Transformative Electric Vehicle Bill Moves to Full Legislature for Action: Senate Committee Endorses Today
Trenton, NJ – Today marks another step on a slow-build to an historic policy shift to tackle the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in New Jersey – the transportation sector. Building on action this week at the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste and Assembly Appropriations Committees and previously at the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, today the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee vetted and released for floor vote the newest iteration of legislation (S2252/A4819) to incentivize widespread adoption of electric vehicles in New Jersey. This paves the way for consideration by both full legislative chambers on Monday January 13th. Read [...]
WEC in the News! Press Release from Andy Kim’s Office: Congressman Kim Votes to Protect Health Care and Social Service Workers from Workplace Violence
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) voted to pass bipartisan legislation that would protect health care and social service workers from workplace violence, which has increased by 69 percent over the past decade according to the Bureau for Labor Statistics. “Our health care and social service workers do amazing work every day, but too often at great risk,” said Congressman Kim. “Every worker deserves a safe workplace, and this bipartisan bill will take a big step in ensuring that the professionals taking care of people in Burlington and Ocean Counties are taken care of themselves.” The Workplace Violence for [...]
No Easy Way to Tell if Your Kid’s Gym Floor is Laced with Mercury
It's unclear exactly how many school gymnasium floors in New Jersey have the potential to emit toxic mercury vapor over time, or are already doing so. But the state can be sure of one thing now: no future Schools Development Authority projects will include floors that contain a mercury catalyst, which can lead to harmful effects on humans and has already been recognized in several New Jersey instances. The SDA, which funds and manages construction and renovation of schools in 31 New Jersey districts, announced it will be requiring an additional certification from manufacturers of rubberized and/or urethane floors that can [...]
US Senator Booker Alerts Agencies about Mercury Hazard in Schools
Thanks to the work of Healthy Schools Now, New Jersey Education Association, Mom's Clean Airforce and WEC, US Senator Cory Booker is calling for an investigation into potentially hazardous emissions from flooring that has been widely installed in public spaces across the country since the 1960s. Some synthetic rubberized floors found in schools, hospitals, and community centers were made using a substance, phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA), that may release mercury vapor into the air as they deteriorate. This colorless, odorless vapor can damage the central nervous system, kidneys, lungs, skin and eyes and is especially harmful to young children [...]
Investigations, criminal allegations and a lawsuit: Dysfunction reigns at school authority
The NJ Schools Development Authority(SDA)has no funding for new projects and no plan to secure money to support its future. But there is plenty of work to be done. The Education Law Center has identified 381 additional major construction projects in the state’s 31 so-called SDA districts, not to mention hundreds more pending applications for repairs. “It is absolutely reprehensible that this state obligation is not being met,” said Heather Sorge, campaign organizer for the Healthy Schools Now advocacy group, “leaving our New Jersey students and staff to suffer as a result.” Read more at Northjersey.com [...]
Statement from WEC on BPU Announcement on Offshore Wind
Bravo New Jersey for leading the nation in offshore wind development. Today the Board of Public Utilities announced the winner of the country's largest offshore wind project. Orsted will be building the 1,100MW project, called OceanWind, which will bring clean energy to approximately 500,000 homes. Thank you to Governor Murphy for his vision and commitment to clean energy. Offshore wind development has obvious clean energy benefits and also promises to bring good, family-sustaining jobs to the state. These are skilled, well-paying jobs include construction, maintenance, operations, ports, and supply chain, more than 74 occupations in total, that cannot be outsourced. [...]