Christie Greenhouse Changes Violate N.J. Law, Court Says
By David Voreacos and Justin Doom Mar 25, 2014 2:10 PM ET
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s administration violated state law in the way it withdrew from a regional program to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, a state appellate court ruled.
New Jersey must begin amending or repealing the state’s climate-change regulations within 60 days, according to a three-judge panel in Trenton. Christie’s withdrawal from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative drew a lawsuit in 2012 from environmental groups, who cheered today’s ruling.
“Neither Governor Christie nor the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection can simply repeal state laws by fiat,” Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey, said in a statement.
Christie decided to withdraw by the end of 2011 from RGGI, which set a cap on carbon-dioxide emissions and created a trading program. Christie said RGGI, which then included the six New England states, New Jersey, New York, Delaware and Maryland, failed because the low auction prices it drew didn’t motivate companies to change business practices.
New Jersey’s withdrawal meant emissions producers no longer had to comply with the program and DEP didn’t make emissions allowances available for purchase or give emissions offsets to companies.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-25/new-jersey-ordered-by-court-to-repeal-or-amend-pollution-rules.html
