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This study examines the spatial distribution and enforcement of air polluting facilities in the state of New Jersey, as listed in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Aerometric Information Retrieval System. Results show that air-polluting facilities tend to concentrate near minority neighborhoods, although this relationship is partially explained by factors of population density, manufacturing employment, and land use. Other results suggest that facilities in areas with a relatively high percentage of minority population tend to have a weaker record of environmental enforcement as compared to other facilities. Of the socioeconomic variables considered, employment in manufacturing appears to be the most strongly related to environmental enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The case of a New Jersey dune management plan demonstrates that geographers can initiate environmental policy by formulating and proposing meritorious plans. An evaluation of the plan’s rejection shows the complexity of policy-making and indicates that failure to adopt useful plans may be due to distortion of information or misunderstanding of the original plan. In order to avoid failure, geographers should participate in the entire policymaking sequence and should encourage the participation of the public who will be affected by the plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mugdan et al. have criticized certain aspects of the approach and general conclusions of our recently published fish ingestion risk assessment for the lower Passaic River (Urban et al., 2009), asserting that they are inconsistent with the United States Environmental Protection Agency''s risk assessment guidelines we reference in our paper. Specifically, they assert that the excess cancer risk and health hazard results calculated as a part of our analyses underestimate the potential health risk posed to lower Passaic River anglers who actually consume their catch due to the fish ingestion rates we utilized in our analysis and our lack of inclusion of a crab ingestion pathway. While there clearly are differences between our risk assessment and the one conducted by the USEPA, this is not at all surprising given that their assessment reflects a typical screening-level risk assessment while that described in our paper reflects a more detailed site-specific risk assessment. In developing our exposure scenarios and assumptions, we considered and incorporated the available site-specific information in both deterministic and probabilistic quantitative risk frameworks in an effort to provide a sound and realistic human health risk assessment that quantitatively accounts for much of the variability and uncertainty typically inherent in such estimates. Although it is understandable that Mugdan et al. are compelled to defend the effort and conclusions put forth by USEPA Region 2 in its 2007 draft human health risk assessment of the lower Passaic River, the site-specific lower Passaic River human health risk assessment presented in Urban et al. (2009) was conducted according to USEPA guidelines, underwent peer review, and is, in fact, consistent with Superfund guidance and accepted principles of risk assessment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on Administrative Order 2005-05 in New Jersey which has established the procedures for involving workers and their union representatives in state inspections of industrial facilities that use or store hazardous chemicals. The order pertains to inspections, investigations and audits by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The goal of the procedures is to maximize opportunities for employees at regulated facilities to help inspectors identify environmental health and public safety hazards and potential sources of toxic emissions.

The article reports on the introduction of a new environmental policy known as Green Acres Program by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in New Jersey. The new policy purchases land from a development company and will be added to the DEP Peaslee Wildlife Management Area. A parcel of 2,200 acres of land that was scheduled to hold 300 new homes is now being saved for hiking, bird watching, and other types of outdoor recreation.