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Environmental Commission

 About the Commission

The Borough of Chatham Environmental Commission was formed in the 1970s as the Conservation Committee. The Borough of Chatham Environmental Commission is an advisory board created to help protect our natural resources. The Commission gathers information, communicates with other Borough agencies and the public, and sponsors projects to encourage the community to appreciate and enjoy our environment.

The Environmental Commission is concerned with all items on the New Jersey State Environmental Agenda: clean air; environmental quality; clean water; waste management; open space and wildlife preservation. The Environmental Commission meets on the second Wednesday of every month except August, at 8 PM at the Chatham Borough municipal building at 54 Fairmount Avenue. Residents are welcome and encouraged to attend Commission meetings, participate in or suggest Commission projects and share their concerns about our environment.

A short video on Composting in Chatham, created by Green Team Member Maddie Kaplan

 

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Regular meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Borough Hall.  Meetings are open to the public and residents are always welcomed to attend. 

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The business community is being encouraged to do its part in protecting the environment. Is your enterpise following established best practices? To learn more click on

The Environmental Commission presents its Eco-Friendly Business award annually. The Commission is currently seeking applications from interested businesses in the Borough of Chatham.  Please submit your request for consideration by October 15, 2020 via email.

The Environmental Commission is strongly opposed to the Pilgrims Pipeline Project. Certain of its members serve on the Pilgrims Pipeline Advisory Committee .

Past activities of the Chatham Borough Environmental Commission include:

• Development of an Open Space Inventory, the first step in creation of an Open Space Plan to preserve lands for conservation and recreation.
• Conducted plastic bags reduction program.

Ongoing activities of the Environmental Commission include:

• Educating residents about our environment and how to protect it.
• Anti-Idling Campaign.
• Working with Sustainable Jersey to improve our environment.
• Developing and maintaining nature trails along the Passaic River.
• Preparing an update of the Borough Environmental Resources Inventory.
• Maintaining contact with other planning and environmental committees, boards and groups in the Borough, Township and surrounding areas.

The Enviromental Commission is a member of:

• Sustainable Jersey
• Great Swamp Watershed Association
• Morris Land Conservancy
• Morris County Environmental Commissioner Network
• Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions.

We attend seminars and training offered by various State, County and local groups relative to the environment.

The Commission also sponsors projects by volunteers to help clean up our environment. Past volunteer projects have included construction of bat houses for natural mosquito control; installation of bluebird houses in park areas; extension of the Passaic River Trail; and removal of debris from Days Brook.

2020 Environmental Commission Members

The Environmental Commission is made up of seven (7) Members appointed by the Mayor and serve a 3-year term.  The Council appoints two (2)  Alternate Members who serve a 2-year term. One Member must be a Planning Board Member. The Mayor designates the Chair.  N.J.S.A. 40:56A-1 and Ord. #2011-1

Regular Member	Benjamin Lampert	01/01/2018-12/31/2020
Regular Member	Patricia Soteropoulos	01/01/2018-12/31/2020
Regular Member-  Chair	Kate Murphy	01/01/2019-12/31/2021
Regular member-  Planning Board Liaison	Torri Van Wie	01/01/2020-12/31/2021
Regular Member	Philip Kagan	01/01/2019-12/31/2021
Regular Member	Rozella Clyde (Kevin Murphy)	01/27/2020-12/31/2021
Regular Member	Yana Doyle  (Len Resto)	01/01/2019-12/31/2021
1  st  Alternate	Joseph Treloar	01/01/2019-12/31/2021
2  nd  Alternate	Susan Robertson (Robert Muir)	01/01/2020-12/31/2021
Minutes Secretary	Liz Holler
Council Liaison	Jocelyn Mathiasen	Annual Appointment 2019, 2020
Council Liaison	Len Resto	Annual Appointment 2020

 

CHATHAM BOROUGH GREEN TEAM VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS 

VISION STATEMENT

Chatham Borough will be a safe and healthy community for people to live, work and grow across the generations.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Chatham Borough Green Team seeks to nurture, support, and sustain environmentally safe and healthy practices and products; to educate the public about sustainable activities and to maintain our Sustainable Jersey policies, practices and filing deadlines.

Adopted February 18, 2020

GREEN TEAM MEMBERS

 

First Name	Last Name
Rozella	Clyde	Chair
Sandra	Demakos
Ernie	Dorflinger
Yana	Doyle
Alessia	Fascina
Rachel	Goldberg
Seema	Husain
Maddie	Kaplan
Margie	Lowe
Elisabeth	McHugh
Kate	Murphy	Vice Chair
Janice	Piccolo
Marea	Pisani
Shazia	Razzaq
Len	Resto	Council Liaison
Susie	Robertson
Patricia	Soteropoulos
Joseph	Treloar
Torri	Van Wie

Organic Lawn Care

•  Clean Water Action: Lawn Pesticides Are Not Safe or Necessary
Green Team

•  Green Challenge actions environmental impact (pdf)
•  Rain.Garden.Brochure.Rutgers (pdf)
•  Rain.Barrels.Brochure,Rutgers (pdf)
•  Green Buildings Policy (pdf)
•  Green Grounds and Maintenance Policy (pdf)
•  Grass Cut It and Leave It Brochure (pdf)
•  Grass Cut It and Leave It! (pdf)
•  Morris County Municipal Utility Authority (MCMUA) Website
•  Morris County MUA Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Events
•  Sustainable Jersey
Useful Links

•  Medication Disposal
•  US Geological Survey - Passaic River Gauging Station
•  NJDEP DroughtWatch
•  NJ DEP - Clean Water NJ