Category: Environmental Justice

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On September 21, the governor vetoed legislation that would have banned fracking waste in New Jersey, saying it is unconstitutional.

There will be a press conference on September 24, between 12:30pm and 2:30pm depending on the schedule for the committees that day. It will be in Room 109. I plan to be there.

Stay tuned for details on what you can do to help to override this veto, we’ll be working iwth Food and Water Watch, Environment NJ and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network,  As always, thank you for your continued support.

In faith,
Rev. Craig Hirshberg

Update: Take Action – Help to Override the Fracking Waste Ban Veto

Environment New Jersey Research has released a report documenting a wide range of dollars and cents costs imposed by dirty drilling.  As documented in The Costs of Fracking, fracking (hydraulic fracturing) creates millions of dollars of health costs related to everything from air pollution to ruined roads to contaminated property.   While the report documents a wide range of costs imposed by fracking, Environment New Jersey is particularly concerned about the impact of fracking waste on New Jersey’s waterways.

See www.environmentnewjersey.org for more information on this hepful resource and to download the report.

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Over 200 rallied at the State House in support of the bill to ban fracking waste in NJ on June 14.  Fifteen percent (30 persons) were Unitarian Universalists – including nine UU ministers!   For a relatively small network, we certainly carry a lot of impact.  Reverend Craig Hirshberg, Executive Director of the UULMNJ testified at the Environment Hearing in favor of a bill banning fracking waste in NJ. The bill was passed out of committee.  Here’s where your help is needed:

CALL  Senate President Sweeney: (888) 793 – 4597 and Assembly Speaker Oliver: (866) 582-4813 to request that A575/S253 be posted for a vote this week!  The NJ Legislature will take summer recess beginning June 30.

TALKING POINTS

–       As a legislative leader we need you to lead on protecting NJ’s waterways from fracking by posting A575/S253 for a vote and making sure it passes.

–       Fracking waste treatment is a threat to our drinking water and should be banned.

–    Radioactive fracking waste has been discharged into Pennsylvania’s waterways and we can’t allow it here.

Keep the GARDEN STATE   green!

UULMNJ supports environmental groups for the

NJ Environmental Lobby Day & Rally in Trenton
Oppose Fracking
Support Clean Energy, Clean Water

Thursday June 14, 2012  –  9:00 AM
New Jersey State House
125 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08625

Register at: http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/p/salsa/event/common/public/?key=74212

From our Director, Rev. Craig Hirshberg:

For the Lobbying day on June 14, UULMNJ is asking Unitarian Universalists  to meet with their legislators and/or attend the rally.

We will set up small groups based on legislative districts with a team leader assigned. The teams will track down the district legislators that day, lobby them and present them with the written information that we will provide.

If you are interested in meeting with legislators, please send me your name and district number.  Also, be sure to register for lobby day

If you plan to attend, be there as early as possible.

There will be a briefing meeting at 10,  lobbying until 12, a rally at noon and then more lobbying after the rally.

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A Message From Food and Water Watch:

Fracking waste is coming to New Jersey, threatening our drinking water, environment and public health. In January of 2013, NJ’s fracking ban will expire. As if this is not enough, the industry is pushing risky gas pipelines, gas-fired power plants and billions in taxpayer dollars for subsidies for gas transportation projects. These subsidies are coming at a time when Governor Christie is pushing for millions in cuts to clean energy and conservation programs. Can you join us in Trenton on June 14 to stand against the fracking industry’s assault on our state?

In the morning, we will be creating a presence in the NJ State House, educating legislators about how they can help stop the fracking industry from turning NJ into a fracking wasteland. At noon, leaders from across NJ will be speaking out at a rally against the dangers of fracking and the direct impact these risky and unnecessary gas infrastructure projects are having on our state. We need your help to pull off a massive show of support against fracking and for clean energy.

Let’s plan to take over the capital on June 14 and demonstrate that New Jersey is ready for clean energy solutions and a fossil fuel-free future. Will you join us in Trenton on June 14th?

On March 15th, citizens, civic, faith and environmental advocates will be coming to the State Capitol to meet with local representatives and talk to them in the hallways of the New Jersey State House. We will be urging them to oppose the Governor’s decision to take New Jersey out of the RGGI program and his repeated cuts to funding for the Clean Energy Program – programs we need to solve critical problems like air pollution and global warming.

Later that day the Assembly will vote on the “No Clean Air Rollback” bill, which would block Gov. Christie from abandoning the historic Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. That’s why it’s imperative that we bring at least 200 “citizen lobbyists” to send the strongest message possible.

Meet at 11:15am the Historic Trenton Masonic Temple, 100 Barrack Street in Trenton for briefings and then head over to the Trenton State House.

There are charter buses leaving from: Red Bank and Belmar, Ridgewood and Cranford.  To arrange a spot on a bus, or for more information, contact Dan DeRosa of Environment New Jersey (609) 392-5151, ex. 308, or click here.

Sponsored by: Environment New Jersey, GreenFaith, League of Women Voters of New Jersey, New Jersey Public Health Institute, New Jersey Citizen Action, North Jersey Public Policy Network, New Jersey Sierra Club, New Jersey Environmental Federation.

 

The Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth has created a five-session environmental justice curriculum. Called “Our Place in the Web of Life,” the curriculum was developed to help congregations meet the environmental justice requirement of the Green Sanctuary program. It provides an introduction to environmental justice concepts and a process to identify community needs so that a congregation can develop a local justice project. The curriculum, designed by Dr. Mark Hicks of the Meadville Lombard Theological School, also emphasizes racial and ethnic relationships in doing environmental justice work.

UUMFE, an independent affiliate of the UUA, supports congregations in environmental justice work, including Earth Day activities and providing environmental resources for religious education and worship. (From the InterConnections Tipsheet, posted 2/10/2012)

Reminder:  The first meeting of the Metro NY District’s Environmental Justice Council, originally slated for January 21, has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 14.  Please contact either Dr. Frances Sink frances.sink@gmail.com, or the Rev. Peggy Clarke at pclarke@uuma.org for more information.

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On January 9 there will be a chance to override the Governor’s veto of New Jersey’s fracking ban, but we need your help to do it.  If the legislators in both houses, who originally supported the ban, vote to override the veto, it will pass with a significant majority.

Please contact Senator Sweeney’s office the first week in January, and ask Senator Sweeney to hold a vote to override the Governor’s veto of the fracking ban.  See http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ for contact information.

For more information on fracking, visit Food & Water Watch’s Anti-Fracking Center.

Call-in flyer from Food & Water Watch

The following information is being forwarded from the UULMNJ Environmental Justice Task Force. It has particular implications for our northern New Jersey congregations.  Comments are being accepted until Jan. 31st.

This month the National Park Service will be accepting public input regarding the Susquehanna to Roseland 500 kV Transmission Line Right-of-Way and Special Use Permit.  The Green Sanctuary Committee of the UU Fellowship of Sussex County (Newton) has been opposing this expansion proposal for the past two years because of the harm it will do to the environment of northwest New Jersey and to our treasured parklands.  They have joined forces with the NJ Sierra Club and an organization called Save the Park.  Attached is a sample letter,  which their Green Sanctuary Committee has recently sent to NPS, urging the National Park Service not to allow the Susquehanna-Roseland power line expansion project to be built on National Park land.  The National Park Service is accepting public comments through January 31.

People who want to make individual comments should do so on the NPS website.  They do not need to go into all the detail in the sample letter.  The main point of comments should be to urge the NPS to choose the “no build” option.  The web address to post comments is http://parkplanning.nps.gov/dewa.

Any group wanting to submit a formal letter should mail it as a hard copy to the Denver NPS address in the press release pasted below and in our attached letter.  According to the NPS, “public comment is extremely important.”  There will also be three public meetings in late January at which the public can make comments.  Each will have an “open house” from 2:30-4:30, followed by a public hearing from 6-9:00pm.  The locations and dates are listed near the end of the NPS press release regarding this topic.

The next step, after the public comment period ends is for the NPS to analyze all the public comments.  This information will be used to select a “preferred alternative” and finalize its “EIS” (Environmental Impact Statement), which is anticipated to be released to the public in the fall of 2012.  If the NPS chooses “no build,” the power companies will be denied the right to follow the path of the existing towers that go through park land, and the power line expansion project will at least be delayed.  The longer the delay, the better the chance the powers that be will come to realize this is an unnecessary, environmentally damaging, and overly expensive “upgrade.”