Green Jersey

News roundup for Tuesday, Jan. 7

New Jersey and its fellow Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative states, plus Pennsylvania, signed an agreement yesterdayto develop a new low-carbon fuel standard. The purpose: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fuel for vehicles and other uses. (Vehicles using low-carbon fuels include electric cars and those powered by ethanol and biodiesel.)

The 2008 N.J. Year in Review assessment of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign was posted to its website today. Its subtitle: Year of the Megaprojects.

The state is to get $43 million for federal Superfund cleanup over 30 years for a landfill site in Morris County’s Washington and Chester townships. The EPA says companies potentially responsible for contamination at the Combe Fill South Landfill include: Honeywell, Warner-Lambert Company (doing business as Pfizer), the Colgate-Palmolive Company (as a successor to the Mennen Company), Mars Inc. and Waste Management, according to a story in Newsday.

About 60 people attended the first public stakeholder meeting for the state’s Greenhouse Gas Plan, says Joe at Green Politics NJ. The theme was green building and costs, education, statewide green-building guidelines and energy efficiency were discussed.

Eight Central Jersey environmental organizations are to receive grants from the (newly green-built) Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.

A syrup-like smell first reported in 2005 in New York is back. Once again, people are blaming us.