In an opinion piece in the Asbury Park Press this week, NJBIA Deputy Chief Government Affairs Officer Ray Cantor discussed how the pending closure of the historic Nestlé coffee plant in Freehold could be the start of manufacturing casualties in New Jersey due to the state’s recently adopted Environmental Justice rules – and how the Legislature should work to fix it.
“What we know about Nestlé is the company was considering closing the plant because its facility is “outdated,” Cantor wrote. “We also know that Nestlé has a Title V air permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection and is thus subject to the EJ rules.
“And we know that to comply with the EJ law, Nestlé would have to make substantial upgrades and perhaps meet other criteria that the rules do not even specify, but would be imposed during the permitting process. There would be no certainty in timing, process, standards, or outcomes. These are not ideal conditions to operate a plant.”
To see Cantor’s full opinion piece, click here.
