New Jersey, home to many oil and gas producers, is considering fees to combat climate change
TRENTON, New Jersey — It’s no coincidence that “The Sopranos,” the quintessential New Jersey series, opens with its title character passing gas and oil storage tanks along the New Jersey Turnpike. New Jersey.
From the outskirts of New York to the banks of the Delaware River across from Philadelphia, New Jersey is home to numerous oil and gas facilities. Fees would be imposed on them to help the state combat the effects of climate change, under a bill currently moving through the Legislature.
The measure, which will be discussed in a state Senate committee on Thursday, aims to create a climate Superfund similar to the pot of money the federal government raises to clean up toxic waste by imposing a tax on oil and chemical companies. additional tax to finance ongoing cleanings.
It’s a tactic used or considered in many other states, including Vermont, which recently enacted such a law. New York, Maryland, Massachusetts and California are among the states considering doing the same.
“It is more important than ever that Governor Murphy and state legislators protect New Jersey taxpayers and the health of our communities by making polluters pay to repair, modernize and harden our critical infrastructure from damage caused by the climate,” said New Jersey Director Matt Smith. of the Food association & Water monitoring.
New Jersey’s business lobby already opposes the bill. Ray Cantor, an official with the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, said the bill would do nothing but raise the cost of gasoline for motorists and gas and fuel oil for domestic heating customers.
“There are many flaws in the bill, beyond the fact that it seeks to impose retroactive liability on companies that provided a legal, necessary and vital product to the citizens of the state,” he said. he declared. “The assessments are unconstitutionally vague. costs, and will likely be waived by federal law. This will do nothing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or impact climate change.
His criticisms echo those voiced by the oil and gas industries when the Vermont bill became law in May.
New Jersey’s bill would “establish certain fossil fuel companies as liable for certain damages caused to the state and its residents by the adverse effects of climate change.”
The burning of fossil fuels, including oil, gas and coal, contributes significantly to climate change.
The proposal would impose taxes, as yet unspecified, on fossil fuel producers, which would go to the state Department of Environmental Protection, which would distribute the money in the form of grants to fund programs to adapt to change climate change and make the state more resilient to bad weather.
The state would take two years to assess the damages caused to New Jersey by greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels since 1995, and establish “that each responsible party is strictly liable” for those damages.
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