By Michael Daigle

Excerpt from page 4: "Jeana Wirtenberg, president and chief executive officer of Transitioning to Green, a sustainability consulting company, said she views Martin’s efforts as “the beginning of a conversation.” Wirtenberg said she understands there is a perceived tension between promoting environmental rules and job creation at the same time but is encouraged by Martin’s inclusion of green energy initiatives in the DEP’s plans. She said her company is beginning to become more involved with the department’s office of Green Energy and Economic Development, whose stated goal is to promote green energy efforts that could lead to more sustainable job growth. Wirtenberg added she is supportive of Martin’s efforts to make the vast department more responsive, and its decisions and processes more transparent." End of excerpt on page 4.

It is a simple job being commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). It just does not seem that way. On any given day, Bob Martin must address old environmental problems, such as how to reactivate sites that could be used for job creation once a solution has been found for their pollution, or tackle new challenges, such as how to implement Gov. Chris Christie’s drive for the development of renewable energy sources that could spur job growth.

What links all tasks is the connection between environmental enforcement and the creation of good-paying jobs, Martin told an audience of the Morris County of Chamber of Commerce earlier this month. Yet Martin also was clear on another major point: He is not in the job to dismantle the state’s environmental laws but rather to make their application more effective by way of a less problematic and more timely application process and targeted enforcement. LEARN MORE