Bill Text: NJ SR129 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Urges EPA to expend funds from NJ Superfund settlements to remediate sites at issue.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-01-08 - Resolution Passed Senate (Voice) [SR129 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2022-SR129-Introduced.html

SENATE RESOLUTION

No. 129

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

220th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED DECEMBER 4, 2023

 


 

Sponsored by:

Senator  NICHOLAS P. SCUTARI

District 22 (Middlesex, Somerset and Union)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Urges EPA to expend funds from NJ Superfund settlements to remedy sites at issue.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


A Senate Resolution urging the federal Environmental Protection Agency to expend funds from New Jersey Superfund settlements exclusively for remediating the Superfund sites at issue.

 

Whereas, The federal Superfund law, or the "Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act" (CERCLA), was signed on December 11, 1980; and

Whereas, There was continual hazardous waste dumping in the United States, creating thousands of uncontrolled or abandoned contaminated sites, such as warehouses, manufacturing facilities, processing plants, and landfills; and

Whereas, There was an increase in concern over the health and environmental risks posed by these contaminated sites; and

Whereas, The Superfund law addressed the dangers of abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste dumps by developing a nationwide program for emergency response, information analysis, liability for responsible parties, and site cleanup; and

Whereas, Superfund sites are settled by either the party deemed responsible for the contaminated site or a cleanup led by the federal Environmental Protection Agency which the liable party must reimburse; and

Whereas, The Superfund law grants the EPA broad authority to clean up identified contaminated sites and, in doing so, improves the surrounding environment; and

Whereas, New Jersey played a pivotal role in the creation of the Superfund law as two fires, a chemical waste treatment facility in Bridgeport, and a waste storage facility in Elizabeth affirmed the need for hazardous site remediation; and

Whereas, Since the Superfund's inception in 1980, New Jersey has had 2,168 identified contaminated sites considered for inclusion in the Superfund program; and

Whereas, New Jersey has 829 Superfund such contaminated sites that are active today; and

Whereas, New Jersey has 115 sites that are on the EPA's Superfund National Priorities List; and

Whereas, New Jersey has the highest number of Superfund National Priorities List sites that still require remediation as of April 2023; and

Whereas, Funds from Superfund settlements in New Jersey should be expended exclusively for remediating the Superfund sites at issue as opposed to site or program overhead costs in other states; and

Whereas, The EPA should follow New Jersey's best practices for limiting settlement expenditures on agency administrative and oversight costs to a maximum of 10 percent of the total dollar value of the settlement; and

Whereas, It is imperative that the EPA recognize the dire need New Jersey has for the funds resulting from in-state Superfund settlements to be used for remediating the sites at issue and limit the settlement expenditures used for agency administrative and oversight costs; now, therefore,

 

     Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.  The State of New Jersey urges the federal Environmental Protection Agency to expend funds from New Jersey Superfund settlements to remediate the sites at issue and to limit the settlement expenditures used for agency administrative and oversight costs.

 

     2.  Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator and the Regional Administrator of the Region 2 Office. 

 

     3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This resolution urges the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to expend funds from New Jersey Superfund settlements exclusively for remediating the Superfund sites at issue and to limit the settlement expenditures used for agency administrative and oversight costs.

     Prior to the enactment of the Superfund law in 1980, there was continual hazardous waste dumping in the United States, creating thousands of uncontrolled or abandoned contaminated sites, such as warehouses, manufacturing facilities, processing plants, and landfills.  As the problem grew, there was an increase in concern over the health and environmental risks posed by these contaminated sites.  Two fires in New Jersey, a chemical waste treatment facility in Bridgeport, and a waste storage facility in Elizabeth affirmed the need for national hazardous site remediation.

     The Superfund law, or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), was signed on December 11, 1980.  The law addressed the dangers of abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste dumps by developing a nationwide program for emergency response, information analysis, liability for responsible parties, and site cleanup.  The law grants the EPA broad authority to clean up identified contaminated sites and in doing so, improves the surrounding environment. 

     Since the Superfund's inception in 1980, New Jersey has had a total of 2,168 identified contaminated sites.  Today, 829 of those sites are active today, with 115 sites placed on the Superfund National Priorities List. As of April 2023, New Jersey has the highest number of Superfund sites that require remediation. Hence, it is imperative that EPA recognize the dire need New Jersey has for the funds resulting from in-state Superfund settlements be used for remediating the sites at issue and limit the settlement expenditures used for agency administrative and oversight costs.

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