NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with former member of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board Rick Engler about the current state of chemical safety following a string of incidents in the U.S. Read more here.
Washington, D.C. — Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to delay, weaken, and dismantle key safeguards against chemical emergencies and disasters, while millions of people nationwide, including children, live daily in harm’s way near industrial chemical facilities. The latest Trump plan threatens the lives and safety of the over 177 million Americans who live in worst-case scenario zones near chemical facilities. The proposal increases the likelihood of chemical emergencies and disasters for workers, first responders, and children and families who live within a chemical danger zone, breaking the administration’s promises to “make America healthy.” Read More here.
A new report urges New Jersey to step up oversight of hazardous rail-borne freight nearly 13 years after a derailment in Paulsboro released tens of thousands of gallons of a toxic gas that left 60 hospitalized. The new report from New Jersey Policy Perspective, a left-leaning Trenton-based think tank, seeks more transparency on train routes and the creation of evacuation zones along them to guard residents against toxic spills. Read the full story in the New jersey Monitor here.
New Jersey will be upgrading its state chemical safety regulation to implement the new, stronger federal protections against chemical releases, fires and explosions. The news comes after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency implemented a new national rule on March 1, Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection implements and enforces the federal rules and must adopt the new EPA rules, known as the “Risk Management Program,” if stronger than existing state law. Read the full story on ROI here.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new national rule, Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention, issued on March 1, 2024, will lead to New Jersey upgrading its own state chemical safety regulation to implement the new, stronger federal protections against chemical releases, fires, and explosions. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) implements and enforces the federal rules and must adopt the new EPA rules, known as the “Risk Management Program” (or RMP), if stronger than existing state law. The rules cover approximately 90 New Jersey facilities across the state that use extraordinarily hazardous substances above specified quantities. Read the full story on Insider NJ here.
The Jersey Renews Coalition and labor allies submitted a letter co-signed by 17 labor unions and labor advocate organizations to Senate President Scutari and Assembly Speaker Coughlin calling for continued, strong support for the development of offshore wind in New Jersey. The letter demonstrated broad support for offshore wind from unions representing workers in building and construction trades, service sectors, manufacturing, and the public sector. Read more here from Insider NJ.
For Immediate Release from Jersey Renews : June 21st, 2021 Contact: Janna Chernetz, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, 908-208-0083, janna@tstc.org Doug O’Malley, Environment NJ, 917-449-6812, domalley@environmentnewjersey.org David Pringle, Clean Water Action, 908-967-1672, dpringle1988@gmail.com Deb Coyle, NJ Work Environment Council, 609-707-1320, dcoyle@njwec.org Legislators Push to End Raids to NJ Transit & Clean Energy Fund Trenton, NJ — As state leaders finalize the budget in the next few days, a bipartisan, bicameral group of a dozen legislators have joined Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg’s call to end raids to the Clean Energy Fund and NJ Transit’s capital budget (Sen. Weinberg’s public statement can be viewed here). Tapping into the General Fund for a tiny (4%) slice of the $10+ billion surplus stemming from the increased state revenue and federal fund projections would stop the $442 million raid that labor, business, transportation, planning and environmental groups have long called for (a list of these unusual suspects released last month can be found here). Governor Murphy’s campaign promise to end these raids remains unfulfilled and advocates are asking if we can’t end these raids now, when the state is now flush and the future of NJ Transit fare revenue still so troubled, when will we decide to end these raids? Sponsors include [...]
Today the Governor unveiled an exciting new budget, promising increased investment in our schools, our transportation, our infrastructure, and our middle class, as well as revealing a whopping $3.8b pension fund contribution. In the interest of accomplishing our goals at WEC we see these resources to be some of our states most vital. However, it is impossible for us to truly achieve these goals without tax fairness. By introducing a tax plan which supports the middle class and taxes millionaires, the governor’s office has demonstrated that it is serious about generating the revenue to achieve exciting, bold reforms which benefit workers and New Jersey’s communities.
PEOSH has arranged to provide assistance to public employers in meeting the Designated Persons Training requirements contained in the PEOSH Indoor Air Quality Standard by scheduling the following training sessions. Staff from the PEOSH program will be available to address any questions about changes in the IAQ Standard. This program will address the roles of the school nurse and the Indoor Air Quality Team in IAQ programs. Participants will receive 4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). School nurses register by filling out this form, emailing it, and then registering on-line through NJLMN to get their 4 CEUs.Facilities Managers register by filling out this form and emailing it. Facilities Managers with CEFM certification should note that the 4 CEUs will help them to fulfill the NJDOE requirement that 20 CEUs must be earned within a three-year period to maintain certification. Saturday Session Dates:* April 6, 9am - 1pm: Burlington Fire Academy, 53 Academy Drive Westampton, NJ 08060* April 13, 9am - 1pm: Camden County Vo-Tech, 340 Berlin Cross Keys Road, Sicklerville, NJ 08081* April 27, 9am -1pm: Bergen County Fire & Law Academy, 281 Campgaw Road, Mahwah, NJ 07430 The session is FREE, but pre-registration is required. Register Here! WEC is a proud [...]
NJ Work Environment Council Announces Debra Coyle McFadden as the New Executive Director of the State Labor-Environmental Alliance Ewing – The New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC) Board is thrilled to announce the formal hiring of Debra Coyle McFadden, a long-time labor-environmental leader and WEC staff member, as WEC’s new Executive Director, effective immediately. Debra joined the staff of WEC in 1997 as a part-time office manager and was the third person WEC hired. Over the last 21 years, she has held numerous positions in the organization that reflected increasing levels of responsibility, including campaign organizer for WEC’s chemical safety and security campaign and staff lead on the Respect Our Right to Know campaign, which ensured that workers and community members have access to information about hazardous and toxic chemicals at industrial facilities around New Jersey. “I look forward to working with Debra Coyle McFadden on issues that are important to refinery and chemical workers of NJ,” stated John Pajak, President, Teamsters Local 877 and WEC Board Member. In 2008, Debra was promoted to Assistant Director. In that role she has been an intricate part of WEC’s senior leadership team and has worked on program and strategic planning, budget and [...]