Ray Cantor – Vice President, Government Affairs
NJBIA advocated for changes to DEP’s proposed fee regulations for New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) permits to make the annual assessments fairer and more predictable.
On May 1, 2019, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection held a public hearing on its proposed fees for its New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) permits. NJPDES permits are required of anyone who discharges wastewater into a waterbody. These permit fees are among the highest in the nation and significantly more costly than our neighboring states. While the fees are set pursuant to a complicated regulatory formula and cannot be changed for this year, NJBIA advocated for changes to the regulations so that the fees are more predictable, equitable, and, in many cases, lower. NJBIA has also requested these regulatory changes in a meeting directly with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection. We are hopeful that a stakeholder process and a rule proposal will be forthcoming this year.
