Bill Text: NJ A1031 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes "Volkswagen Settlement Utilization Fund for Motor Vehicle Emissions Reduction and Air Pollution Control"; directs DEP to use moneys in fund to establish and implement certain air pollution control programs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee [A1031 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-A1031-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman GORDON M. JOHNSON
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblyman ANDREW ZWICKER
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
Assemblyman DANIEL R. BENSON
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblyman JAMES J. KENNEDY
District 22 (Middlesex, Somerset and Union)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblyman RAJ MUKHERJI
District 33 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "Volkswagen Settlement Utilization Fund for Motor Vehicle Emissions Reduction and Air Pollution Control"; directs DEP to use moneys in fund to establish and implement certain air pollution control programs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning various programs to reduce air pollution from certain vehicles and off-road equipment, and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Department of Environmental Protection shall establish:
(1) programs to promote zero emission vehicle use and the development and construction of zero emission vehicle charging or filling infrastructure to support such use, including, but not limited to, educating the public on the importance and availability of zero emission vehicles and their use and subsidizing the installation of public and private charging or filling stations;
(2) programs to reduce diesel emissions at the ports of Elizabeth and Newark, the ports in the South Jersey Port District, as defined in section 3 of P.L.1968, c.60 (C.12:11A-3), and other ports in southern New Jersey, by repowering or replacement of diesel-powered vehicles or cargo handling equipment operating in those port regions through the issuance of grants, loans, or a combination thereof pursuant to subsection b. of this section;
(3) programs to convert diesel-powered airport ground support equipment to zero emission equipment; and
(4) other programs to reduce air pollution from motor vehicle emissions.
b. The Department of Environmental Protection shall issue grants, loans, or a combination thereof, from the fund established pursuant to subsection c. of this section, to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the South Jersey Port Corporation, other ports in southern New Jersey, or port operators operating in those port regions, to reduce diesel emissions at the ports of Elizabeth and Newark, the ports in the South Jersey Port District, and other ports in southern New Jersey, respectively, for:
(1) acquisition of advanced maritime emissions control system pollution control equipment at the ports;
(2) incentives for the repowering or replacement of pre-2007 model year heavy duty diesel trucks delivering and picking up containers at the ports;
(3) upgrades, repowering, or replacement of cargo handling equipment, including but not limited to cranes, at the ports to zero emission vehicles and equipment; and
(4) any other measures to reduce diesel emissions at the port regions consistent with the terms of the settlement between the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Volkswagen of America, Inc. or any other appropriate division of the Volkswagen company operating worldwide.
c. There is established in the Department of Environmental Protection a special, nonlapsing fund to be known as the "Volkswagen Settlement Utilization Fund for Motor Vehicle Emissions Reduction and Air Pollution Control." The fund shall be administered by the Department of Environmental Protection and shall be credited with all moneys received by the State from any settlement between the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Volkswagen of America, Inc. or any other appropriate division of the Volkswagen company operating worldwide.
d. Moneys in the fund established pursuant to subsection c. of this section shall be used by the Department of Environmental Protection solely for the programs and purposes established pursuant to subsections a. and b. of this section. No more than five percent of the moneys in the fund may be used to pay for administrative costs incurred by the department to implement this act. Fifteen percent of the moneys received by the State from the settlement shall be used to pay for costs directly connected to the acquisition, installation, operation, and maintenance of infrastructure for charging or filling stations for zero emission vehicles that are cars or light duty trucks.
e. The Department of Environmental Protection shall adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), any rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of this act.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the "Volkswagen Settlement Utilization Fund for Motor Vehicle Emissions Reduction and Air Pollution Control," and directs the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to use money credited to the fund to establish and implement certain air pollution control programs.
Under the bill, the "Volkswagen Settlement Utilization Fund for Motor Vehicle Emissions Reduction and Air Pollution Control" is established as a special, nonlapsing fund in the DEP. The bill requires the DEP to administer the fund, and to credit to the fund all money received by the State from any settlement between the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Volkswagen of America, Inc. or any other appropriate division of the Volkswagen company operating worldwide.
The bill directs the DEP to establish, and to use money credited to the fund to support, programs to:
-- promote zero emission vehicle use and the development and construction of zero emission vehicle charging or filling infrastructure to support such use, including, but not limited to, educating the public on the importance and availability of zero emission vehicles and their use and subsidizing the installation of public and private charging or filling stations;
-- reduce diesel emissions at the ports of Elizabeth and Newark, the ports in the South Jersey Port District, and other ports in southern New Jersey, by repowering or replacement of diesel-powered vehicles or cargo handling equipment operating in those port regions through the issuance of grants, loans, or a combination thereof, for (1) acquisition of advanced maritime emissions control system pollution control equipment at the ports, (2) incentives for the repowering or replacement of pre-2007 model year heavy duty diesel trucks delivering and picking up containers at the ports, (3) upgrades, repowering, or replacement of cargo handling equipment, including but not limited to cranes, at the ports to zero emission vehicles and equipment, and (4) any other measures to reduce diesel emissions at the port regions;
-- convert diesel-powered airport ground support equipment to zero emission equipment; and
-- otherwise reduce air pollution from motor vehicle emissions.
The bill provides that no more than five percent of the money credited to the fund may be used to pay for administrative costs incurred by the DEP to implement the bill. The bill also requires that 15 percent of the monies received by the State from the settlement must be used for costs directly connected to the acquisition, installation, operation, and maintenance of infrastructure for charging or filling stations for zero emission vehicles that are cars or light duty trucks.
Lastly, the bill requires the DEP to adopt any rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of the bill.
