New Jersey Regulating Land Use to Fight Climate Change

Regulatory Action:

Governor Murphy issued an executive order requiring the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) to draft new regulations to be adopted by January 2022.

Applicants for DEP permits and approvals will be forced to consider how climate change will impact the project and the effect of its emissions on global warming. Rules will also apply to construction of state-funded projects and anything built with grants.

Why: 

A November 2019 study found sea level in New Jersey is rising more than two times faster than the global average and some coastal areas are experiencing subsidence (sinking).

National Trend: 

Several other states including Rhode Island are considering land-use laws to confront coastal resiliency. 

New York and California are taking regulatory climate action in light of the Trump administration’s regulatory rollbacks.

New York Times | With 130-Mile Coast, New Jersey Marks a First in Climate Change Fight