STATE TO RECEIVE FUNDS FROM FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION FOR TRAILS
New Jersey will receive $730,000 in aid from the Federal Highway Administration’s Recreational Trails program. The money is part of more than $1.7 million the Highway Administration is providing the state for trail improvements. State Commissioner of Environmental Protection Lisa P. Jackson said: “These funds will improve access to ever-expanding networks of trails throughout New Jersey, including nature trails, trails in urban areas, handicapped-accessible trails and canoe trails.”

SALE OF ATLANTIC CITY GENERATING STATION APPROVED BY BPU
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has approved the sale of Atlantic City Electrical B.L. England Generating Station in Cape May County to RC Cape May Holding, LLC a subsidiary of Rockland Capital Energy Investments. The purchase price is $12.2 million, subject to some adjustments. The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission also has approved the transaction. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved changes in Atlantic City Electric’s Administrative Consent Order, which Allows RC Cape May to assume environmental liabilities. The sale is expected to be completed in early February, 2007.

ALLIANCE MEMBERS HONORED WITH GOVERNOR’S ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS
Members of the Alliance for Action were prominent among recipients of the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards for 2006 for commitment to making New Jersey a cleaner and healthier place to live and work. The list of winners included:
Clean Air
Global Pharmaceutical Supply Group, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, in recognition of efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in New Jersey.
Clean & Plentiful Water
American Water-Applied Water Management for their project involving the beneficial reuse of reclaimed water at the Homestead Development in Mansfield Township.
Environmental Leadership
Dr. Kevin Lyons, Director of Purchasing for Rutgers University, was honored for applied research on developing and interpreting global environmental, social economic and ethical criteria into supply chain procurement efforts at Rutgers University.
Healthy Ecosystems
The New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium Habitat Initiative Project was recognized for being instrumental in the successful restoration, enhancement and preservation of over 20,000 acres of estuarine habitat on Delaware Bay.

PORT AUTHORITY CAPITAL PLANS REPORTED TO ALLIANCE MEMBERS
Before an audience of some 100 Alliance for Action members and friends, Ken Ringler, Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, gave a detailed report of the Authority’s billions of dollars in capital projects.

Ringler said one of the major projects will involve $279 million in improvements at Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport. He was introduced by Port Authority Chairman Anthony Coscia at another in the Alliance’s series of “Meet the Players” meetings for major public officials.

Declaring that safety is a leading factor for the Port Authority, Ringler reported that the Authority will spend nearly $3 billion in this decade on security at its facilities. He also cited moving ahead on construction of a new Trans-Hudson Rail Tunnel as an important priority. Both Coscia and Ringler praised the Alliance for Action as a key private section partner.

PANEL ON UTILITES RELOCATION WILL BE A CONFERENCE FEATURE
A panel discussion focusing on utility relocations will be a feature of a special conference on Thursday, December 14, at which top executives of New Jersey’s leading utilities will report on their construction plans. The panel will include representatives of organizations affected by the issue of utility relocations. They will include:
   -Robert Briant, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of the Utility and Transportation Contractors Association.
   -Karen D. Alexander, President and Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Utilities Association.
   -Richard Raczynski, P.E., Chief Engineer of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
   -Robert Kelly of the New Jersey Association of County Engineers.
The moderator will be Richard S. Mroz of Salmon Ventures, LTD.

Organized by the New Jersey Alliance for Action in cooperation with the New Jersey Utilities Association, the conference will be held at the Premiere Hotel (formerly Radisson) on Route 1 south at Ridge Road. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Speakers who will make presentations will be: Dennis Bone, President, Verizon New Jersey; Don Carter, Vice President & General Manager of Operations, Elizabethtown Gas Co.; Rodney Dickens, Vice President, Asset Management & Centralized Services, Public Service Electric & Gas; Larry Downes, Chairman & CEO, NJ Natural Gas; Ed Graham, President & CEO, South Jersey Gas Co.; Walter Lynch, President, NJ American Water; Stephen Morgan, President, Jersey Central Power & Light, and Ken Parker, President, Atlantic City Electric.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
   -Francis E. Blanco will be appointed by Governor Corzine to head the Division of Minority and Women Business Development. She is currently Director of the Department of Recreation, Natural Resources and Culture for the City of Trenton.
   -John H. Rhodes will be named by Governor Corzine as New Jersey Director of Energy Savings. He will conduct energy audits at state facilities, maximize New Jersey’s purchasing power by buying energy in bulk and help develop a plan for renewable energy. Since 2004, Rhodes has been director of energy supply and conservation for the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company.
   -Douglas H. Palmer, Mayor of Trenton recently became President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
   -Steven D. Weinstein, Esq., has been nominated to the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education. Steve is an Alliance for Action Board member and NJ Resident Partner at Blank Rome LLP.

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