Natural Resources Committee

 Chair: Mary Ann Colgan

The principal emphasis of our work is to become informed about environmental issues that impact our community, state and country and then to raise public awareness of those issues in order to affect change.  Areas of interest include oil and gas drilling, pipelines, wind and solar energy, nuclear power, water supply and water quality, air quality, recycling, historical preservation and the preservation of open and recreational spaces.

Our work requires extensive research that may include reading, attending lectures and participating in meetings focusing on environmental issues on a local and state level.  We collaborate with the LWVNJ in its advocacy work to protect and preserve our environment.

We seek to increase awareness of environmental issues through periodic reporting to our membership and to the public at the League’s  general meetings and in the League’s newsletter, and  through participation in public events such as Monroe Township’s Annual Green Fair.  We also sponsor periodic field trips as an educational tool.

CURRENT FOCUS

While our committee will continue to follow activity in the areas of interest noted above, we have determined that our current focus will be primarily on several issues of particular interest in NJ at the present time.  We will focus on developing a full understanding of and a response to the following:

• Governor Murphy’s Off Shore Wind Program:  Development of an infrastructure      that will provide sufficient energy from offshore wind to power more than 1.5 million NJ homes and businesses by 2030.
• Electric School Bus Bill (A3830/S723): Proposes the establishment of a three-year pilot program to test the effectiveness of electric school buses for      transporting students. 
• We supported the “Plastic Bag Bill“ (A4330/S2776) that prohibits carryout bags made of plastic film, polystyrene foam food service products, and single-use plastic straws; and assesses fee on paper carryout bags. This bill has passed and will become effective in May 2022. 

If you have questions or need more information, please send us an email with "Natural Resources Committee" as the subject to: LWVmonroetwp@gmail.com.