Corzine signed off on a draft permit for Oyster Creek cooling towers, pulled back phosphorous regulations and vetoed these three bills,'' Tittel said. "At the end of his administration he has stepped forward to help protect the environment. The incoming administration should not undo the progress that has been made."

Corzine also signed 19 other bills and vetoed another measure:

S-1609/A-3245 — Provides for improved structure and fiscal management of higher education in New Jersey.

S-1711/A-3411 — Prohibits penalizing pharmacy for dispensing forged or fraudulent prescription approved by certain state prescription drug benefit programs.

S-1833/A-2649 — Authorizes Greenwood Lake Commission to charge fees.

S-2091/ACS — Prohibits the enforcement of "palimony" agreements unless such agreements are in writing.

S-3071/A-4261 — Permits certain managers and deputy attorneys general of the state to negotiate collectively under the "New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act;" changes definition of managerial executives and removes confidential status of deputy attorneys general and certain state investigators.

S-3157/A-4264 — Revises statutes concerning permissible length of time between certain public questions in certain municipalities.

A-557/S-2336 — Repeals bidding requirement for local public contracts to allow bidders to avoid unresponsive bid if they inadvertently omit business registration from bid proposal provided that bidder was registered before bid submission deadline.

A-795/S-1899 — Requires Department of Environmental Protection commissioner to establish list and recognition program for certain environmentally responsible companies

A-1619 — Revises certain statutes concerning sale of tax and other municipal liens.

A-1853/S-3109 — Provides for asset disregard for Medicaid recipients under long-term care insurance partnership.

ACS forA-2029/SCS — Concerns chiropractic scope of practice.

A-3120/S-2538 — Requires railroad company to negotiate in good faith with certain entities for sale of railroad right of way proposed for abandonment.

A-3396/S-2304 — Provides authorized emergency vehicles protection under lemon law.

A-3634 /S-2716 — Makes sundry changes to limousine laws.

A-3998/S-2859 — Concerns governmental unit public funds deposited in public depositories.

A4168/S-2865 — Tansfers management, administration and duties of "the workers' compensation security fund" to the New Jersey Property-Liability Insurance Guaranty Association.

A-4244/S-3160 — Makes various changes to laws concerning motor vehicle equipment and inspections.

A-4316/S-3165 — Redirects appropriations in "Mortgage Stabilization and Relief Act" (2009) to provide more effective foreclosure relief to homeowners.

A-4347/ S-3137 — Extends expiration date of certain permits pursuant to "Permit Extension Act of 2008"

A-4376/S-3020 — Provides temporary state Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) definition of contractual salary which includes deferred collectively negotiated wage increases currently applicable to eecutive banch employees will also apply to certain sate and local public employees in the PERS.

Corzine also vetoed:

S-1730 — Lengthens service life of certain school buses to 15 years

— TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM