The rule is hailed by businesses who say they are buried in environmental red tape. Environmentalists, however, are livid over the potential to undermine protections to New Jersey's land, water and air. See Article Here
August 1, 2012 - Governor Christie is putting corporate special interests and his big campaign contributors ahead of the public interest. He has ordered all state agencies to issue rules to waive the safeguards they are supposed to enforce. These safeguards protect our health and safety at work; our air, water, and open spaces; and our rights as consumers. Christie's political appointees will be able to let any chemical, oil, banking, insurance, drug, or development company violate our safeguards if they think it creates "an undue hardship." We need to stop this policy in its tracks by getting the State Legislature to block the first agency's waiver rule. TAKE ACTION Sign our petition to stop Governor Christie from waiving our safeguards! Volunteer with NJ WEC to get more people to sign the petition or start your own petition drive by downloading the petition and flyer.
Coalition asks Legislature to stop Governor Christie's Pay-to-Play Policies A coalition of labor and environmental organizations held a mock auction of environmental waivers today in front of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to demonstrate how Governor Christie is selling New Jersey's health and environment to benefit big corporations and developers. The coalition is calling on the State Legislature to override the rule through legislative action. DEP will begin accepting applications for regulatory waivers today. "Governor Christie is auctioning off our health and environment to highest bidder," said Denise Patel, Project Coordinator for the NJ Work Environment Council, a labor-environment coalition. "Big corporations and wealthy campaign contributors will benefit, and the rest of us will lose out. The waiver rule creates an unprecedented concentration of power in the executive branch. The DEP Commissioner, a political appointee, will be able to write off our communities with a stroke of a pen in favor of developers and polluters. We are calling on the State Legislature to stand up for New Jersey's workers and communities." Watch the video here View pictures from the event here See the Press Release here