NJDEP Begins Climate Change Regulation Reform Process

TRENTON—After the Murphy administration announced a major climate change initiative late last month, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has begun the process of strengthening its regulations to protect its communities and economy against the threats of climate change.

The DEP has scheduled a series of stakeholder sessions to gather input from residents, businesses and advocates on the development of new greenhouse gas reduction and environmental land use regulations aimed at reducing the impact of climate change and adapting to the realities of certain impacts, like sea-level rise, DEP officials state.

Governor Phil Murphy said, “We are moving swiftly to enact the regulations outlined in NJ PACT to reduce fossil fuel emissions and ensure investments in our innovation economy and communities. These policies, which will make New Jersey a global leader in the clean energy transition and fight against climate change, will help propel New Jersey to 100% clean energy by 2050.”

On Jan. 27, Gov. Murphy signed Executive Order 100, directing the DEP to make targeted regulatory reforms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change through the NJ PACT initiative.

NJ PACT calls for modernizing air quality regulations that will limit emissions of climate pollutants that exacerbate global warming, as well as the implementation of environmental land use regulations that equip DEP, local governments, residents and businesses with tools to effectively respond to current climate threats. The initiative also looks to reduce future climate damage through rules for green infrastructure and resilient building that will help New Jersey fight risks like sea-level rise and extreme weather.

“In New Jersey, we take seriously the science of climate change. We are heeding the warnings about risks like sea-level rise and acting with the urgency that these threats demand,” said DEP Commissioner Catherine McCabe. “As we work to modernize our environmental regulations to reflect the best available science, DEP is committed to a thoughtful and collaborative approach that engages stakeholders from across all sectors of our economy, non-governmental organizations, academia, and local government. We are all in this together.”

The DEP will hold initial stakeholder sessions on potential rule changes beginning on Friday, Feb. 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., focusing on periodic monitoring and reporting of statewide greenhouse gas emissions, hosted by the DEP Air Quality, Energy and Sustainability program.

Other scheduled sessions will be on Tuesday, Feb. 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., focusing on ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, hosted by the DEP Air Quality, Energy and Sustainability program and on Monday, March 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., to discuss rules to better plan for sea-level rise, extreme weather events and flooding, hosted by the Land Use Management program.

All sessions are open to public comment and will be held at the DEP’s First Floor Public Hearing Room, 401 East State St. in Trenton.