Michael L. Pisauro Jr., Frascella & Pisauro, LLC., governmental affairs agent, NJ Environmental Lobby
Under the guise of improving the economy, New Jersey legislators have introduced and are rushing to enact the Permit Extension Act of 2008. This bill would revive any governmental permits or approvals that expired from Jan. 1, 2006 until the present and extend them at least through 2014. In addition, it would stop the clock running on all current approvals and permits until 2012. The Permit Extension Act of 2008 applies to site plan approvals, variances, general development plans, DEP permits, etc. It would tie the hands of local land use planners, planning and zoning boards, DEP and other governmental agencies for the next six years and then some — without providing any real benefit.
The economy is not in good shape and measures must be taken to help those in need and to put our economy back on the right track, but the Permit Extension Act does not do that. New Jersey’s economy is hurting for many reasons. Market failures originating on Wall Street have significantly impacted our economy. Higher energy costs are felt by everyone. Property taxes have become a burden – driving many New Jerseyans to leave the state. I would venture a guess that no one leaves NJ because the air or water is too clean. In fact our air and our water are not clean. Almost three quarters of our waterways are not clean enough to meet the uses that the state has designated for them. Our fish and shellfish contain harmful levels of mercury and other dangerous chemicals. The air we breathe may be some of the dirtiest in the country. These conditions cause real damage to the environment and exact real health costs from everyone in the state. Whether it is the increased frequency and severity of asthma resulting from air pollution or neurological damage caused by mercury in our fish and air or closure of contaminated shellfish beds, we pay each and every day for the neglect of our environment.
The Permit Extension Act does prevent several recently adopted regulations or laws from having a positive impact on New Jersey. For example, New Jersey recently adopted stronger flood hazard rules to help prevent the devastating floods of the last few years. Now any project that did not start before their permits expired does not have to build in accordance with these new rules. This puts the occupants of these new buildings at risk and can increase the impact and severity of flooding to neighboring areas.
As most DEP permits are good for five years and can be renewed for at least one more five-year period as long as standards have not improved, why do they need to stop the clock running on a 10-year period? Does New Jersey really want to be locked in to bad decisions for the next several decades? Or should New Jersey concentrate on what’s really important — reducing property taxes and protecting the health and welfare of all of us?
