TRENTON, N.J. —
Lawmakers on Thursday approved legislation banning hydraulic fracturing byproducts from other states from entering New Jersey, citing concerns about waste from neighboring Pennsylvania endangering public health and the environment in the Garden State.
The Assembly’s Environment Committee voted 5-1 for the measure, which now heads to the full Assembly. The Senate’s Environment Committee approved a similar measure last week and voted earlier this year to ban the practice, which involves blasting chemical-laced water deep into the ground.
The measure specifically bans in New Jersey the treatment, discharge, disposal or storage of any wastewater, wastewater solids, sludge, drill cuttings or other byproducts of the practice, also called fracking, in any state.
Environmental groups rallied in front of the Statehouse earlier in the day against fracking, saying the process and its byproducts are dangerous. Speakers said they want lawmakers to focus on clean energy and stop Republican Gov. Chris Christie from diverting $279 million from the state’s clean energy fund to balance the state budget.
Jeff Tittel, director of the Sierra Club of New Jersey environmental organization, said the state already has enough pollution to deal with and doesn’t need waste from fracking in Pennsylvania.
Data on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection website show 2,571 barrels of drilling waste going to a petroleum services company in Elizabeth for brine or industrial waste treatment.
They also show 737 barrels of drilling waste going to a company in South Kearny and tons of drill cuttings going to a company in Carteret.
“The main question is, does New Jersey need to bring in another state’s waste,” Tittel said.
But Jim Benton, executive director of the petroleum council in New Jersey, said there’s no need for a ban and he believes New Jersey is capable of addressing the issue through existing regulations. He said fracking has brought down the cost of energy and provided economic benefits.
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