Precautionary Principle Conference

A Conference Presented By

The Environmental Education Fund
The Environmental Studies Program of Seton Hall University
with support from
The Science and Environmental Health Network and
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)

Reversing Environmental Damage and Improving Public Health
with the
Precautionary Principle

Seton Hall University
400 South Orange Avenue
South Orange, NJ 07079

Main Lounge: University Center
9 AM until 4:45 PM

Why this conference?

New Jersey has been struggling for 25 years to overcome the legacy of contamination remaining from its industrial past. Nearly 15,000 contaminated sites have been identified across the state. In recent years, schools, day care centers, commercial buildings and residential housing have been built on contaminated land.

Meanwhile much of the state remains out of compliance with federal clean air standards, many of the state's streams are contaminated with low levels of pharmaceutical drugs and many fish are contaminated with toxic mercury and PCBs.

Furthermore, we have some of the nation's highest disease rates for cancer and chronic lung disease. Asthma, diabetes, attention deficits, and autism increasingly afflict our children.

Finally, an explosion of growth and development threatens to create water shortages, flooding and erosion.

We now know that all these problems are both difficult and expensive to remedy after they have been allowed to develop. Perhaps it is time to consider a different approach to making decisions, to improve our ability to look ahead and prevent trouble. That is the focus of this conference.

In other jurisdictions, the precautionary principle is beginning to provide a foundation for a new approach to decisions -- taking action to prevent harm. What is this new principle for decision-making? How could it be applied in New Jersey?

Come to this conference to learn more.

Conference Agenda -

8:15 AM - Check-in

9:00 AM - Welcome
Brenda Holzinger, President, Environmental Education Fund

9:15 AM - Keynote Address
Lois Marie Gibbs, Executive Director, Center for Health, Environment & Justice -
The Precautionary Principle: Protecting Public Health and the Environment -
Lessons from Love Canal

9:45 AM - Presentations: Science and Policy Issues; Examining Conflicts and Controversial approaches to precaution; Need for transparency.

Dr. Adam M. Finkel, Visiting Professor of Public Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University and Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health, UMDNJ School of Public Health. As the OSHA Regional Administrator in Denver, Finkel was removed from his job because he revealed OSHA inspectors were being denied adequate health protection. Since then several inspectors have been affected by beryllium exposure. Beryllium causes an incurable and potentially fatal lung disease.

Dr. Theodore Schettler, Science Director, Science & Environmental Health Network - Connections Between Human and Ecological Health

Robert P. Spiegel, Executive Director, Edison Wetlands Association, Inc. EWA is nationally recognized as creating the National model for effective grassroots advocacy - Contamination in Public Schools

11:15 AM - Panel Discussion: Precautionary Principle: Precaution v Traditional Risk Assessment;
This session will compare and contrast the different approaches to precaution and risk management between the EU, the US and California.

Panelists: Dr. Montague, Lois Gibbs, Dr. Schettler, Dr. Finkel, and Robert Spiegel

Moderator: Dr. Michael Taylor

12:00 PM - Lunch
Speaker - Joe Morris, Interfaith Community Organization, Hoboken, NJ - Empowering Citizens to Protect Communities

1:30 PM - Presentations: Examining Conflicts and Controversies threatening progress towards a healthier and sustainable future.

Jeff Ruch, Executive Director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) -
Role of Whistleblower in deterring fraud and ensuring accountability; patchwork of laws protecting whistleblowers; recent court decision threatens public trust.

Dr. Michael Taylor, Director, Environmental Studies Program, Seton Hall University -
Calculating Costs & Benefits

John Thonet, P.E., Thonet & Associates -
An Example of Precaution in New Jersey: The Highlands Water Planning & Protection Act - Will the Regional Master Plan Reflect the Intent?

3:00 PM - Break

3:15 PM - Panel Discussion: Remediation/Development - Using Precaution as the Guiding Decision-Making Tool in New Jersey.
The panel will address the different legal and political perspectives on the precautionary approach. The session will also invite discussion on societal, economic, and scientific differences between states and other countries.

Brenda Holzinger, Moderator

Panelist: Bradley M. Campbell, John Thonet, Jeff Ruch and Thomas McKee

4:30 PM - Closing Remarks: How can the public help to make the Precautionary Principle the guiding framework for environmental decisions?

... After the Conference, please join the Board of Directors
of the New Jersey Environmental Lobby

in the Chancellor's Suite for the 2008 Awards Reception - 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Frank J. Oliver Environmental Award
Environmental Legacy Award
Volunteer of the Year

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED INFORMATION!

Registration - Environmental Education Fund
Precautionary Principle Conference
Monday, March 3, 2008 - 9:00 AM (check in begins 8:15)

Conference Fees - Early registrations for the full day conference will include a copy of Precautionary Tools for Reshaping Environmental Policy, Edited by Nancy J. Myers and Carolyn Raffensperger.

$130 - combination ticket - all day conference registration & evening Awards Reception

$100 - all day conference registration only (includes lunch and break refreshments)

$75 - half day registration (morning or afternoon session, includes lunch)

NJEL members whose dues are current save an additional $10 on any conference registration. If you are not sure that your dues are current, call NJEL at 609-396-3774 or email njel@earthlink.net

A limited number of discounted Student registrations are available. For information, please call the EEF office at 609-396-3774 or email to njel@earthlink.net.

Please complete registration form below and mail with check made payable to:

Environmental Education Fund
204 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
njel@earthlink.net

Telephone: 609-396-3774 or 609-894-4113

Registration Remittance Form - Environmental Education Fund
Precautionary Principle Conference

Reception tickets may be reserved until February 25. To be included in the Program Journal, sponsorships and advertising must be received by February 18.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Name_________________________________________________________

Affiliation (if applicable) ____________________________________________________

Address _________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Telephone:_______________________Email___________________________________

Early Registration Fees (Must be received by February 8th, 2008):

___ Combination Ticket @ $115 ___ Full Day Conference Only @ $80

___ Half Day Conference and Lunch @ $60 _____AM session or _____PM session

Regular Registration:

___ Combination Ticket @ $130 ___ Full Day Conference Only @ $95 ___ Half Day @ $75

___ I am an NJEL member and have deducted an additional $10 from my conference fee

To purchase tickets for the NJEL Awards Reception without a conference registration,
and for NJEL Reception Sponsorships & Advertising, CLICK HERE!

A limited amount of parking will be available on the campus of Seton Hall University. The New Jersey Transit Commuter Rail station, serving the Boonton and Morris-Essex Lines, is in downtown South Orange, approximately .8 of a mile from the University. Information regarding parking, shuttles from the commuter rail station, and AMTRAK service to Penn Station in Newark, NJ will be available to registrants prior to the Conference. For information on bus service to Seton Hall University, visit www.njtransit.com

The Environmental Education Fund

The Environmental Education Fund was established in 1982 as the research and education arm of the New Jersey Environmental Lobby. EEF's philosophy is that regulations and legislation will have limited success unless environmental awareness becomes part of everyday life. The keys to that awareness are education and information.

Past projects of EEF have included:

* Campaigns for the renewal of the Transportation Trust Fund and anti-sprawl land use and transportation policies
* Programs to teach students how the legislative process can be used by citizens to protect the environment; programs on non-point source pollution and Integrated Pest Management (IPM), including guiding students in projects that introduced IPM to their school districts
* Publication of Getting to Maybe, the definitive guide to environmental consensus building
* Sponsorship and promotion of the Tour de Sol and a lead organizer of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Coalition
* Founding member of the Environmental Fund for NJ, now EarthShare NJ, an environmental workplace giving federation.

EEF's current projects include:

* www.njenvironment.org, a website devoted to providing residents of New Jersey with information about environmental issues
* "Green Town USA," an award recognizing New Jersey municipalities that meet specific environmental policy and practice criteria
* Presentations to students and adults, using watershed models to instruct about watersheds, point and non-point source pollution, and wastewater treatment
* Publication of brochures and other printed and electronic material, providing information on ways that individuals can reduce pollution in their own environments.



	SAVE THE DATE! Monday March 3rd, 2008
	A Conference Presented By The Environmental Education Fund The Environmental Studies Program of Seton Hall University with support from The Science and Environmental Health Network and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) Reversing Environmental Damage and Improving Public Health with the Precautionary Principle Seton Hall University 400 South Orange Avenue South Orange, NJ 07079 Main Lounge: University Center 9 AM until 4:45 PM Why this conference? New Jersey has been struggling for 25 years to overcome the legacy of contamination remaining from its industrial past. Nearly 15,000 contaminated sites have been identified across the state. In recent years, schools, day care centers, commercial buildings and residential housing have been built on contaminated land. Meanwhile much of the state remains out of compliance with federal clean air standards, many of the state's streams are contaminated with low levels of pharmaceutical drugs and many fish are contaminated with toxic mercury and PCBs. Furthermore, we have some of the nation's highest disease rates for cancer and chronic lung disease. Asthma, diabetes, attention deficits, and autism increasingly afflict our children. Finally, an explosion of growth and development threatens to create water shortages, flooding and erosion. We now know that all these problems are both difficult and expensive to remedy after they have been allowed to develop. Perhaps it is time to consider a different approach to making decisions, to improve our ability to look ahead and prevent trouble. That is the focus of this conference. In other jurisdictions, the precautionary principle is beginning to provide a foundation for a new approach to decisions -- taking action to prevent harm. What is this new principle for decision-making? How could it be applied in New Jersey? Come to this conference to learn more. *Conference Agenda -* 8:15 AM - Check-in 9:00 AM - Welcome Brenda Holzinger, President, Environmental Education Fund 9:15 AM - Keynote Address Lois Marie Gibbs, Executive Director, Center for Health, Environment & Justice - The Precautionary Principle: Protecting Public Health and the Environment - Lessons from Love Canal 9:45 AM - Presentations: Science and Policy Issues; Examining Conflicts and Controversial approaches to precaution; Need for transparency. Dr. Adam M. Finkel, Visiting Professor of Public Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University and Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health, UMDNJ School of Public Health. As the OSHA Regional Administrator in Denver, Finkel was removed from his job because he revealed OSHA inspectors were being denied adequate health protection. Since then several inspectors have been affected by beryllium exposure. Beryllium causes an incurable and potentially fatal lung disease. Dr. Theodore Schettler, Science Director, Science & Environmental Health Network - Connections Between Human and Ecological Health Robert P. Spiegel, Executive Director, Edison Wetlands Association, Inc. EWA is nationally recognized as creating the National model for effective grassroots advocacy - Contamination in Public Schools 11:15 AM - Panel Discussion: Precautionary Principle: Precaution v Traditional Risk Assessment; This session will compare and contrast the different approaches to precaution and risk management between the EU, the US and California. Panelists: Dr. Montague, Lois Gibbs, Dr. Schettler, Dr. Finkel, and Robert Spiegel Moderator: Dr. Michael Taylor 12:00 PM - Lunch Speaker - Joe Morris, Interfaith Community Organization, Hoboken, NJ - Empowering Citizens to Protect Communities 1:30 PM - Presentations: Examining Conflicts and Controversies threatening progress towards a healthier and sustainable future. Jeff Ruch, Executive Director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) - Role of Whistleblower in deterring fraud and ensuring accountability; patchwork of laws protecting whistleblowers; recent court decision threatens public trust. Dr. Michael Taylor, Director, Environmental Studies Program, Seton Hall University - Calculating Costs & Benefits John Thonet, P.E., Thonet & Associates - An Example of Precaution in New Jersey: The Highlands Water Planning & Protection Act - Will the Regional Master Plan Reflect the Intent? 3:00 PM - Break 3:15 PM - Panel Discussion: Remediation/Development - Using Precaution as the Guiding Decision-Making Tool in New Jersey. The panel will address the different legal and political perspectives on the precautionary approach. The session will also invite discussion on societal, economic, and scientific differences between states and other countries. Brenda Holzinger, Moderator Panelist: Bradley M. Campbell, John Thonet, Jeff Ruch and Thomas McKee 4:30 PM - Closing Remarks: How can the public help to make the Precautionary Principle the guiding framework for environmental decisions? ... After the Conference, please join the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Environmental Lobby in the Chancellor's Suite for the 2008 Awards Reception - 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM Frank J. Oliver Environmental Award Environmental Legacy Award Volunteer of the Year CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED INFORMATION! Registration - Environmental Education Fund Precautionary Principle Conference Monday, March 3, 2008 - 9:00 AM (check in begins 8:15) *Conference Fees* - Early registrations for the full day conference will include a copy of Precautionary Tools for Reshaping Environmental Policy, Edited by Nancy J. Myers and Carolyn Raffensperger. $130 - combination ticket - all day conference registration & evening Awards Reception $100 - all day conference registration only (includes lunch and break refreshments) $75 - half day registration (morning or afternoon session, includes lunch) NJEL members whose dues are current save an additional $10 on any conference registration. If you are not sure that your dues are current, call NJEL at 609-396-3774 or email njel@earthlink.net A limited number of discounted Student registrations are available. For information, please call the EEF office at 609-396-3774 or email to njel@earthlink.net. Please complete registration form below and mail with check made payable to: Environmental Education Fund 204 West State Street Trenton, NJ 08608 njel@earthlink.net Telephone: 609-396-3774 or 609-894-4113 Registration Remittance Form - Environmental Education Fund Precautionary Principle Conference Reception tickets may be reserved until February 25. To be included in the Program Journal, sponsorships and advertising must be received by February 18. Monday, March 3, 2008 Name_________________________________________________________ Affiliation (if applicable) ____________________________________________________ Address _________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Telephone:_______________________Email___________________________________ Early Registration Fees (Must be received by February 8th, 2008): ___ Combination Ticket @ $115 ___ Full Day Conference Only @ $80 ___ Half Day Conference and Lunch @ $60 _____AM session or _____PM session Regular Registration: ___ Combination Ticket @ $130 ___ Full Day Conference Only @ $95 ___ Half Day @ $75 ___ I am an NJEL member and have deducted an additional $10 from my conference fee To purchase tickets for the NJEL Awards Reception without a conference registration, and for NJEL Reception Sponsorships & Advertising, CLICK HERE! A limited amount of parking will be available on the campus of Seton Hall University. The New Jersey Transit Commuter Rail station, serving the Boonton and Morris-Essex Lines, is in downtown South Orange, approximately .8 of a mile from the University. Information regarding parking, shuttles from the commuter rail station, and AMTRAK service to Penn Station in Newark, NJ will be available to registrants prior to the Conference. For information on bus service to Seton Hall University, visit www.njtransit.com The Environmental Education Fund The Environmental Education Fund was established in 1982 as the research and education arm of the New Jersey Environmental Lobby. EEF's philosophy is that regulations and legislation will have limited success unless environmental awareness becomes part of everyday life. The keys to that awareness are education and information. Past projects of EEF have included: * Campaigns for the renewal of the Transportation Trust Fund and anti-sprawl land use and transportation policies * Programs to teach students how the legislative process can be used by citizens to protect the environment; programs on non-point source pollution and Integrated Pest Management (IPM), including guiding students in projects that introduced IPM to their school districts * Publication of Getting to Maybe, the definitive guide to environmental consensus building * Sponsorship and promotion of the Tour de Sol and a lead organizer of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Coalition * Founding member of the Environmental Fund for NJ, now EarthShare NJ, an environmental workplace giving federation. EEF's current projects include: * www.njenvironment.org, a website devoted to providing residents of New Jersey with information about environmental issues * "Green Town USA," an award recognizing New Jersey municipalities that meet specific environmental policy and practice criteria * Presentations to students and adults, using watershed models to instruct about watersheds, point and non-point source pollution, and wastewater treatment * Publication of brochures and other printed and electronic material, providing information on ways that individuals can reduce pollution in their own environments.