The Murphy DEP And NJ Legislators Have Ignored Multiple Warnings About The Need To Take Action To Protect NJ From Trump EPA Dismantling
Trenton Policymakers Have Done Nothing To Reduce The Impacts Of EPA Dismantling
A Handful Of Lawsuits Will Not Protect NJ’s Environment And Public Health
Despite multiple warnings – including from a DEP scientist on the Drinking Water Quality Institute – the Murphy DEP has done nothing to protect NJ from the Trump EPA comprehensive dismantling.
We’ve provided not only clear and credible warnings, but proposed solutions as well, see:
At this point, their failure to respond amounts to negligence and gross incompetence. Either that, or they quietly support the rollbacks and would rather point their fingers at Trump than accept responsibility for the deeply unpopular anti-environmental policies they apparently support.
Again validating those warnings, the NY Times reports today that just days after announcing a plan to dismantle EPA climate science and multiple environmental regulations, the Trump EPA plans to virtually eliminate critical EPA science programs and fire 75% of EPA scientists, see:
The Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate its scientific research arm, firing as many as 1,155 chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other scientists, according to documents reviewed by Democrats on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.
The NYT story highlights the significance of, among other things, Project 2025 recommendations for Trump EPA dismantling of the science and data in EPA’s “Integrated Risk Information System” (IRIS):
It calls for eliminating programs within the science office, in particular the Integrated Risk Information System, which evaluates the human health effects of exposure to toxic chemicals and uses that information to form the basis for restrictions on their use. Industries regulated by the E.P.A. often push back against that research.
Months ago, we specifically wrote about IRIS and warned DEP Commissioner LaTourette and Senate Environment Committee members about the need to act to block elimination of IRIS.
In a December 11, 2024 email and substack post, I warned:
Dear Commissioner LaTourette – you should be aware of the below issues discussed at yesterday’s DWQI meeting. […]
During discussion, DWQI member Judy Klotz suggested that the DWQI consider some kind of recommendation to insulate and protect NJ’s drinking water program from anticipated attacks at the federal level under the incoming Trump administration. Trump has pledged to rollback environmental regulations even more severely than he did during his first term (over 120 regulations) under the Project 2025 strategy to “dismantle the administrative state”. Klotz’s suggestion was ignored by the Chair.
During public comment, I supported Klotz’s suggestion and emphasized that the entire regulatory framework was in jeopardy and that there was a LOT the DEP Commissioner, Governor, and Legislature could do to block Trump rollbacks, including working with the outgoing Biden EPA.
During Trump’s first term, he issued Executive Orders that directed federal agencies to repeal and not enforce not only regulations, but funding and even basic foundational elements (data, methods, databases, etc). One example was the repeal of the EPA’s Social Cost of Carbon – so suppose the new Trump EPA erased theEPA’s Integrated Risk Information System?
IRIS is the scientific foundation for DEP risk assessments, regulatory standards, and permit decisions. An Emergency Order by the Governor or new legislation could freeze current science and data from any abolition or rollback, And that’s just ONE example.
Repeat:
An Emergency Order by the Governor or new legislation could freeze current science and data from any abolition or rollback
I followed that email and post up with several additional warnings.
All were ignored – including by NJ media.
What explains that? Incompetence? Negligence? Cowardice?
I began warnings about Project 2025 and Trump dismantling back in July of 2023, long before Project 2025 was even an issue in the campaign. I specifically warned about EPA dismantling and attacks on climate and science.
So, to close this last warning out, we repost that email – maybe someone will wake up now that the nightmare is too obvious to ignore:
———- Original Message ———-
From: Bill WOLFE <>
To: “shawn.latourette@dep.nj.gov” <shawn.latourette@dep.nj.gov>, “Sean.Moriarty@dep.nj.gov” <Sean.Moriarty@dep.nj.gov>, senbsmith <SenBSmith@njleg.org>, “tmoran@starledger.com” <tmoran@starledger.com>, “fkummer@inquirer.com” <fkummer@inquirer.com>, “wparry@ap.org” <wparry@ap.org>, “jonhurdle@gmail.com” <jonhurdle@gmail.com>, sengreenstein <sengreenstein@njleg.org>, “kduhon@njleg.org” <kduhon@njleg.org>, asmmckeon <asmmckeon@njleg.org>, Robert Hennelly <rhennelly55@gmail.com>, “jpillets@icloud.com” <jpillets@icloud.com>
Date: 07/28/2023 9:39 AM PDT
Subject: “Project 2025″
Dear Commissioner LaTourette:
I write to give you a heads up and urge you to read the Heritage Foundation’s recent initiative called “Project 2025″. It is explicitly designed to “dismantle the administrative State”. FULL REPORT HERE:
https://www.project2025.org/policy/
Chapter 13 provides a radical agenda to dismantle EPA and virtually all regulatory, science, and climate programs – read it here:
https://thf_media.s3.amazonaws.com/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_CHAPTER-13.pdf
I strongly urge you to get out in front of and do everything within your power to derail this freight train. This includes a strong public defense and expansion of regulatory programs, which is something both you and Gov. Murphy consistently either fail to defend or overtly run away from (“we’re not mandating ….” et al).
The Heritage Report is the radical right’s second long game strategic plan.
The first was outlined in the 1971 Powell Memo. The Powell memo was not taken seriously at the time it was released and the radical ideological and policy threats it posed were ignored. That abdication by people and professionals who support effective government and environmental protection contributed to the dire straights were are now in.
You know what they say about those who fail to learn from history.
Bill Wolfe
Lawlessness now seems the state of affairs in the US - nothing is as it was (even as bad as it was) - everything is up in the air - nothing makes any sense. Watching on aghast!