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Public urges county to back Climate Superfund Act; commissioners decline to pass resolution
Summary
Multiple public commenters asked the Bergen County Board of Commissioners to support the Climate Superfund Act; the board said it would not pass a formal resolution, citing limits of county authority and the administration's preference for an energy action plan instead.
At the Feb. 19 meeting of the Bergen County Board of Commissioners, several members of the public urged the board to adopt a resolution supporting the Climate Superfund Act; the board responded that it would not place a formal resolution on the agenda and said it is pursuing an energy action plan instead.
Members of the public, including Paula Rogovin of Teaneck, Lisa Rose of Teaneck and Chris Nowell of Fort Lee, told the board that municipal resolutions backing the Climate Superfund Act have been passed in other New Jersey towns and urged Bergen County to follow suit. They argued the measure would make polluters pay for climate-related cleanup and help address storm damage and community impacts.
"This bill would make the polluters pay for people for this district, for people in Bergen County," Paula Rogovin said during public comment, warning of storms, property loss and threats to veterans' services.
Chairwoman Amoroso said the decision not to pass a formal resolution did not mean the county was silent on climate issues. She said Bergen County is "formulating an energy action plan" intended to address climate concerns and that the administration prefers to avoid spending taxpayer dollars on a resolution the county cannot enforce.
"We're just not spending taxpayer dollars to pass a resolution where we don't have authority to enact that resolution," Amoroso said, adding that the administration is taking other actions within the county's purview.
Several speakers said they had coordinated local support for the Climate Superfund Act and wanted the board to make a public stand. Chris Nowell said the board—s refusal felt like an abdication of leadership and questioned the process given that the draft had been reviewed by county counsel.
The board took no formal vote on the Climate Superfund Act resolution; commissioners approved a consent agenda of unrelated resolutions later in the meeting. Chairwoman Amoroso and county staff emphasized the county will pursue policy and operational steps they say fall within county authority rather than adopt symbolic resolutions that would carry implementation costs.
Speakers: Paula Rogovin, Lisa Rose, Chris Nowell (resident spelling given in transcript).
