Hackensack Spring 2020, Volume XXIII, Issue 1 ® TIDELINESTIDELINESHackensackRIVERKEEPER — Celebrating over twenty years of clean water advocacy. NJ Legislature Shows Little Environmental Leadership in 2019 A Few Environmental Wins Do Not Make for Environmental Champions in Trenton By Captain Bill Sheehan the most recent one in Trenton re- they did manage to pass a few There are times when the Leg- ally make that sentiment hit home unequivocally positive bills that islature is characterized as a place for NJ’s environmentalists. The serve to protect and preserve our where great ideas for good laws go NJ Senate and Assembly closed waterways and ensure equitable to get sliced, diced, amended, cut the 2019 session in mid-January access to those waters. However, off at the knees and (maybe) get but our pronounced disappoint- they fell far short of being the reconstituted into shallow versions ment over their inability to pass environmental champions we had of the original intent. Sessions like solid, bipartisan environmental hoped for… bills hasn’t lessened. In fairness, Environmental Wins S-1074 The Public Right of Access S-1073 The Clean Stormwater and to Waterways and Beaches Flood Reduction Act After a long and challenging battle, we finally got We got the forward-thinking Stormwater Utilities the Public Access Law for which we spent years Bill passed, a huge step forward in providing the advocating. It passed both houses by overwhelm- tools necessary to combat stormwater issues. It ing margins (71-7-2 in the Assembly and 35-0 took fourteen months to pass both chambers on in the Senate) and was signed by Governor Phil January 31, 2019 and be signed into law by the Murphy on May 3, 2019. New Jerseyans’ right governor on March 18. Despite being unfairly to access the state’s natural resources including ridiculed as a “rain tax”, the new law authorizes beaches and waterfronts is NJ State Law. Based towns, counties and regional entities to establish firmly on the tenets of the Public Trust Doctrine, stormwater utilities to fund much-needed im- we have the right to enjoy those natural amenities provements to stormwater infrastructure. Similar and cannot be denied access by developers and/or agencies have already been established and are major property owners. on the job in over forty states; many of which are seeing positive results and improvements. Continued on page 3 Inside Passaic River Eco-Cruises 13 At the Helm 2 Watershed Field Notes 14 State Legislature Passed Fluff 4 Thank You to Donors 17 Real Science 6 Ambassador Update 30 Spotlight 8 World Series of Birding 29 Volunteers in Space 9 Spring Plastic Pledge 31 Eco-Program Schedule 10 Upcoming Events 32 Page 2 Hackensack Tidelines-Spring 2020 231 Main Street Hackensack, NJ 07601-7304 Phone: (201) 968-0808 Fax: (201) 968-0336 Hotline: 1-877-CPT-BILL At Captainthe Bill H Sheehanelm [email protected] www.hackensackriverkeeper.org Board of Trustees Another Historic Day in the Rob Gillies, President Dr. Beth Ravit, Secretary Meadowlands. Brendan Reskakis , Treasurer And Hackensack Riverkeeper was – and IS – Craig M. Dorsett Susan L. Golden there every step of the way Susan Gordon At a Special Hearing on tections, takes sea level rise and Virginia Korteweg Ivan Kossak, CPA February 6, 2020 another major climate change into account, and William R. Leggett milestone in the long saga of the takes a new proactive approach Kelly G. Palazzi Meadowlands was reached when to toward restoring and enhanc- Honorary Trustees the NJ Sports and Exposition ing the District’s wildlife habitats. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Authority unanimously approved I also used my time to urge the William “Pat” Schuber its 2020 Update of the 2004 Dis- agency to keep moving forward Executive Director trict Master Plan. In process for and that “while a unanimous vote Captain Bill Sheehan, Hackensack Riverkeeper about five years, the updated plan isn’t necessary, it would speak builds on groundbreaking work volumes”. And so it did. done by the then-NJ Meadowlands Of course the hearing wasn’t HRI Staff Commission that secured official all sunshine and rainbows, with Hugh Carola, Program Director protection for the region’s 8,400 a healthy dose of last-minute op- Caitlin Doran, Outreach Coordinator Jodi Jamieson, Project Manager acres of wetlands and adjacent position, which Captain Hugh ac- Michele Langa, Staff Attorney waterways. The 2020 document curately referred to in his remarks Mike Panos, Donor Relations both upholds those protections and as, “attempts to kick the (Master Lisa Vandenberg, Office Manager makes appropriate changes that Plan) can down the road,” being Russ Wilke, Paddle Center Manager help facilitate ongoing redevelop- aired. There was also some vigor- g ment in non-wetland areas. ous questioning of NJSEA staff by As the public comment period several commissioners, including Jodi Jamieson, Managing Editor began, I was among the first to former Bergen County Republican Hugh Carola, Copy Editor offer remarks to the NJSEA’s Chairman Robert Yudin, one of We gladly accept submissions of articles, Board of Commissioners, headed the board’s more vocal members. photography and advertisements from by CEO (and former NJ Assem- After everyone had their oppor- the community; however, we retain edito- rial discretion. We do not necessarily en- bly Speaker) Vincent Prieto and tunity to have their comments dorse any individual or company whose Chairman John Ballantyne. As entered into the record, Chairman advertisements are found in these pages. I’d been intimately involved in the Ballantyne called for the vote at Hackensack Tidelines original negotiations that led to about 12:30PM. One by one the is published quarterly on the historic 2004 Master Plan, and commissioners voted yes. recycled paper. Riverkeeper is a registered trademark and been continuously engaged since, Fifteen years ago on January 8, service mark of Riverkeeper, Inc. and is I had a unique perspective to share 2004 moments after then-NJMC licensed for use herein. with those on the dais. I thanked Chairwoman Susan Bass Levin Waterkeeper is a registered trademark and service mark of Waterkeeper Alliance, Inc. them and their staff for creating presided over that first unanimous and is licensed for use herein. a document that maintains pro- Continued on page 29 Hackensack Tidelines-Spring 2020 Page 3 Environmental Wins continued from page 1 S874/A1212 S258/A839 S2314/ The Global Warming A3723 Response Act This legislation fully reestab- This legislation prohibits off- This act requires 50% of the lishes New Jersey’s participa- shore fossil fuel-related develop- state’s energy to come from tion in the Regional Green- ment (exploration, production, clean renewable energy by house Gas Initiative (RGGI), etc.) in state waters up to three 2030. This is a giant step from which former Governor miles out to sea. toward kicking NJ’s fossil fuel Christie pulled NJ. habit sooner than later. Environmental Shortfalls S-2776 “The Plastics Ban” S-3357 “The Liberty State S-1883/ “The Oil Train Park Protection Act” A-3783 Safety Bill” This bill would prohibit the This bill would establish the This bill would require the own- provision or sale of single-use Liberty State Park Advisory er or operator of certain trains plastic carryout bags, single- Committee and requirements to have discharge response, use paper carryout bags, and concerning DEP actions related cleanup, and contingency plans polystyrene foam food service to Liberty State Park. It passed to transport certain hazardous products; as well as limit the the Senate 21-13 but died in the materials by rail; requires NJ provision of single-use plastic Assembly. DOT to request bridge inspec- straws. It passed the Senate 21- tion reports from US DOT. It 14 but was not posted and died passed the Senate 26-13 (June in the Assembly. 2018) but died in the Assembly after eighteen months of com- mittee wrangling. Had this passed, it would have Had it passed, this would have Had this third version of the been America’s most compre- prevented future attempts to bill – originally introduced in hensive single-use plastics ban. build or otherwise facilitate 2015 – passed, it would have Despite support from the NJ for-profit development within required rail operators that Food Council – which helped the park’s borders. The pro- transport hazardous cargoes craft the legislation – Assem- posed legislation was a strong, like Bakken crude oil to have bly Speaker Craig Coughlin inspired response to billion- discharge response, cleanup, (D-19) refused to post the bill aire Paul Fireman’s attempt and contingency plans. Those for the chamber to consider. to secure a lease from the NJ plans would be available only Speculation is that the inclusion Department of Environmental to state, county and local First of paper bags was the “poison Protection to expand his Liberty Responders and other appro- pill” that doomed it. While National Golf Course onto the priate agencies; not the general twenty-one senators get to pat park’s 21-acre Caven Point public. Unfortunately, this bill themselves on the back for section. What should have been again failed to make its way passing S-2776, their Assembly a public-lands-protection no- through the Legislature. colleagues dropped the ball and brainer instead devolved into an failed to secure a plastic-free unnecessary political stalemate. future for the Garden State. Continued on page 4 Page 4 Hackensack Tidelines-Spring 2020 Enviro Leadership 2019 The more of us that make the effort, the harder it is for continued from page3 them to ignore. It’s time that our leaders get down to At the end of the day, it is high time to hold our the business of protecting New Jersey’s environment elected officials accountable for the issues that mat- – something the vast majority of New Jerseyans want ter most.