
Daniel T. McKillop
Partner
201-896-7115 dmckillop@sh-law.comFirm Insights
Author: Daniel T. McKillop
Date: December 26, 2018
Partner
201-896-7115 dmckillop@sh-law.comNew Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine McCabe recently announced the filing of eight separate environmental contamination lawsuits. The suits are the result of a new “environmental justice” initiative designed to address pollution and environmental hazards in minority and lower-income communities across the state.
“Our first-of-its-kind statewide environmental justice action should make one thing clear to the polluters that have run amok in these communities: Not on our watch. We’re going to make New Jersey a national leader on environmental justice,” Grewal said in a press statement.
As detailed in greater depth in a prior post, environmental enforcement has become a top priority for the Murphy Administration. In August, for first time in a decade, New Jersey filed six new lawsuits seeking to recover natural resource damages (NRD). At the time, Grewal and McCabe called it a “new day” for environmental enforcement in New Jersey.
The environmental contamination lawsuits involve sites across New Jersey, including Camden, Flemington, Newark (2), Palmyra, Pennsauken, Phillipsburg, and Trenton. The enforcement actions also seek a wide range of legal remedies, including one NRD claim. Below is a brief summary:
In connection with announcing the eight environmental lawsuits, Attorney General Grewal also revealed that his office is restructuring a new unit to bring additional focus to environmental justice issues. The section, to be called the “Environmental Enforcement and Environmental Justice Section,” will repurpose existing resources and hire additional attorneys to bring enforcement actions and promote environmental justice across the state.
Grewal also indicated that his office plans to additional environmental contamination suits in the new year. However, he failed to reveal when or how many. “I’ll just simply say we’re busy,” he said. “We’re back in the game.”
The environmental justice lawsuits, and the accompanying statements by Attorney General Grewal and DEP Commissioner McCabe, signal that the Murphy Administration plans to aggressively pursue pollution in minority and lower-income communities. Given that the costs of remediation and related enforcement penalties, businesses should closely monitor the state’s new initiative and contact an experienced environmental law attorney with any concerns.
If you have any questions or if you would like to discuss the matter further, please contact me, Dan McKillop, at 201-806-3364.
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