DEP celebrates 50 years of ACTION!
By Lyle Landon, ANJEC Development Director
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was created 50
years ago amid a groundswell of environmental enthusiasm. Important environmental
protections had already been enacted, establishing New Jersey as a champion of
natural resources.
the State created the DEP on April 22, 1970, the first nationwide Earth Day.
Protecting water
Having addressed environmental issues affecting air and land, New Jersey and
the DEP turned to protecting our water. The only State in the Union to be surrounded by
water on three sides, New Jersey acted to protect vulnerable coastal wetlands and
prevent flooding by passing the Wetlands Act of 1970. In 1977 the Safe Drinking Water
Act was passed. Many subsequent protections have since been enacted for water
quality standards, pollution control, private well testing, etc.
Wildlife protection became a focus with the passage of the Endangered and
Nongame Species Act in 1973, which was coupled with strong federal laws. Continuing
the flurry of legislative protections in the 1970s, the State’s Solid Waste Management
System was established in 1975, assigning planning and control to counties. In the
1980s, environmental problems surfaced from old municipal dump closings, so the
State directed construction of county landfills and incinerators with modern
environmental controls to handle in-county waste. New Jersey was also the first state
to require mandatory separation of certain waste material from ordinary trash, known as
recycling.
Tackling today’s challenges
More recently, the consequences of climate change have hit New Jersey
especially hard. The temperature has risen 3.6 degrees since 1895, which is more than
in any other state except Alaska. NJ has been referred to as “Ground Zero” for sea
level rise due to the rising temperatures and the sinking of the tectonic plate that
supports the Mid Atlantic Region. With 130 miles of coastland, surging seas and
flooding are of great concern to the State’s homeowners, vacationers, businesses and
the economy in general.
Thanks in part to improved pollution controls on the State’s two remaining coal
plants and increasing photovoltaic energy sources from solar plants and arrays, New
Jersey is among the 10 lowest states for emissions of climate heating greenhouse
gases, including sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides and carbon. With the signing of NJ’s
Global Warming Response Act last year and the nation’s largest wind farm off Atlantic
City projected to go online in 2024, New Jersey continues to establish its environmental
leadership.
A 50-year partnership
From the very beginning, ANJEC and the DEP have worked hand in glove to
address environmental issues throughout the State. When a new environmental law is
passed or DEP enacts new rules or regulations, ANJEC often trains local officials and
develops community outreach materials to help environmental commissions educate
their communities.
With 565 municipalities operating under New Jersey’s “home rule” form of
government, not all environmental issues can be easily solved at the statewide level. To
address local environmental challenges, towns have often turned to ANJEC for help in
finding appropriate solutions through master plan changes, ordinances, site plan review
and education.
Sometimes the successful efforts of local environmental commissions have led
legislators to recognize the need for a new State law. A current example is the
widespread pollution created by single-use plastics. Over the past two years, over 118
NJ towns have passed ordinances banning or reducing single-use plastic bags, straws,
balloons and polystyrene (Styrofoam), often with ANJEC’s help. Spurred on by
municipal action, the State Legislature is currently working on a new plastic pollution
law.
Working together with the DEP, ANJEC, municipalities, businesses and the
citizens of New Jersey are protecting and restoring our Garden State. Thank you, DEP,
for your leadership and partnership, and congratulations on your 50 th anniversary!
By Lyle Landon, ANJEC Development Director
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was created 50
years ago amid a groundswell of environmental enthusiasm. Important environmental
protections had already been enacted, establishing New Jersey as a champion of
natural resources.
- In 1954, the State passed the Pollution Control Act, setting the framework for air quality monitoring, including motor vehicle emissions inspections.
- Recognizing that NJ was the most densely populated state, citizens tookan active role to protect remaining open space by voting for the first Green Acres Bond Act In 1961, which provided funding for the preservation of open space and parks.
- John McPhee's 1968 book, The Pine Barrens, inspired Governor Brendan Byrne to call a halt on development in the NJ Pinelands, which occupies more than a fifth of the State's landmass and a is critical source of drinking water. This led to the establishment of the Pinelands Protection Act in 1979
the State created the DEP on April 22, 1970, the first nationwide Earth Day.
Protecting water
Having addressed environmental issues affecting air and land, New Jersey and
the DEP turned to protecting our water. The only State in the Union to be surrounded by
water on three sides, New Jersey acted to protect vulnerable coastal wetlands and
prevent flooding by passing the Wetlands Act of 1970. In 1977 the Safe Drinking Water
Act was passed. Many subsequent protections have since been enacted for water
quality standards, pollution control, private well testing, etc.
Wildlife protection became a focus with the passage of the Endangered and
Nongame Species Act in 1973, which was coupled with strong federal laws. Continuing
the flurry of legislative protections in the 1970s, the State’s Solid Waste Management
System was established in 1975, assigning planning and control to counties. In the
1980s, environmental problems surfaced from old municipal dump closings, so the
State directed construction of county landfills and incinerators with modern
environmental controls to handle in-county waste. New Jersey was also the first state
to require mandatory separation of certain waste material from ordinary trash, known as
recycling.
Tackling today’s challenges
More recently, the consequences of climate change have hit New Jersey
especially hard. The temperature has risen 3.6 degrees since 1895, which is more than
in any other state except Alaska. NJ has been referred to as “Ground Zero” for sea
level rise due to the rising temperatures and the sinking of the tectonic plate that
supports the Mid Atlantic Region. With 130 miles of coastland, surging seas and
flooding are of great concern to the State’s homeowners, vacationers, businesses and
the economy in general.
Thanks in part to improved pollution controls on the State’s two remaining coal
plants and increasing photovoltaic energy sources from solar plants and arrays, New
Jersey is among the 10 lowest states for emissions of climate heating greenhouse
gases, including sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides and carbon. With the signing of NJ’s
Global Warming Response Act last year and the nation’s largest wind farm off Atlantic
City projected to go online in 2024, New Jersey continues to establish its environmental
leadership.
A 50-year partnership
From the very beginning, ANJEC and the DEP have worked hand in glove to
address environmental issues throughout the State. When a new environmental law is
passed or DEP enacts new rules or regulations, ANJEC often trains local officials and
develops community outreach materials to help environmental commissions educate
their communities.
With 565 municipalities operating under New Jersey’s “home rule” form of
government, not all environmental issues can be easily solved at the statewide level. To
address local environmental challenges, towns have often turned to ANJEC for help in
finding appropriate solutions through master plan changes, ordinances, site plan review
and education.
Sometimes the successful efforts of local environmental commissions have led
legislators to recognize the need for a new State law. A current example is the
widespread pollution created by single-use plastics. Over the past two years, over 118
NJ towns have passed ordinances banning or reducing single-use plastic bags, straws,
balloons and polystyrene (Styrofoam), often with ANJEC’s help. Spurred on by
municipal action, the State Legislature is currently working on a new plastic pollution
law.
Working together with the DEP, ANJEC, municipalities, businesses and the
citizens of New Jersey are protecting and restoring our Garden State. Thank you, DEP,
for your leadership and partnership, and congratulations on your 50 th anniversary!
