May 21, 2018

Office of the Governor
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625

Dear Governor Murphy,

We the undersigned represent 6 Indivisibles in New Jersey with 3,000 active and concerned voters.

We appreciate your efforts to further explore the Chemours/DuPont Exemption Bill (A3116), and urge you to conditionally veto it until NJ residents are satisfied with, and receive protections, regarding the following points:

  1. Public education and accountability about Chemours’ operations, financial benefits, and environmental ramifications;
  2. Transparency – clear definitions of “hazardous wastes”, where they are from, what they contain, how and where they will be handled;
  3. Closing loopholes. We have enough pollution in New Jersey to date, and do not need to sacrifice our health and that of our children to mega companies and profiteering;
  4. Strengthening the Department of Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to monitor, oversee and demand high standards of waste disposal, including waste importation and maintaining a ban on fracking and processing fracking waste.

Jobs and successful business enterprises are important to us all. But – at what cost?

The Chemours/DuPont hazardous waste facility on the Delaware River is one of the worst polluters in our state’s history – identified by the EPA as the largest discharger of hazardous waste for years, as in Dupont’s Pompton Lakes poisoning.

We are concerned that the Chemours/DuPont Exemption Bill in its current form will allow out of state importation of hazardous chemical wastes, including highly toxic materials that threaten the drinking water source for millions of New Jerseyans.

Considering New Jersey’s many challenges, this bill does little to assure a safeguard for the health of our families, to attract working families and businesses seeking investment in a healthy environment and conscientious state.

Rather, this bill promotes more of the same, an unhealthy environment, and misplaced investments.

Your conditional veto of the Chemours/DuPont Exemption Bill (A3116) until NJ residents’ concerns and security are satisfactorily addressed and publicized is much appreciated and supported by concerned organizations and residents state wide.

Thank you for your response and consideration,

Sincerely,

Indivisible Monroe Township – Irene Linet, Rona Malkin, Gabriela Sadote

Indivisible South Orange and Maplewood – Ed Reichman

Indivisible Highland Park – Kevin Dougherty

Indivisible Somerset – Harriet Warner

Indivisible Central Jersey – Beryl Koblin

Indivisible Cranbury – Laura Zurfluh