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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 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 – 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 – 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 – 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.”