Preview-Smith Diesel Emissions Reduction Efforts Up For A Vote On Monday

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would regulate and reduce diesel emissions in New Jersey and vastly improve the State’s air quality was signed into law today by Governor Codey.

“Today is a great day for New Jersey’s environment, because we are reclaiming our air from some of the most harmful pollutants fouling our State’s skies today,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee. “Research has shown a strong correlation between diesel emissions and a higher-than-normal incidence of respiratory disease, cardiac arrests and premature death. Without action, the future of breathable air in the Garden State was in question, but with the Governor’s signature, we’re looking ahead to safer and cleaner skies down the road.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg and Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee Chairman Joseph F. Vitale which would statutorily define the acceptable exemptions from mandatory student immunizations was approved today by the Health Committee by a vote of 6-2.

“This bill is – simply and unequivocally – about preserving public health, and ensuring that when someone opts out of a mandatory student immunization, that they have a legitimate reason for doing so, spelled out in black and white in the law,” said Senator Weinberg, D-Bergen. “Unfortunately, the issue of student immunizations is an emotionally-charged topic, with scientifically unfounded and discredited information standing in as fact. While we need to be mindful of legitimate medical and religious reasons for students abstaining from vaccinations, we should not give credence to false science and put the public health in jeopardy.”

“Because of the rise of vaccination as a medical practice, we don’t have widespread epidemics of polio or smallpox in this country anymore,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “We’ve actually been able to eradicate some of the deadliest and most virulent diseases that threatened public health only a few generations back. In order to preserve public health, we have to limit the reasons that students can be exempted from mandatory immunizations, in order to protect them and protect the non-immunized public from facing an epidemic.”

TRENTON – A bill package sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would regulate and reduce diesel emissions in New Jersey and vastly improve the State’s air quality was approved by both houses of the Legislature today, and head to the Governor to be signed into law.

“New Jersey is well on the road to cleaner skies, and the prize is just over the horizon,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee. “Diesel pollution is a poison that fouls the air we breathe, and increases the risk of certain respiratory and cardiac illnesses that can prove to be fatal. We need better controls on emissions levels, and an across-the-board reduction on air pollution, to provide for a safer, healthier New Jersey for future generations.”

TRENTON – Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee and the prime sponsor of legislation which would greatly reduce diesel emissions in New Jersey, issued comments on testimony heard before his Committee yesterday on the dangers and health risks of particulate matter emissions, such as diesel emissions and other pollutants:

“The testimony we heard today from some of the preeminent experts in the field of air pollution and its impact on the health and safety of New Jerseyans, particularly children and senior citizens, should be a warning sign to the direction we could be going in if we take no actions to counteract the effects of particulate matter emissions.

TRENTON – Two bills sponsored by Senator Bob Smith were approved today by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. The bills, and their identical counterparts in the Assembly, which were also approved by the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee today, are designed to improve New Jersey’s air quality and reduce diesel emissions in the State.

“New Jersey can breathe a little easier knowing that measures to protect and enhance the quality of air in the Garden State are moving forward in the Legislature,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee. “New Jersey has the unenviable position of being one of the worst states in the nation in terms of air quality, and that translates to real world health hazards for our residents who suffer from chronic bronchitis and asthma, as well as increasing the likelihood for instances of cancer and heart conditions in New Jersey residents. We cannot ignore the problem while hundreds of New Jerseyans die each year because of our polluted air.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph V. Doria, Jr. which would allow municipalities to exempt senior citizen homeowners from construction permit fees to promote senior home improvements was approved today by the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee by a vote of 4-0.

“For many living out their retirement years in New Jersey, fixed incomes and the high cost of living mean little in the way of rainy day savings,” said Senator Doria, D-Hudson. “When seniors need to make repairs on their homes, many simply cannot afford to with all of the other expenses they face on a daily basis. Through this legislation, we’re making it a little easier for seniors to afford home repairs and improvements needed to make their homes safe and comfortable.”

TRENTON – Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee, and a prime sponsor of legislation to cut down on unhealthy emissions from diesel engines in New Jersey, issued the following statement regarding the bill’s pending consideration in the Senate and Assembly on Monday, and the bill’s fate as a ballot question in November:

“New Jersey is on the verge of cleaner skies and better breathable air. But, the fight for stronger protections from diesel emissions does not end when the bill is signed into law, and we will continue to push for public support when the protections are posed to the voters as a ballot question during this November’s election.

TRENTON – Following Woodbridge Mayor Frank Pelzman’s call in his 2006 State of the Township Address for senior citizen homeowners to be exempt from construction permit fees, Senator Joseph F. Vitale has pushed through legislation to accomplish this on a Statewide basis, which was approved today by the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee by a vote of 4-0.

“For so many seniors living on fixed incomes, and trying to balance a budget of high-cost medications and day-to-day living, home improvements can be next to impossible,” said Senator Vitale, D-Woodbridge. “By removing the permitting cost from the equation, we can do our part in promoting senior home improvements, and allowing them to maintain their quality of life and remain an important part of their communities. Mayor Pelzman deserves a lot of credit for pushing this important initiative in Woodbridge, and we think it will work well for the rest of New Jersey.”

TRENTON – Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee and prime sponsor of a legislative package designed to reduce diesel emissions in New Jersey, issued the following statement today regarding critics’ claims, most notably Senator Henry McNamara, R-Bergen, that diesel emissions reduction efforts before the Legislature are flawed:

“I’ve worked with Senator McNamara for a number of years on issues affecting the environmental health of New Jersey. Sometimes we’re on the same page, and sometimes we’re not. When it comes to diesel emissions reductions, it seems we are most definitely not on the same page.

TRENTON – Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee, and a prime sponsor of legislation to cut down on unhealthy emissions from diesel engines in New Jersey, issued the following statement regarding the bill’s pending consideration in the Senate and Assembly on Monday, and the bill’s fate as a ballot question in November:

“New Jersey is on the verge of cleaner skies and better breathable air. But, the fight for stronger protections from diesel emissions does not end when the bill is signed into law, and we will continue to push for public support when the protections are posed to the voters as a ballot question during this November’s election.

TRENTON – A package of bills sponsored by Senator Bob Smith to cut down on emissions from diesel engines and clean up New Jersey’s air was approved by the Senate Environment Committee today.

“We need to do something about the worsening air quality in New Jersey, and scaling back emissions from diesel engines is a good start,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chairman of the Environment Committee. “With the technology currently on the market, we can retrofit many of the diesel engines on our roadways today to operate cleaner, and ensure healthier breathing for everyone in the Garden State.”