PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT SET FOR SCUDDER FALLS BRIDGE PROJECT
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission announced that a public hearing will be held on December 15 on a new document that focuses on an environmental assessment of cashless tolling for the I-95 Scudder Falls Bridge Improvement Project.

The hearing will be held 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Sheraton Bucks County Hotel, 400 Oxford Valley Road, Langhorne, PA. Copies of the document will be available for public viewing at six locations:

Lower Mansfield Township Municipal Building; Ewing Township Municipal Clerk’s office; Yardley-Makefield Branch of the Bucks County Free Library; Mercer County Library Ewing Branch; the Commission’s Administration Building in Morrisville, PA, and PennDot District 6 in King of Prussia, PA.

Those who wish to provide comment have until January 3, 2012, by email scudderfallsbridgeEAcomments@hntb.com, by mail: Kevin Skeels, Senior Program Area Manager, Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, 110 Wood and Grove Streets, Morrisville, PA 19067 or by attending the December 15 hearing.

REVISED ENERGY MASTER PLAN ADOPTED BY CHRISTIE ADMINISTRATION
A revised Energy Master Plan was adopted by the Christie administration with changes to stabilize New Jersey’s once-flourishing solar energy market. For the most part, the final version of the plan sticks to the broad outline of the draft unveiled last June.

Industry executives say the revised plan would fix the problem that has dried up investment in the solar market --- an oversupply of solar renewable energy certificates, the primary means of financing solar installations. The revised plan accelerates by three years how much of the state’s electricity must come from solar energy.

Governor Christie said: “The plan offers concrete strategies to reduce some of the nation’s highest energy rates and make them comparable to costs in other regions and states.”

The revised plan maintains a statutory goal of having 22.5 percent of the state’s energy come from renewable energy by 2020, reducing the 30 percent target established by the Corzine administration.

FUNDING MOVING AHEAD FOR NEW JERSEY STORM DAMAGE REPAIRS
Financial help is coming from Washington for recovery repair efforts in New Jersey from damages to infrastructure left by Hurricane Irene.

President Obama has declared a major disaster in New Jersey to supplement state and local recovery work from the October 29, 2011 storm. Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain non-profit organizations for emergency work or replacement of damaged facilities in the counties of Cape May, Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren.

NATURAL GAS PIPELINE GETS KEY APPROVALS
A 16-mile natural gas pipeline across portions of Northern New Jersey has received key permit approvals. It now awaits approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said flood hazard, waterfront development and fresh water wetlands permits have been issued. The proposed pipeline would run from Staten Island through parts of Linden, Bayonne, Jersey City and offshore in Hoboken into Manhattan’s West Village. It will have the capacity to carry 800 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

State DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said the permits were issued to Spectra Energy Corp, which submitted a revised plan to reduce wetland disturbances, to change the pipeline route to avoid contaminated sites and to place the gas line far below the surface to minimize neighborhood construction problems.

STATE BOARD RECOMMENDS REOPENING PASCACK VALLEY
The State Health Planning Board voted 5-1 to recommend approval of the plan by the Hackensack University Medical Center to reopen Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood.

Support for the proposal was voiced by Alliance for Action Executive Vice President Jerry Keenan. It is supported by Governor Christie.

State Health Commissioner Mary O’Dowd has 120 days to approve or reject the proposal by Hackensack and its partner, LHP Hospital Group, Inc., for a 128-bed hospital. The new hospital would be known as “Hackensack UMC at Pascack Valley.” Officials from Englewood Hospital and The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood said they would take legal action if Commissioner O’Dowd approves the application. Hackensack officials said the new hospital could be open as soon as the fourth Quarter of 2012.

OBAMA AND CONGRESS APPROVE TRANSPORTATION BUDGET FOR FY 2012
President Obama signed into law a spending package for Fiscal 2012 which includes the vital budget for transportation. The Conference report on the package was approved by the House 298-12 and the Senate, 70-30.

The federal highway program gets $39.9 billion, the spending level set by the latest surface transportation extension, but a drop from $41 billion in Fiscal 2011. Overall, rail programs were funded at $1.6 billion, a fraction of Obama’s $8.2 billion request, but still $326 million above last year. Most of the allocations will go to Amtrak. The “New Starts” transit program received $1.9 billion, plus another $188 million for projects funded under the formula-bus program.

The agreement also provides $1.66 billion for the Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief Program to assist states with roads damaged by storms and flooding. The Essential Air Service portion is funded at $144 million, a slight drop, but with language prohibiting any new airport entrants.

CONGRESS APPROVED $15 MILLION TO START GATEWAY TUNNEL PROJECT
Congress approved $15 million to start engineering work on the proposed Gateway train tunnel under the Hudson River. The project is an alternative to the ARC Tunnel cancelled by Governor Christie for cost concerns.

The commuter train tunnel proposed by Amtrak would link Secaucus to the south side of New York Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. It is expected that the tunnel would cost $13.5 billion and take nine years to complete.

The Gateway Tunnel would allow another 13 NJ Transit trains from 20 to 33 during peak hours, and eight more Amtrak trains.

STATE TO RECEIVE $10 MILLION IN FEDERAL STORM FLOODING AID
New Jersey will receive more than $10 million in federal grants to repair state and federal roads damaged by last summer’s severe weather and flooding.

U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez announced that the funding will come from the Federal Highway Administration. It will include $7.4 million for damage caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee and $2.8 million for the flooding in August.

BILL TO EXPAND TRANSIT HUB INCENTIVE CLEARS ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE
A bill to expand the State’s Urban Transit Hub tax credit program cleared the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee. Sponsored by Assemblyman Albert Coutinho of Newark, the legislation would create the $200 million Grow New Jersey Assistance Program.

The bill would extend the radius, from a half-mile to a mile in which properties around the nine original urban transit hubs are eligible for development incentives. The measure also would make sites around Newark Liberty International Airport’s rail station eligible for Transit Hub benefits.

NEW POWER PLANT MOVING AHEAD IN GLOUCESTER COUNTY
LS Power Group announced that construction will begin early next year on its 738 megawatt natural gas-fired electric generating facility in West Deptford (Gloucester County). LS said that West Deptford Energy Holdings has completed financing for the project, expected to go into operation in 2014.

The plant will utilize state-of-the-art combustion turbine technology with advanced emission controls.

Governor Chris Christie said the project “will create hundreds of construction jobs and provide another source of electricity for New Jersey.” State Senate President Steve Sweeney of Gloucester declared that “environmentally sound power project will drive down the cost of electricity for consumers and businesses to help lead our region out of this period of high unemployment.”

CONSTABLE TO SUCCEED GRIFA AT COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMISSION
Richard F. Constable III, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, was nominated by Governor Christie to succeed Lori Grifa as Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs.

In his present position, Constable, a resident of Orange, has functioned as the chief operating officer of the 3,500-employee agency. Grifa is returning to the private sector and is expected to leave her post as commissioner on January 2, 2012.

SWISS FIRM TO EXPAND IN PARSIPPANY
Ferring Pharmaceuticals, a Swiss-based company, said it has purchased a 25-acre property in Parsippany to locate manufacturing and business operations. Ferring currently employs 600 people in the United States, including nearly 150 in offices in Parsippany.

The new site will house U.S. management, as well as product development laboratories, commercial operations and a training conference center. The privately-held firm reported global sales of over $1.5 billion for 2010.

UTILITY LEADERS TO ANNOUNCE “ENERGIZING THE ECONOMY” PLANS
How capital construction by New Jersey utilities is energizing the economy will be the theme of a program on Wednesday, December 14, sponsored by the Alliance for Action.

Top utility company executives will be present at the conference in the Trenton Marriott to give details on billions of dollars of construction projects. Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. and the program at 9:00 a.m.

Confirmed speakers include:

• KEYNOTE SPEAKER - Lee Solomon, President, NJ Board of Public Utilities
• Dennis Bone, President of Verizon New Jersey.
• Ralph LaRossa, President & CEO of Public Service Electric & Gas.
• Vincent Maione, President of Atlantic City Electric Region of Pepco Holdings, Inc.
• Suzanne Chiavari, Vice President, Engineering of NJ American Water.
• Charles Dippo, PE, Vice President, Engineering Services & System Integrity of South Jersey Gas.
• Francis W. Peverly, Vice President of Operations at Rockland Electric Company
• Dennis Ciemniecki, President, Regulated Business at United Water
• Ed Gonzales, Project Director, NY-NJ Pipeline Extension, Spectra Energy

• Michael Fischette, Chief Executive Officer, Concord Engineering Services
• John Geraghty, Managing Director, Vanguard Energy Capital
• Rob Gibbs, Vice President, Garden State Offshore Energy, LLC
• Kevin Coakley, Partner, Connell Foley LLP
• Robert Gerard, Managing Director, Torcon, Inc.
• Panel Moderator – Richard Mroz, President, Richard Mroz Public Affairs Consulting

UPCOMING EVENTS
12/14/11 – New Jersey Utility Capital Construction Conference - Go Here.

01/18/12 – New Jersey’s Leading Infrastructure Projects - Go Here.

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