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Budget Good to Parks, Passaic River

Posted on: Wednesday, 22 March 2006, 21:00 CST

By COLLEEN DISKIN, STAFF WRITER

State parks, a Passaic River cleanup effort and a new diesel emissions initiative will fare better under Governor Corzine's proposed budget, which advocates a $109 million spending increase for what the administration called "critical" environmental measures.

After two years of being starved of state funds, state parks could see a $40 million infusion.

Lisa Jackson, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, said the governor decided to find money within his capital budget for parks and historic structures because there is such a long list of needed repairs and renovations.

"He views this as a down payment on what he knows to be [a] $250 million backlog of park needs," Jackson said.

Corzine's budget also calls for up to $12 million to hire outside attorneys to press the state's lawsuit against three companies responsible for dioxin contamination in a six-mile stretch of the lower Passaic River, Jackson said.

Michael Turner, a spokesman for the three companies, criticized the use of state funds for outside attorneys when the companies have already agreed to participate in a federally managed cleanup in which the state is also a partner.

In addition, the DEP will receive $54 million in corporate business tax revenue increases to pay for watershed restoration, contaminated site cleanups and retrofitting school buses and other diesel vehicles with emission controls.

Environmentalists lauded the increased spending in the budget, but expressed concern about one of the governor's proposed revenue boosters a tax on water users expected to raise $12 million a year.

Jeff Tittel, executive director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said activists want assurances the money will be used to preserve land rather than for new water lines. "We don't want this to be used for sprawl," he said.

Republicans have been critical of Corzine for not trimming state spending more, but one GOP leader said Tuesday that he didn't think the environmental budget should be cut.

"I guess only time will tell," said state Sen. Leonard Lance, the minority leader. "Certainly we've done a terrible job regarding our state parks, and we need to do better."

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E-mail: diskin@northjersey.com

Source: Record, The; Bergen County, N.J.

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