NJ Department of Environmental Protection

#ICYMI Last month, members of the AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassadors Program came together to showcase all the wonderful things they have been doing during the 2023-2024 term of service! 💧The Watershed Ambassadors program (NJWAP) is an environmental stewardship AmeriCorps program coordinated through DEP since 2000. Administered by the Division of Water Monitoring Standards and Pesticide Control's Bureau of Environmental Analysis, Restoration and Standards, NJWAP promotes environmental awareness through educational presentations in schools, implementation of community stewardship programs, and conducting biological and habitat freshwater stream assessments. The event was followed by a platform presentation on the successes of the fourth annual "Projects in the Parks" initiative - NJWAP's continued partnership with New Jersey State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites to honor National AmeriCorps Week.

We must be honest about the reality of our changing climate and act with concerted urgency to reduce emissions as we help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change that we cannot avoid. Grateful to the New Jersey State Bar Association for allowing me to address climate resilience in the latest edition of the New Jersey Lawyer. Had you been thinking of climate as an issue for the environmental lawyers, consider it one for every lawyer, and especially those engaged in the transfer, financing, development, or use of land or water resources vulnerable to climate impacts. #environmentallaw #climatechange #climateresilience #adaptation

What a fantastic event! 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ To celebrate Pride Month, DEP just wrapped up an incredible panel on “Queer Family” at our annual Pride Month event. Nearly 200 DEP employees attended in-person and virtually. The event was hosted by the DEPride employee resource group. Thanks to the panel members – Assemblywoman Luanne Peterpaul, activist Jeannine LaRue, lawyer Bill Singer and Governor’s Aide Aaron Williams – and to Commissioner Shawn LaTourette for leading the discussion. Every story was a testament to love and resilience, from chosen families to the power of acceptance. Let’s keep celebrating how we create, define and cherish family! #PrideMonth #QueerFamily #LoveisLove 

“We are family …”  Sister Sledge united everyone on the dance floor with their catchy 1979 disco track. That expression of harmony will reverberate in DEP’s 2024 #PrideMonth celebration.  During the event, hosted by our DEPride employee resource group, Commissioner Shawn LaTourette will lead a panel discussion that explores the theme of Queer Family. Panel members include N.J. Assemblywoman Luanne Peterpaul, Civil Service Commission Chair & CEO Allison Chris Myers, activist Jeannine LaRue, lawyer Bill Singer and Governor’s aide Aaron Williams, who is tasked with veterans outreach. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️DEP proudly supports our LGBTQIA+ colleagues. #Pride2024 #LoveisLove

At its June 5 Business Meeting, the Commission unanimously adopted a resolution directing staff to develop a Climate Resilience Plan that includes elements related to planning, consultation, outreach, education and rulemaking concerning climate change. Climate change impacts the Commission's mission to ensure an adequate and equitable supply of suitable quality water for Delaware River Basin water users and the environment. With the adoption of this resolution, the DRBC can move authoritatively toward developing water resources plans and policies for water resource resilience and adaptation. View the news release: https://lnkd.in/eGBFHBsU #DRBC #newsrelease #pressrelease #climatechange #climateplanning #watermanagement

Today, DEP's Dr. Gloria Post was awarded the Trailblazer Award at the National PFAS Conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan👏👏👏 Dr. Post has been working to protect the human health of NJ residents for over 35 years. She has contributed to countless studies to ensure the safety of the state’s drinking water. Of note, Dr. Post began to evaluate the health effects of PFAS twenty years ago when PFOA was first identified in NJ waters. At that time, concerns about PFAS in the environment were not well known. In 2012, Gloria and her colleagues published a manuscript concluding that health risks from exposure to very low levels of PFAS in drinking water are of concern. Although these conclusions were controversial at the time, they are now widely accepted by USEPA, other states, and the general scientific community. Congrats!

An analysis by the NJ Climate Change Resource Center shows a glimpse of who and what are potentially impacted within the NJDEP’s new Design Flood Elevation. #NJclimate #NJADAPT #Rutgers #NJclimatechange

Celebrating love, diversity and inclusion ❤️🏳️🌈 This morning, Commissioner Shawn LaTourette hosted a pride flag raising ceremony at DEP headquarters. Happy #PrideMonth! 🏳️🌈

To commemorate AAPI Heritage Month (Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month), DEP colleagues gathered on May 23 to observe the agency’s yearly celebration.  The keynote address was delivered by Sundeep Iyer, Director of the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, who shared his thoughts on what being a part of the AAPI community means to him and how it has shaped his career path. He later took questions from the audience of DEP colleagues, who asked about enforcement strategies, discrimination and public accountability. To complete the celebration, attendees also enjoyed a sampling of AAPI dishes! The event was organized by DEP’s Association for the Advancement of Asian Americans (4A) employee resource group and the DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) team.  #aapi #aapiheritagemonth  

Neurodiversity – the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways – was the subject of a virtual presentation for DEP staffers as the Department debuts it Neurodiversity employee resource group. The event explored the concept of neurodiversity and, as importantly, why it matters for our agency. DEP colleagues Lisa Congiu and Peter Revilla, who took part in the presentation, will co-chair the new ERG. They were joined by Rowan University’s Chiara Latimer and Serena Powell; Latimer is co-director of the Center for Neurodiversity and Coordinator of the Autism PATH Program at Rowan, while Powell, an Electronic Resources Specialist at Rowan University Libraries, founded and facilitates Rowan’s Neurodivergent Employee Resource Community. The mission of the Neurodiversity ERG is to expand inclusion to neurodivergent individuals and neurotypical allies, accelerate awareness through education, create a community that amplifies neurodivergent voices, and to be open to discussing nontraditional modes of operation, while also honoring privacy when preferred.