ASSEMBLY, No. 650

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

 

 

By Assemblymen IMPREVEDUTO and DALTON

 

 

An Act establishing an "Employer Trip Reduction Emissions Credit Program" and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

 

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. a. The Department of Environmental Protection shall establish an "Employer Trip Reduction Emissions Credit Program," hereinafter refered to as the program. The program shall permit employers in the State that are required to implement a Travel Demand Management Program, established pursuant to P.L.1992, c.32 (C.27:26A-1 et seq.), to accumulate credits from emissions reductions achieved through the Travel Demand Management Program, and trade the accumulated credits to offset emissions reductions required pursuant to a permit for a from stationary source, issued pursuant to the "Air Pollution Control Act (1954)," P.L.1954, c.212, (C.26:2C-1 et seq.).

    b. An employer may accumulate credits under the program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section only for emissions reductions based on the reduction of the employer's averaged Average Passenger Occupancy target, as determined pursuant to the rules and regulations adopted pursuant to P.L.1992, c.32 (C.27:26A-1 et seq.), and in excess of the level required pursuant to federal and State law. All elements of the program and credits provided under the program are contingent upon and subject to approval by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. To the extent permissible, an employer may accumulate credits and buy or sell these credits in accordance with approved emissions credit trading practices.

    c. The Department of Environmental Protection shall adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), any rules and regulations it deems necessary for the implementation of this act. The rules and regulations shall include, but need not be limited to, methods and procedures for calculating the emissions reductions achieved in excess of the employer's averaged Average Passenger Occupancy target, the credit value assigned tothese reductions, and acceptable procedures for the buying and selling of accumulated credits.

 

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill directs the Department of Environmental Protection to establish an "Employer Trip Reduction Emissions Credit Program" to permit employers that are required to implement a Travel Demand Management Program, established pursuant to P.L.1992, c.32 (C.27:26A-1 et seq.), to accumulate credits from emissions reductions achieved through the Travel Demand Management Program, and trade the credits for emissions from stationary sources. Travel Demand Management Programs are more commonly referred to as Employer Trip Reduction Programs, which is the term used for these programs in Department of Transportation regulations. The bill requires that credits accumulate under the program only for emissions reductions based on the reduction of the employer's averaged Average Passenger Occupancy target in excess of the level required pursuant to federal and State law. The program and any credits provided under the program are subject to approval by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and to the extent permissible, the employers may accumulate credits and buy and sell these credits in accordance with approved emissions credit trading practices.

 

 

 

Establishes the "Employer Trip Reduction Emissions Credit Program."