By Matthew Hersh
Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s pick to lead the state’s top environmental agency has outlined an ambitious agenda for Earth Week: deliver environmental results faster while maintaining the state’s strong standards for health, safety, and ecological protection.
Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Ed Potosnak joined the Watershed Institute Monday for their annual meeting at their Pennington headquarters, emphasizing the administration’s more aggressive approach to not only environmental protection, but also addressing regulatory-related project delays.
While nearly all environmental permit applications in New Jersey are ultimately approved, the process can take years, Potosnak said, and delays can come at a real cost.
“When beneficial projects are held up,” Potosnak explained, “so are the environmental gains they’re meant to deliver.”
“The longer a permit takes to go out the door, the longer we’re putting off the benefits of stream restoration, stewardship activities along our streams, and more, and that means we delay the environmental benefits along the way,” he said.
The DEP’s strategy is not to weaken oversight, but to streamline permitting timelines so that projects like wetland restoration, contaminated site cleanup, and coastal resilience improvements can move forward more quickly, Potosnak said.
Regulatory alacrity is a theme for Sherrill, who earlier in the day signed an executive order to accelerate housing production and increasing access to housing opportunities.
Delays in permitting can mean prolonged pollution exposure, stalled ecosystem recovery, and missed opportunities to strengthen communities against climate risks. By reducing bottlenecks, Potosnak said the DEP hopes to accelerate progress while maintaining rigorous review standards.
Increased and capacity investment to support this effort is essential, Potosnak said. The governor’s proposed budget, currently under review by the state legislature, includes $4.3 million to expand permitting staff, marking the first significant staffing increase at the DEP in roughly 15 years. The broader budget reflects a 2.5 percent increase for the agency.
Increasing capacity also means the need to modernize internal systems, Potosnak said. While large amounts of environmental data are already publicly available, accessing and interpreting that information can be difficult. Improving digital infrastructure and user accessibility is a key priority moving forward.
A major pillar of the DEP’s work is addressing longstanding inequities. Many communities across New Jersey have faced disproportionate exposure to pollution and environmental hazards.
To tackle this, the agency has formed an Environmental Justice Action Team, designed to coordinate efforts across departments and ensure that vulnerable communities are prioritized in decision-making and resource allocation.
“We are continuing to embody the spirit of partnership and collaboration that makes that work so successful, particularly for our vulnerable communities that bear the burden of toxic pollution and environmental racism,” Potosnak said. “The EJ Action Team and staff are working across the agency in coordination and integration of our environmental justice work. New Jersey will be better equipped to tackle the state’s most formidable challenges.”
Among the most pressing environmental challenges identified were PFAS contamination—often referred to as “forever chemicals”—and the growing threat of flooding.
PFAS pollution has become a statewide concern, but officials see it as an opportunity for New Jersey to lead nationally in both regulation and remediation.
Flooding, intensified by climate change and increasingly severe storms, affects communities across the state. The DEP is working to promote resilient infrastructure and smarter land-use planning to mitigate these impacts.
A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the importance of nature-based solutions. Rather than relying solely on traditional engineering, the DEP is investing in green infrastructure—such as wetlands restoration and floodplain reconnection—to address environmental challenges.
“These systems,” the commissioner noted, “often outperform built solutions while delivering broader ecological benefits.”
Water resource protection also remains a core mission, with the DEP’s focus remaining on drinking water safety, watershed management, and scientific monitoring, working in collaboration with universities, nonprofits, and local governments.
Potosnak also touched on rethinking aging infrastructure, as the agency evaluates the future of New Jersey’s aging dams. While some structures require rehabilitation to meet safety standards, others may be candidates for removal, Potosnak said, adding dam removal can restore natural river flows, improve fish migration, reduce flooding risks, and enhance ecosystem health.
The Watershed Institute gave awards for environmental leadership and education. Receiving the Edmund W. Stiles Environmental Leadership Award were Montgomery Township administrator Lori Savron and Montgomery Township engineer Mark Herrmann. Lauren Madden, professor of elementary science education at The College of New Jersey, received the Richard Rotter Award for Excellence in Environmental Education.
“This is not a time to despair. It’s a time to be inspired,” said Watershed Institute executive director Jim Waltman. “Our work as stewards and teachers and advocates and scientists and leaders is more important than ever. Let’s find joy in the nature that we try to protect, let’s be proud of the environmental leaders we help to foster in hopes for the world they lead someday, let’s celebrate the important work that we all do together and the joy that this work brings to so many people,” he said.