Dear Friends and Neighbors,
This is urgent. There will be a vote to override Governor Christie's veto of the Oil Train Safety bill (A2463/S806) if we can get a commitment of enough State Senators, Republicans and Democrats, to vote to override. The Senate will vote first. The letter below will go out as a few additional groups get back to us to sign on.
TOMORROW, PLEASE CALL YOUR STATE SENATOR. Senators Weinberg and Gordon are sponsors so they don't need to be called. After you call your Senator, please call some of the Republican Senators as we need additional Republican Senators to vote for the override.
Senator Dawn Marie Addiego Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 176 Route 70, Suite 13, Medford, NJ 08055 (609) 654-1498
Senator Diane B. Allen Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 504 Route 130 North, Suite 100, Cinnaminson, NJ 08077 (856) 314-8835
Senator Christopher Bateman Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 36 East Main St., Somerville, NJ 08876 (908) 526-3600
Senator James Beach Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 1309 Route 70 West, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 (856) 429-1572
Senator Jennifer Beck Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 32 Monmouth St., 3rd Floor, Red Bank, NJ 07701 (732) 933-1591
Senator Anthony R. Bucco Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 75 Bloomfield Ave., Suite 302, 3rd Floor, Denville, NJ 07834 (973) 627-9700
Senator Gerald Cardinale Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 350 Madison Ave., Cresskill, NJ 07626 (201) 567-2324 District Office: 1069 Ringwood Ave., Suite 312, Haskell, NJ 07420 (862) 248-0491
Senator Richard J. Codey Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 66 W. Mount Pleasant Ave., Livingston, NJ 07039 (973) 535-5017
Senator Christopher J. Connors Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 620 West Lacey Rd., Forked River, NJ 08731 (609) 693-6700
Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 231 Market Street, Camden, NJ 08102 (856) 541-1251 District Office: 515 White Horse Pike, Audubon, NJ 08106 (856) 547-4800 District Office: Gloucester County Justice Complex Annex, 114 North Broad St., Woodbury, NJ 08096 (856) 853-2960
Senator Sandra B. Cunningham Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 1738 Kennedy Blvd., Jersey City, NJ 07305 (201) 451-5100
Senator Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 908 Oak Tree Ave., Unit P, South Plainfield, NJ 07080 (908) 757-1677
Senator Michael J. Doherty Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 127 Belvidere Ave., 2nd Floor, Washington, NJ 07882 (908) 835-0552 District Office: 245 Route 22, Suite 208, Bridgewater, NJ 08807 (908) 722-2427
Senator Nia H. Gill, Esq. Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 39 South Fullerton Ave., 2nd Fl., Suite 7, Montclair, NJ 07042 (973) 509-0388
Senator Robert M. Gordon Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject NOT NECESSARY to call him. District Office: 14-25 Plaza Rd., P.O. Box 398, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 (201) 703-9779
Senator Linda R. Greenstein Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 1249 South River Rd., Suite 105, Cranbury, NJ 08512 (609) 395-9911
Senator James W. Holzapfel Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 852 Highway 70, Brick, NJ 08724 (732) 840-9028
Senator Thomas H. Kean, Jr. Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 425 North Ave. East, Suite C, Westfield, NJ 07090 (908) 232-3673 District Office: 57 Union Place, Suite 310, Summit, NJ 07901 (908) 918-0414 District Office: 251 North Ave. West, 2nd Floor, Westfield, NJ 07090 (908) 232-2073
Senator Joseph M. Kyrillos, Jr. Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 10 Hwy. 35, 2nd Floor, Red Bank, NJ 07701 (732) 671-3206
Senator Raymond J. Lesniak Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 985 Stuyvesant Ave., Union, NJ 07083 (908) 624-0880 District Office: 1120 East Jersey Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201 (908) 327-9119
Senator Fred H. Madden, Jr. Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 129 Johnson Road, Suite 1, Turnersville, NJ 08012 (856) 232-6700 District Office: 1379 Chews Landing Rd., Laurel Springs, NJ 08021 (856) 401-3073
Senator Steven V. Oroho Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: One Wilson Drive, Suite 2B, Sparta, NJ 07871 (973) 300-0200 District Office: 1001 Route 517, P.O. BOX 184, Allamuchy, NJ 07820 (908) 441-6343
Senator Joseph Pennacchio Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 170 Changebridge Rd., Unit A1, Montville, NJ 07045 (973) 227-4012
Senator Nellie Pou Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 100 Hamilton Plaza, Suite1405, Paterson, NJ 07505 (973) 247-1555
Senator Ronald L. Rice Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 1044 South Orange Ave., Newark, NJ 07106 (973) 371-5665
Senator M. Teresa Ruiz Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 166 Bloomfield Ave., Newark, NJ 07104 (973) 484-1000
Senator Nicholas J. Sacco Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 9060 Palisade Ave., North Bergen, NJ 07047 (201) 295-0200
Senator Paul A. Sarlo Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 496 Columbia Blvd., 1st Floor, Wood-Ridge, NJ 07075 (201) 804-8118
Senator Nicholas P. Scutari Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 1514 E. Saint Georges Ave., 2nd Floor, Linden, NJ 07036 (908) 587-0404
Senator Robert W. Singer Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 1771 Madison Ave., Suite 202, Lakewood, NJ 08701 (732) 987-5669
Senator Bob Smith Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 216 Stelton Rd., Suite E-5, Piscataway, NJ 08854 (732) 752-0770
Senator Brian P. Stack Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 411 Palisades Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07307 (201) 721-5263 Other: (201) 376-1942 Cell
Senator Stephen M. Sweeney Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 935 Kings Highway, Suite 400, West Deptford, NJ 08086 (856) 251-9801 District Office: 199 East Broadway, 1st Floor, Suite G, Salem, NJ 08079 (856) 339-0808
Senator Samuel D. Thompson Republican Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 2501 Highway 516, Suite 101, Old Bridge, NJ 08857 (732) 607-7580
Senator Shirley K. Turner Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 1230 Parkway Ave., Suite 103, Ewing Twp., NJ 08628 (609) 323-7239
Senator Jeff Van Drew Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: School House Office Park, 211 S. Main St., Suite 104, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 (609) 465-0700 District Office: 219 High Street, Suite B, Millville, NJ 08332 (856) 765-0891 District Office: 1117 E. Landis Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360 (856) 696-7109
Senator Joseph F. Vitale Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 569 Rahway Ave., Woodbridge, NJ 07095 (732) 855-7441
Senator Loretta Weinberg Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject NOT NECESSARY to call her. District Office: 545 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, NJ 07666 (201) 928-0100
Senator Jim Whelan Democrat Votes by Bill Votes by Subject District Office: 507 Tilton Rd., Northfield, NJ 08225 (609) 383-1388
Please send us a list of Senators you called and how they plan to vote re the override. If your organization wants to sign on to this letter, let us know,
Thank you.
Paula Rogovin, Coalition to Ban Unsafe Oil Trains
Dear New Jersey State Senators and Assembly Members,
Governor Christie recently vetoed the Oil Train Safety Bill (A2463/S806), a veto for which CSX Transportation lobbied. We live, work, go to school, and do business in New Jersey. We believe that our health and safety are at risk from the oil trains. Residents and environmental groups worked alongside our elected officials to get this legislation passed. Hundreds of people signed petitions supporting this vital legislation. This bill would have gone a long way to provide transparency and to give assurance that there would be a plan to deal with our safety if an accident should occur.
As you know, the bill would have required the railroads to publicly disclose the routes and volumes of oil trains. Governor Christie said that providing information to the public and to first responders about trains carrying Bakken crude oil and other hazardous materials is a security risk. We know that the real security risk is the volatile Bakken crude oil and other hazardous materials inside the trains. We say transporting these dangerous materials over the Oradell Reservoir and other waterways, through our communities, under and over our major highways and next to Newark Liberty Airport is a real security risk. Christie uses the security argument to try to make the legislation meaningless.
As you know, S806/A2463 requires the "owner or operator of a high hazard train traveling on any railroad track within this State to submit to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) within six months of the effective date of the bill a discharge response, cleanup, and contingency plan." It is common sense to have a response, cleanup and contingency plan when there has been a history of derailments of trains carrying Bakken crude oil and other hazardous materials. When trains carrying Bakken crude oil derail, they often explode like a bomb. That’s why they are commonly referred to as “bomb” trains. Our organizations recently marked the 4th anniversary of the tragic derailment of a train carrying Bakken crude oil in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, where 47 people were vaporized, the downtown was destroyed, and waterways were polluted.
The Senate President, Stephan Sweeney, and Assembly Speaker, Vincent Prieto, have both agreed to work for an override vote of A2463/S806. We know that many of you voted for the Oil Train Safety Bill. We hope that we can count on you to over to override Governor Christie’s veto.
Can we count on you to vote for an override of A2463/S806?
Sincerely,
Already Devalued and Devastated Homeowners of Parsippany (neighborhood group against Pilgrim) Bergen SWAN
Bronx Climate Justice North Chuck Aughenbaugh, Jr,
Deputy Fire Chief’s Association (retired)
ClimateMama
Coalition Against Pilgrim Pipeline
CAPP NJ Coalition to Ban Unsafe Oil Train
Food and Water Watch NJ
Franciscan Response to Fracking
Green Party of Essex County
Hackensack Riverkeeper
NJ League of Conservation Voters
North Jersey Sierra Club
North Jersey Green Alliance
Sierra Club NJ
Social Action Committee of Temple Emeth
The New Jersey Coalition for Climate Justice.
The Resistance Café
Some of the news coverage and letters:
http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/transportation/2017/08/11/csx-lobbied-christie-officials-before-he-vetoed-oil-train-bill/553643001/
http://www.northjersey.com/videos/news/2017/07/19/video-activists-protest-christies-veto-oil-train-safety-bill/103831650/
http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/environment/2017/07/19/lawmakers-want-override-christie-veto-oil-train-transparency-bill/489293001/
http://www.northjersey.com/story/opinion/readers/2017/07/19/letter-stricter-rules-needed-oil-trains/490218001/
http://www.northjersey.com/story/opinion/readers/2017/07/22/letter-fighting-back-against-oil-train-veto/501252001/
http://www.northjersey.com/story/opinion/editorials/2017/07/17/editorial-oil-train-veto-leaves-new-jerseyans-risk/480965001/