On a recent episode of "Minding Your Business" on News 12+, Ray Cantor, Deputy Chief Government Affairs Officer at the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), discussed new land use regulations proposed by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). These rules aim to address sea level rise but have raised concerns about increased costs for homeowners and businesses, potential permitting delays, and challenges to urban redevelopment.
Cantor expressed NJBIA's position: “We’re perfectly [fine with] … taking into account future projections and making sure that we’re prepared, that we’re resilient, and that we could grow our economy with whatever is coming.” However, he criticized DEP's approach as extreme regarding sea level rise projections.
He explained the issue further: “In part, what they’re projecting is that in the year 2100, 75 years from now, they’re projecting a 5-foot sea-level rise and what they’re doing is saying ‘We think, 75 years from now, at a 17% confidence level, there’s going to be a 5-foot sea-level rise and we’re gonna make you New Jerseyans in the year 2025 comply with the standards that probably aren’t going to happen at all, but if they do happen, it’s going to be way off into the future’ and that’s going to have a tremendous impact on what you can build, where you can build, and how much it’s going to cost.”
"Minding Your Business," produced by NJBIA, is a weekly television show recognized for its excellence. It has won seven Telly Awards over three years, including a gold award in 2024 for Interview & Talk Show category.
