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What's
Happening in New Jersey?
Atlantic
County
Galloway
Township is one of the few NJ municipalities to enact an
ordinance facilitating the installation of both small wind and
solar energy systems. The ordinance is intended to enable clean,
renewable energy resources be utilized in a cost-effective and
timely manner.
Camden
County
Cherry
Hill Township has
had an innovative project to recycle leaves. For the last two
years leaves collected from home owners have been distributed
to farmers, who use the compost for natural fertilizer. In 2007
this project kept 75,000 cubic yards of waste from the landfills,
while saving the Township $225,000 in dump fees.
Cape
May County
Dennis
Township
recently adopted a pesticide-free zone policy to eliminate
the use of toxic pesticides on Township-owned land.
Ocean
City
awarded
a contract to developer to build a $4 million solar system under
a Power Purchase Agreement. The system is expected to produce
a total of 550,000 kilowatt-hours of energy in four community
buildings. It is also striving to reduce City emissions by focusing
on transportation.
Ocean City recently became the first community in the county
to switch to biodiesel fuel.
Essex
County
Maplewood
Residents helped to develop an innovative jitney service to
get commuters to the Manhattan train instead of building an
expensive parking structure. By providing frequent and direct
public transit to commuter railway stations, residents no longer
need to drive their cars, thereby reducing traffic congestion,
air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Montclair
The council endorsed the environmental commission's Sustainable
Planning Guide and has:
- Purchased
six compressed natural gas cars;
- Installed
Light Emitting Diode (LED) traffic lights; and
- Changed
the township's fleet of trucks to bio-diesel fuel.
- Supports
a home
composting program, which allows residents to purchase low-cost
home compost bins.
They
are working on an energy audit and installing solar panels
for municipal and school buildings and making the town more
friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists.
Gloucester
County
Woolwich
Township recently passed an ordinance to increase
the proportion of construction and demolition debris recycled
rather than disposed of at land fills.
Hudson
County
Bayonne
Board of Education
The east coast's largest combined installation of photovoltaic
(PV) roof panels at the city's high school and eight elementary
schools is expected to produce savings to taxpayers of more
than $500,000 yearly on energy costs.
Mercer
County
Hamilton
Winner of the 2006 Green Town award from New Jersey Environmental
Lobby (NJEL), Hamilton has developed a building energy management
plan for township buildings and has switched the town's truck
fleet to bio-diesel fuel. The town is using advanced road de-icing
technology to reduce use of salt and other chemicals and is
considering an alternative fuel vehicle for public works. Hamilton
expanded its recycling program and increased the types of materials
recycled, saving about $500,000 in municipal costs through a
new grass clipping recycling program. The town is planning to
install solar panels on municipal buildings, financed under
a power purchase agreement arrangement.
Hopewell
Township's sustainability initiatives include a master
plan and zoning based on "water balance", solar panels
for its public works building and retrofitting the lighting
in its municipal buildings.
Lawrence A volunteer task force has declared its intention
to create an "eco-municipality" and established a
lively
web site to stir up public awareness and support. A local
school converted the dining hall's used frying oil to bio-diesel
fuel and plans to soon operate the school's boiler and all its
diesel vehicles on a bio-diesel blend.
Middlesex
County
Highland
Park
A range of global actions includes
- Produced
a long-term
plan to manage the borough in an more sustainable way;
- Installed
solar panels on borough hall;
- Energy-efficiency
retrofits to the police and fire departments, senior/ recreation
center and the Highland Park Public Library;
- Extensive
tree plantings throughout the community.
The
borough estimates that its award-winning green savers program
has saved approximately $14,000 a year, with the photovoltaic
(PV) roof system saving approximately 25 percent. The town has
implemented many green community initiatives, including
- Hybrid
police cars;
- High
efficiency lighting and Light Emitting Diode (LED) traffic signals;
- Walking
and biking promotions;
- A
town-wide yard sale;
- Green
snow removal and public works operations;
- Aggressive
recycling program;
- Low
maintenance ground cover and others.
Middlesex
County
is offering $500 per vehicle toward the purchase of hybrids
by municipal governments through its Middlesex County Showroom
of Environmental Technology (MCSET) program.
Woodbridge
has purchased a dozen Ford Escape hybrids for its Code Enforcement
Division after a one-year trial of a single hybrid car proved
its cost effectiveness.
Monmouth
County
Belmar
has created an action plan that combines the objectives of a
clean environment, affordable housing, and quality of life in
the shore community. Entitled Sustainable Living by the Sea:
Belmar's Blueprint for Building a Livable, Affordable and Inclusive
Community, the plan's key strategies include:
- Building
public awareness of plan objectives;
- Preserving
and enhancing a strong sense of community, affordable and inclusive
housing;
- Commitment
to clean water, energy conservation and renewable energy use;
- Smart
growth policies for redevelopment and safe, pedestrian-friendly
transportation.
Middletown
Township
has voted to implement a Green Initiative, which is designed
to contain energy costs, emissions and environmental impacts.
The initiative will feature the use of hybrid vehicles, the
purchase of Energy Star equipment and a free shuttle service
operating from the railroad station.
Morris
County
Chatham
Township
volunteers have initiated a
Back2Tap
campaign designed to reduce the number of plastic bottles
that litter parks and playing fields.
Ocean
County
Ocean Gate
Borough became the first New Jersey municipality
to pass a wind energy ordinance and will install a 50-kilowatt
turbine that will generate most power needs for its municipal
building.
Somerset
County
Bridgewater
is working on a variety of green initiatives, including constructing
a LEED-certified municipal building and maintaining pesticide
and fertilizer free parks and open spaces.
Hillsborough joined with the New Jersey Sustainable State
Institute and the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association
to create a Sustainable Community Plan. The initiative is reaching
out to all segments of the population through its web
site. Hillsborough recently approved an ordinance that will
allow the use of small
windmill systems to generate renewable power on 10-acre
lots in specific areas of the town.
Union
County
Cranford
is the first New Jersey city to adopt a green building ordinance
requiring Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System™
(LEEDs) standards for new construction and major renovations
of municipal buildings and encouraging redevelopers to do likewise.
Also see Cranford's LEED
ordinance.
Summit
Environmental Commission completed a sustainability plan in
2008 and has enrolled more than 2% of residents in BPU's Clean
Power Choice Program. The city-wide cleanup each Earth Day collects
several tons of recyclables. Summit's compact, walkable downtown
has two new LEED-certified commercial buildings, and a pharmaceutical
company's Summit campus is installing the country's largest
rooftop solar array.
7/08
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