LaTourette Nominated as NJDEP Commissioner: Last week, Governor Phil Murphy nominated Shawn LaTourette as the next commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. LaTourette had been serving as Acting Commissioner since Catherine McCabe retired in January.
LaTourette joined the agency as chief counsel in 2018 after working in the environmental law practice of Gibbons P.C., where he worked on permitting, counseling and litigation matters. LaTourette is also a co-chair of the New Jersey Council on the Green Economy, a panel of government, labor, industry and environmental groups that advises Murphy on energy issues.
“I promise to treat the office I am nominated for with the reverence it deserves,” LaTourette said at an event in Trenton with the governor. “Our air, our land, our water, our wildlife, they don’t belong to the governor or to me ... these natural resources belong to the people — all of the people. You have my word that I will take good care of them for you.”
LaTourette’s appointment now awaits Senate approval.
Murphy Unveils Sweeping Gun Safety Package: Last week, Governor Murphy announced a package of proposals aimed at reducing gun violence in New Jersey. The package includes proposals to require firearms safety training, mandate storage of firearms, raise the minimum age to purchase long guns to 21 and establishes electronic ammunition sales recordkeeping. The plan also includes a $10 million proposal for community-based violence intervention.
“Half of New Jersey’s gun homicides occur in only five cities, and the number of gun crimes in these cities has skyrocketed over the last year,” said Governor Murphy. “We cannot sit back when we know there is more to do to address the danger of gun violence in our communities. By taking the steps we are announcing today, we will further commit to making every block and every street in our state safer.”
McCabe Re-nominated to Port Authority: Congratulations to RCSG partner Kevin McCabe for being re-nominated to his position on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Board of Commissioners by Governor Phil Murphy. McCabe was originally nominated to the Board by former Governor Chris Christie and joined the Board in December 2017.
Morgan Appointed to State Ethics Commission: Congratulations to RCSG’s long-time client and friend, Patricia Morgan, for being appointed to the State Ethics Commission by Governor Phil Murphy earlier this week. Patricia C. Morgan is the executive director of JerseyCAN – a non-profit organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for all New Jersey residents.
Groundbreaking for NJ’s First Offshore Wind Manufacturing Facility: This week, a groundbreaking ceremony at the Port of Paulsboro Marine Terminal in Gloucester County marked a significant milestone in delivering the largest industrial offshore wind manufacturing facility in the U.S. to date — and it comes just months after Gov. Phil Murphy announced a $250 million investment into the project.
The project is a joint venture between Ørsted and Public Service Enterprise Group and steel pipe manufacturer EEW.
Construction of the facility will be completed under a Project Labor Agreement with the South Jersey Building Trades Council, ensuring that jobs created during the construction phase will be filled by local New Jersey union tradesmen and women. EEW has contracted with more than 30 New Jersey companies in support of design, permitting, site work and concrete.
Once complete, the state-of-the-art facility will manufacture monopiles to supply the 1,100 megawatt Ocean Wind farm off the coast of southern New Jersey. EEW’s facility will create as many as 260 jobs during the first phase of construction and manufacturing. The facility is a key asset for the state. In addition to supplying Ocean Wind, it will serve the rapidly progressing U.S. offshore wind industry for years to come
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