Bill Text: NJ SCR114 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Commemorates 50th anniversary of establishment of DEP.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-05-28 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy Committee [SCR114 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-SCR114-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator BOB SMITH
District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Commemorates 50th anniversary of establishment of DEP.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Department of Environmental Protection.
Whereas, The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the government agency chiefly responsible for the conservation of the State's natural resources, the promotion of environmental protection, and the prevention of pollution in the State; and
Whereas, Spearheaded by then-Assemblyman Thomas H. Kean and Governor William T. Cahill, the DEP was established on April 22, 1970 - America's first official Earth Day - in order to consolidate the State's pollution control functions under one Executive Branch agency; and
Whereas, In 1970, the New Jersey Audubon Society heralded the new agency as a "big step forward toward sound conservation practices and the improvement and preservation of New Jersey's clean and healthy total environment in which man and all other forms of life so depend for survival"; and
Whereas, Originally established with only five divisions, today, the DEP oversees dozens of programs, and employs over 2,900 people, in the fields of air quality, energy, and sustainability; water resource management; land use management; climate and flood resilience; natural and historic resources; fish and wildlife conservation; site remediation; waste management; and recycling; and
Whereas, Among its many accomplishments, the DEP has played a critical role in the attainment of the State's 2020 greenhouse gas reduction goal, established pursuant to the "Global Warming Response Act," P.L.2007, c.112 (C.26:2C-37 et al.), years ahead of schedule, and is working proactively toward attainment of the State's 2050 goal; and
Whereas, The DEP's Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) program has reduced the threat of contamination to the public health and the environment, overseeing the cleanup of over 10,000 contaminated sites in the State; and
Whereas, Through the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Financing Program, the DEP, in partnership with the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank, has helped finance over $7 billion in low-interest loans for environmental infrastructure projects that help protect and improve water quality and ensure safe and adequate drinking water across the State; and
Whereas, Through its implementation of the Green Acres program, the DEP has helped preserve over half a million acres of New Jersey's natural landscape, protecting water quality and wildlife habitat, and providing the public with parks, beaches, and historic sites and natural areas to enjoy in perpetuity; and
Whereas, The DEP has helped protect communities from the impacts of climate change, implementing flood protection and control measures, analyzing the risk of flooding, and providing assistance to flooded communities, including buying flood-prone properties under the Blue Acres program; and
Whereas, The DEP preserves and maintains the State's parks and forests, historic sites, and other natural resources, ensuring that current and future generations will benefit from their existence; and
Whereas, To complement its regulatory and management efforts, since the early 1980s, the DEP has developed and supported environmental education aimed at increasing public awareness of environmental issues, encouraging the public's involvement in environmental protection, and providing experiential education, recreation, and research opportunities; and
Whereas, The DEP's contributions toward protecting the public health and the environment are innumerable, and the agency has been a national leader in pollution prevention efforts and environmental management strategies since its inception; and
Whereas, The year 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the DEP, and it is fitting and proper for the Legislature to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments and continued success of the agency; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):
1. The Legislature commemorates the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
2. The Legislature recognizes and celebrates the many accomplishments of the Department of Environmental Protection, and the important role the agency has played in protecting public health and the environment, preserving the State's natural resources, and preventing pollution.
3. The Legislature recognizes and commends the employees of the Department of Environmental Protection, past and present, for their hard work, dedication, and accomplishments.
4. Copies of this Resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the Governor and the Commissioner of Environmental Protection.
STATEMENT
This concurrent resolution commemorates the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The DEP is the government agency chiefly responsible for the conservation of the State's natural resources, the promotion of environmental protection, and the prevention of pollution in the State. It was established on April 22, 1970 - America's first official Earth Day - in order to consolidate the State's pollution control functions under one executive branch agency. Today, the DEP oversees dozens of programs, and employs over 2,900 people, in the fields of air quality, energy, and sustainability; water resource management; land use management; climate and flood resilience; natural and historic resources; fish and wildlife conservation; site remediation; waste management; and recycling.
The DEP's contributions toward protecting the public health and the environment are innumerable, and the agency has been a national leader in pollution prevention efforts and environmental management strategies since its inception. The year 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the DEP, and it is fitting and proper for the Legislature to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments and continued success of the agency. This resolution also recognizes and commends the employees of the DEP, past and present, for their hard work, dedication, and accomplishments.
