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Committee advances bill to limit light pollution on state-funded projects
Summary
A State and Local Government committee released A2196 after testimony from environmental and public-health advocates. The measure would set definitions and limits for outdoor lighting on state-funded projects, including color-temperature and lumen restrictions to reduce light trespass and protect wildlife and sleep health.
A committee of the State Legislature on Monday released A2196, a bill that would require outdoor lighting fixtures installed or replaced on state-funded projects to meet new definitions and performance limits intended to curb light pollution.
Provisions in the bill set definitions for backlight, uplight and glare; revise definitions of energy conservation and full cutoff fixtures; cap correlated color temperature of covered fixtures and set lumen and insect-impact limits for brighter fixtures. Advocates told the committee the standards aim to protect human sleep cycles and wildlife and could deliver municipal energy savings.
Jonathan Wool and John Kashwick, representing dark-sky and Sierra Club interests, testified in favor, citing research that excessive nighttime lighting disrupts circadian rhythms, affects pollinators and other wildlife, and can be addressed with controls and more targeted lighting. A witness who identified herself as chair of the New Jersey chapter’s Light Pollution and Dark Skies Committee said cities that implemented targeted controls saw both environmental and cost benefits.
The prime sponsor, who spoke on behalf of the measure, said the bill balances public safety and efficiency by putting light where it is needed and limiting unnecessary night-time illumination. She moved the bill for committee action; the committee then recorded a roll-call vote and the clerk announced the bill was released.
Next steps: the bill was released by the committee for further action in the legislative process.
