The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection provided the NJAPA with a draft of proposed guidance for the use of RAP on October 24th. NJAPA staff and K&L Gates, the Association’s counsel, reviewed the proposed guidance and found it to be unacceptable, as it seeks to impose restrictions that were not intended by the law and, in many cases, are in direct conflict with the law. Much of the guidance is not backed by the science and is overly burdensome. Consequently, the NJAPA sent a letter to NJDEP outlining the objections to the guidance, indicating that further comments may be forthcoming, and requesting that the NJDEP and NJAPA continue to discuss this in meetings. Please contact the NJAPA staff if you have any questions.
NJAPA Newsletter
Local Aid Meetings NJAPA Staff Meeting with Municipal Engineers, County Engineers, and County Administrators to Discuss Local Aid Program
The NJAPA, responding to the call of its members and the Commissioner of NJDOT, has met and will continue to meet with the beneficiaries of the Local Aid Program to learn where the Association can assist in ensuring that funds are spent in an efficient and timely manner. Meetings have been held with township engineers, a county manager and public works manager, and the leadership of the New Jersey Society of Municipal Engineers, and are planned with additional county and municipal engineers over the next two months.
In gathering information on the stumbling blocks to awarding local aid grants, the NJAPA hopes to serve as a conduit between the NJDOT and the grant recipients to assist in streamlining the program. All parties that we have met with have welcomed this initiative.
William J. Abbott Memorial Scholarship Application
Due to the continual support of the Scholarship fund by the membership and Board, the NJAPA is proud to announce that we will once again be able to offer the William J. Abbott Memorial Scholarships to worthy candidates.
The scholarships will be awarded to a dependent child or grandchild of an employee working for one of our member firms in good standing. The employee must have worked 1,000 hours during the prior year. Only students accepted or currently enrolled in a two or four-year college/university undergraduate or graduate program will be eligible. All undergraduate candidates must carry at least 12 credit hours for the current semester or nine credit hours for graduate level students. High school students must have been accepted to a college/university for the Fall 2019 semester. You can apply for a Scholarship every year.
Please click here to download the Scholarship Application. Completed applications must include an official transcript, a signature from the employer confirming the employee’s status, a 350 word essay of your choice and two letters of reference one of which should be from a school official. High school seniors need to include a copy of their college/university acceptance letter. You may email the application, reference letters, employee’s status, acceptance letter and essay to Stacey Lindenmuth in the NJAPA office at staceyl@njapa.com. Emailed transcripts will NOT be accepted.
The mailing address for the NJAPA office is 850 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 108, Ewing, NJ 08628 and must be postmarked to the Association by Friday, April 19, 2019.
If you have any questions, please contact Stacey Lindenmuth in the NJAPA office at (609) 838-1867 or email her at staceyl@njapa.com
Governor Christie Signs RAP Legislation
Governor Christie Signs RAP Legislation
Governor Chris Christie has signed legislation which will dramatically expand the permissible uses of Recycled Asphalt Pavement material. The bill was approved by the Assembly and Senate in the final days of the Legislative session.
Over the past year NJAPA representatives have met with nearly every member of the NJ Legislature, Representatives of DOT and DEP, the Governor’s Office, and a multitude of other interest groups as we advanced this important policy initiative. NJAPA coordinated our efforts with the NJ Concrete & Aggregate Association and thank them for their advocacy as well.
The legislation will allow RAP to be used for quarry reclamation in stone quarries, will establish a regulatory framework for quarry reclamation in sand quarries, and will allow RAP materials to be used for a host of other beneficial uses including farm roads, pothole repair, and parking lots.
Please contact the NJAPA office should you have any questions or wish to discuss this issue in more detail.
NJAPA Achieves Major Policy Success in Final Days of Legislative Session
NJAPA Achieves Major Policy Success in Final Days of Legislative Session
The New Jersey Assembly voted on the final day of the Legislative Session to approve legislation developed by NJAPA to dramatically expand the allowable uses of recycled asphalt pavements. The vote was delayed in both houses due to the recent snow storm. The Senate voted 30-0 on Friday to approve the measure and the Assembly voted to amend the bill to make it match the Assembly version and voted 70-0 for final passage on Monday. The bill now heads to Governor Christie for his consideration. At the end of a legislative session, the Constitution provides the Governor with 7 days to review and consider passed bills. Over the past year NJAPA representatives have met with nearly every member of the NJ Legislature, Representatives of DOT and DEP, the Governor’s Office, and a multitude of other interest groups as we advanced this important policy initiative. NJAPA coordinated our efforts with the NJ Concrete & Aggregate Association and thank them for their advocacy as well.
If approved, the legislation will allow RAP to be used for quarry reclamation in stone quarries, will establish a regulatory framework for quarry reclamation in sand quarries, and will allow RAP materials to be used for a host of other beneficial uses including farm roads, pothole repair, and parking lots.
NJAPA extends a tremendously well-deserved Thank You to the Sponsors of Senate Bill 3521 and Assembly Bill 5194:
• Senator Bob Gordon (D-38)
• Senator Steve Oroho (R-24)
• Senator Kip Bateman (R-16)
• Assemblyman Tim Eustace (D-38)
• Assemblyman Kevin Rooney (R-40)
• Assemblyman Jamal Holley (D-20)
• Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-19)
To view a copy of the bill click here.
We will provide additional updates as we learn more about the Governor’s position on the bill. As always, please call or email the association office with any questions or discussion.
July 4th Government Shutdown
The headlines across NJ this weekend are all focused on the shutdown of NJ State Government due to inability of the Legislature and the Governor to reach agreement for a FY2018 funding law prior to the July 1 Constitutional deadline. While all non-essential services are closed, including State Parks and Beaches, NJDOT projects will continue as planned for the immediate future.
NAPA Offers Continuing Education Opportunities
NAPA offers a variety of webinars throughout the year on various topics related to the asphalt industry. These topics range from newly released industry regulations to innovative processes and technology that can benefit your company. The NAPA webinar program will deliver the information you need to the comfort of your home or office.
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FAA Technical Center Tour
The NJAPA toured the FAA Technical Center at Atlantic City International Airport on June 6th. Attended by 16 NJAPA Members, the tour was focused on pavement research for airports.
Environmental Impacts of RAP Research Study Completed
Rowan University, in collaboration with Columbia University and the Stony Brook, has completed a 2-year study of the environmental impacts of RAP. This study was conducted on samples of RAP from stockpiles throughout New Jersey. The conclusions of the study are that RAP has no detrimental impact on the environment.
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