Christie vetoes bill aiming to ban fracking waste in N.J.

The Star-Ledger ^ | August 08, 2014 | Brent Johnson

[MikeNJ]

TRENTON — For the second time in two years, Gov. Chris Christie has vetoed a bill that would have banned the dumping of fracking waste in New Jersey.

Environmentalists and lawmakers from both parties had championed the measure, which would have prohibited companies from treating, discharging, disposing, and storing waste from hydraulic fracturing — the controversial practice of pumping water, sand, and chemicals deep underground to harvest natural gas.

Though an increase in fracking in recent years has caused U.S. energy production to spike, critics worry that the practice could pollute drinking water supplies.

And while fracking doesn't happen in New Jersey, environmentalists say it does take place in neighboring Pennsylvania. They also say companies have transported waste to at least three sites in New Jersey, in Carteret, Elizabeth, and Pennsville.

This bill (S1041/ A2108) — sponsored by four dozen lawmakers — would have outlawed that. Supporters said it also would have put safeguards in place should companies begin fracking gas deposits in western New Jersey.

But as he did in 2012, when he rejected an earlier version of the bill, Christie argued that the measure would have violated the constitutional commerce law that says states shouldn't pass laws that discriminate against one another...

[Still Thinking]

....because there’s no chemical or toxic waste in Jersey. [eyeroll]

Kudos to fat boy for vetoing something, though. So many (R) executives think God’s going to strike them dead if they veto anything.

[SunkenCiv]

But as he did in 2012, when he rejected an earlier version of the bill, Christie argued that the measure would have violated the constitutional commerce law that says states shouldn't pass laws that discriminate against one another...

Thanks MikeNJ.

[octex]

I believe it was in the Fall of 2013 on the FNC program, “The Five”, where Andrea Tantaros drank a large wine glass full of the chemical used in fracking. The chemical is non-toxic.