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DEP defends RGGI benefits, updates monitoring and emissions rules
Summary
DEP officials told industry audiences the state will maintain RGGI participation and outlined near-term rule updates including a tech manual for continuous emissions monitoring, the third RGGI program review timeline, and plans for community mobile air monitoring in overburdened neighborhoods.
Department of Environmental Protection officials used the AWMA regulatory update to summarize air‑quality and climate work, and to respond to stakeholder questions about monitoring and enforcement. Assistant Commissioner Paul Waldorf said RGGI auctions have generated nearly $1 billion since 2019 and that almost all proceeds have funded projects in environmental‑justice communities; he signaled the third program‑review model rule will require states to adopt conforming rules by Jan. 1, 2027, with first auctions reflecting changes in March 2027.
Rochelle Wormley, director of air enforcement, outlined enforcement capacity and monitoring updates: her bureau handled roughly 4,100 incident reports in FY25, conducts both major and targeted minor‑source inspections, and published an updated Tech Manual (0100) for continuous emission and periodic monitoring; the manual was placed for public comment on 11/17/2025 with comments due Dec. 17. Wormley said the agency is pursuing an alternate compliance monitoring strategy that would allow more frequent attention to synthetic minor and minor sources, which historically account for a higher share of observed violations.
Peg Hanna described a US EPA‑funded community mobile air monitoring project that will equip a van with sensors to measure criteria pollutants and air toxics on repeated drives through selected overburdened communities (Newark South Ward, Newark Ironbound, Elizabeth, Camden Waterfront). "The van is going to be equipped with sensors that measure air pollution as it drives through the city," Hanna said; DEP plans winter and summer campaigns in 2026 and repeat them in 2027, then publish maps and geospatial analyses for public review.
Why it matters: RGGI funding and monitoring decisions affect local air‑quality programs and community protections; the tech manual and CMS strategies influence how industry demonstrates compliance. The mobile monitoring pilot will supply higher‑resolution, community‑level data that can inform enforcement and engagement.
