EPA awarded NJDEP, Jersey City, and Prologis, Inc. the ‘Excellence in Site Reuse Award’ as a result of cleanup and reuse efforts at the PJP Landfill Superfund site. The coalition reused the waterfront site for “a newly constructed warehouse and distribution center, continued commercial use, public open space, and restored wetlands.” The award acknowledges collaboration with the EPA to redevelop Superfund sites “in ways that are beneficial to the community and compatible with the cleanup.” EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez noted that the redevelopment of the PJP site and transformation of the landfill benefits the community, the economy, and the local ecosystem. https://www.epa.gov/newsre
This month the DOE issued a report recommending a plan for Puerto Rico’s approach to rebuilding its energy system; the plan includes strengthening the energy infrastructure and integrating clean energy (i.e., solar energy and energy storage systems). The purpose of the DOE report is to “assist the island’s government in drafting recovery plans and guiding the use of federal aid… [while recognizing] that a singular vision for the island’s future must be determined by the Commonwealth[.]” The DOE report attributes Puerto Rico’s post-Hurricane Maria energy problems to Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s lack of regular maintenance of an otherwise well-designed electricity system. https://www