ALLIANCE ALERT HELPS PROMPT DEP TO HALT SEWER RULES PROPOSAL
An alert issued by the New Jersey Alliance for Action helped generate such a heated opposition that the State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) scrapped regulatory changes that would have severely impeded both residential and commercial construction.

The DEP in October unexpectedly published proposed amendments for a crackdown that would have precluded most connections to sewer systems it considered outdated.

The Alliance sounded the first alarm by in mid-November, warning that the DEP amendments were imminent and that public hearings would be held quickly. At stake were numerous economically significant development projects in areas without adopted current wastewater management plans. The Alliance alert touched off fierce opposition from builders, municipal officials and sewerage authorities in the affected areas.

Alliance for Action President Philip K. Beachem also expressed concerns directly to DEP Commissioner Bradley Campbell in personal conversation and a meeting. In December, Campbell conceded that the proposal had moved too far, too fast, and said he hoped a revised plan could be introduced early in the new administration of Governor-elect Jon Corzine.

CORZINE TRANSITION NEWS
Governor-elect Jon S. Corzine yesterday (January 3) nominated Nina Mitchell Wells to serve as Secretary of State and renamed Major General Glenn K. Rieth as Adjutant General of New Jersey and head of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs.

Governor-elect Corzine also made the following key staff appointments:
          - Maggie Moran, Patti McGuire and Jeannine LaRue as deputy chiefs of staff.
          - Ivette Mendez as communications director.
          - Heather Howard as chief policy counsel.
          - Anthony Coley as press secretary.

LINDEN AND ROSELLE AIM TO REVITALIZE ST. GEORGES AVENUE
Linden and Roselle have received a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to revitalize the once-thriving, but now declining, shopping corridor along St. Georges Avenue. The funding will be for Linden and Roselle to draft a blueprint to clean up the street and lure back shoppers for a two-mile stretch of St. Georges Avenue between the Elizabeth city line and North Wood Avenue.

OCEAN COUNTY GROWTH TOPS THE STATE
Ocean County is the fastest growing county in New Jersey, according to the Sitar-Rutgers Regional Report. According to recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Ocean was the number one choice of homebuilders for eight consecutive years from 1996 to 2004. Mostly from intrastate migration, Ocean added 39,500 residents between 2000 and 2004--- a 7.7 percent increase. New Jersey as a whole experienced only a 3.1 percent growth rate.

MIDDLESEX ASKS DEP TO ALLOW DREDGING TO RESUME
Middlesex County officials are trying to persuade the State Department of Environmental Protection to allow dredging of the Raritan River in New Brunswick to resume to complete the project before March. The county voluntarily halted dredging after state inspectors last month found violations.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Governor Codey has appointed the following Alliance members to key positions:
Stephen E. Morgan, President of Jersey Central Power & Light Co., to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA).
Dennis Bone, President of Verizon New Jersey, to the State Council for Adult Literacy Education Services.
Thomas J. Manning, President of the NJ State Association of Pipe Trades, to the Board of the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation.

ALLIANCE IN ACTION
The Gloucester County Chapter of the Alliance for Action will meet Friday, February 10, 2006, in Thorofare with a variety of topics of interest for those living and working in Gloucester County. Registration will begin at 8:15 am, followed by the program at 9 am, at the Riverwinds Community Center, 1000 RiverWinds Drive, Thorofare, NJ.
Joseph Balzano, Executive Director & CEO of South Jersey Port Corporation, will discuss Paulsboro’s Deepwater Port project.
George Strachan, Assistant Administrator of the Gloucester County Improvement Authority, will give a presentation entitled, “Dream Park at Logan.”
Thomas A. Mueller, Director of External Affairs for BP, will give a progress report on LNG coming to Crown Landing.
To register for the event, please go here.

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