Corruption, CAFRA, & Contaminated Sites...Perfect Together

Sometimes I wonder if politicians in NJ purposefully try to give the Sopranos writers material for new episodes should the show ever come back.  By now you have heard all about the political corruption scandal where 44 people were arrested in NJ and NY. Much of it involves money laundering, trafficking of human organs and really sorid stuff. But allow me to make the connection to the environment for you.

One complaint against a sitting member of the NJ Assembly, Daniel Van Pelt, alleges that he took cash to help someone posing as a developer get the CAFRA permits needed to develop along the water in Waretown, NJ.  CAFRA stands for Coastal Area Facilities Review Act and you can't build on the coast without a permit from them.  Read the full complaint here.

http://blogs.app.com/capitolquickies/files/2009/07/Van-Pelt-complaint.pdf

Note that CW means cooperating witness, and the really good stuff is in sections 3, 5, 6, and 8.  This guy allegedly took $10,000 in order to help the "developer" get CAFRA permits.  The Assemblyman actually said that as a member of the Assembly Environment Committee the DEP worked, "for him."  Excuse me but departments of state government actually work for the executive branch, the governor, and the legislature simply has oversight; checks and balances if you will.  I guess Van Pelt was thinking of a different kind of "check."  

I have personal experience with fighting a CAFRA permit that never should have been issued.  We uncovered some pretty unsavory practices at the NJDEP as a result and we found that NJ DEP personnel were practically working for the developer to get the permit through.  Read all about the Takanassee Beach Club project here.  http://www.surfriderjsc.org/campaigns.asp?cid=6 

Another complaint alleges that Assemblyman Harvey Smith took money from a "developer" in order to make sure a contaminated site in Jersey City needing DEP permits received a NFA - No Further Action letter.  DEP is supposed to issue such a letter if the site is actually clean and requires no further action.  An NFA letter is a green light for development just like a CAFRA permit is.  

Read that entire complaint here. http://www.politickernj.com/files/SmithGreeneFINAL.pdf 

Again, CW means cooperating witness and the best parts are in sections 5,12, 13, 17, 19, 

Oh, and it all goes down at diners!  This explains to me why NJ looks like it looks; why we are overdeveloped, choking on pollution, snarled by traffic, and vastly void of untouched nature.