Click on either the acronym or full name for more information.

7Q10

The lowest 7-day average hydrological flow that occurs (on average) once every 10 years.

Flow of water in a stream during prolonged dry weather.

ACE

Atlantic City Electric

ACEEE

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

ACO

Administrative Consent Order

ACUA

Atlantic County Utilities Authority

ACOE

Army Core of Engineers

ALEC

American Legislative Exchange Council - CONSERVATIVE

ANJEE

Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education

ANJEC

Association of NJ Environmental Commissions

API

American Petroleum Institute

ARC

Access to the Region's Core - Trans-Hudson Rail Tunnel

ARCS

Assessment and Remediation of Contaminated Sediments

ANWAR

A common misspelling of ANWR.

ANWR

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

ARB

California Air Resources Board

ASMFC

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commmissions

ATV

All Terrain Vehicles

BERA

Baseline Ecological Risk Assessment

BGS Auction

Basic Generation Service Auction to procure electrical supply for customers who did not switch to a competitive retailer.

BLM

Bureau Of Land Management

BOD

Sierra Club Board of Directors

BOEM

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

BPU

Board of Public Utilities

C1 Waterway

Category 1 Waterway

C3

IRS Code section 501(c)(3) - Non-profit funds allowing tax deductions for contributions. e.g. Sierra Club Foundation.

C4

IRS Code section 501(c)(4) - Non-profit funds NOT allowing tax deductions for contributions.

CAFE

Corporate Average Fuel Economy

CAFRA

Coastal Area Facility Review Act

CAA

Clean Air Act Extension of 1970

CAPP

Coalition To Stop Pilgrim Pipeline

CBT

Corporate Business Tax

CEQ

Council on Environmental Quality

CERCLA

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

Commonly known as Superfund.

CCL

Sierra Club Council of Club Leaders - Rich Isaac

CD

Congressional District - National

CDBG

Community Development Block Grant Program. HUD

CDBGDRA

Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Action Plan

CDSI

Conservation Delivery Streamlining Initiative

CFD

Carbon Fee and Dividend

CMP

Comprehensive Master Plan

or Comprehensive Management Plan

COAH

Council on Affordable Housing

CSO

Combined Sewer Overflow

CWA

Clean Water Act

CWA

Communications Workers of America

CWF

Clean Water Fund

DCA

Department of Community Affairs

DEC

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

DEP

Department of Environmental Protection

D&R Canal

Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission

DG

Distributed Generation

DOE

Department of Energy

DOI

Department of Interior

DOT

Department of Transportation

DRBC

Delaware River Basin Commission

DRCC

Delaware & Raritan Canal Commission

DRN

Delaware Riverkeeper Network

EDA

Economic Development Authority

EA

Environmental Assessment

ECG

East Coast Greenway

EDC

Electric Distribution Companies

EELC

Eastern Environmental Law Center

EIA

Environmental Impact Assessment

EIS

Environmental Impact Statement

EJAC

Environmental Justice Advisory Council

ELC

Environmental Law Clinic

EMP

Energy Master Plan

EPA

Environmental Protection Agency - Fed

EPAct

Energy Policy Act of 2005

EIR

Environmental Resource Inventory (Highlands)

ERA

Ecological Risk Assessment

ERO

Electric Reliability Organization

EV

Electric Vehicle

EWA

Edison Wetlands Association

FAC

Federal Advisory Committee

F&WW

Food and Water Watch

FEIS

Final EIS - Final Environmental Impact Statement

FEMA

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FERC

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

FLREA

Federal Land Recreation Enhancement Act

FOIA

Freedom of Information Act

FONSI

Finding of No Significant Impact

FSC

Forest Stewardship Council

FWS

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI)

GEHWA

Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association

FRIP

Field Recruitment Incentive Program (Sierra Club Group)

GHG

Greenhouse Gases

GIS

Geographic Information Systems

GMO

Genetically modified organism

GPEP

Global Population and Environment Program - SC

GSPT

Garden State Preservation Trust - State of New Jersey

GW

GigaWatt (A billion watts)

GW

Ground Water

HDCs

Highlands Development Credits

HHRA

Human Health Risk Assessment

HOT

High Occupancy Toll

HOV

High Occupancy Vehicle

HR...

House Resolution - prefix for bill numbers in the House of Representatives

HUC11

11 Digit Hydrologic Unit Code

HUC14

14 Digit Hydrologic Unit Code

HUD

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

HUD

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

ICO

Inspiring Connections Outdoors (Formerly Inner City Outings)

IGW

Impact to Groundwater Standard (see PWTA)

IGWSRS

Impact to Groundwater Soil Remediation Standard

IPCC

U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

IHGS

Intelligent Vehicle/Highway Systems

ITS

Intelligent Transportation Systems

JCP&L

Jersey Central Power and Light

KIG

Keep it Green

Keystone XL (KXL)

Keystone oil pipeline extension

From the Keystone terminal in Canada to Texas

kWh

Kilowatt-Hours - Standard unit for billing electrical usage

LCAPP

Long Term Capacity Agreement Pilot Program - NJ. Financial incentives for building new power plants.

LCV

League of Conservation Voters

LD

Legislative District - State Senate and Assembly Districts

LEED

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - (US Green Building Council)

LNG

Liquified Natural Gas

LOI

Letter of interpretation

LTE

Letter to the Editor

LUL

Land Use Law

LWG

League of Women Voters

MCL

Maximum Contaminant Levels

MERI

Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute

MLUL

NJ Municipal Land Use Law

MOA

Memorandum of Agreement

MOU

Memorandum of Understanding

MW

MegaWatts - A Million Watts

NEPA

National Environmental Policy Act

NERA

National Economic Research Associates

NERC

North American Electric Reliability Council

NIETC

National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor

NIMBY

Not in My Back Yard

N.J.A.C

New Jersey Administrative Code

NJAC

New Jersey Association of Counties

NJEF

New Jersey Environmental Federation

NJDEP

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

NJCF

New Jersey Conservation Foundation

NJDEPE

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy

NJEDA

NJ Economic Development Authority

NJDEPES

A common misspelling of NJPDES

NJLOM

NJ League of Municipalities

NJPDES

New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

NJNG

New Jersey Natural Gas

NJSC

New Jersey Sierra Club

NPDES

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

NPS

National Park Service (DOI)

NRA

National Recreation Area (e.g. Delaware Water Gap & Gateway)

NRA

National Rifle Association

NPS

National Park Service

NRCS

Natural Resources Conservation Service (nrcs.usda.gov) New Jersey

NRD

Natural Resource Damages

NRDA

Natural Resource Damage Assessment

NRDC

National Resources Defense Council

NREL

National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

NRRB

EPA's National Remedy Review Board

NWF

National Wildlife Federation

NWR

National Wildlife Refuge

NSPS

New Source Performance Standards - Air pollution emission standards

OCC

Ocean County College

OPRA

Open Public Records Act

ORD

Office of Resource Development (DEP)

ORECs

Offshore Renewable Energy Credits

OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration - Home

OWEDA

Offshore Wind Economic Development Act

PACE

Property Assessed Clean Energy

PCM

People's Climate March

PEER

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (NJ)

PILOT

Payment in Lieu of Taxes
funding for municipalities with preserved open space.

Pinelands CMP

Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan

PMC

Pinelands Municipal Council

PPA

Pinelands Preservation Alliance

PJM

Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection

an independent regional transmission organizations (RTO) coordinating the movement of power through the transmission network across and within its region and reporting to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

PSE&G

Public Service Electric and Gas

PWTA

Private Well Testing Act

RCRA

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

REC

Renewable Energy Certificate

RGGI

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

RECO

Rockland Electric Company

RES

Renewable Energy Standard (See also RPS)

RMP

Regional Master Plan

ROSI

Recreation and Open Space Inventory - Green Acres

RPS

Renewable Portfolio Standard

RRC

Rural Residential Center

RREM

Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, Elevation and Mitigation

RRO

Regional Reliability Organizations - NREC Regional Entities

RTO

Regional Transmission Organization e.g. PJM

Single stream

Put all recyclables together

SADC

State Agriculture Development Committee

SEIU

Service Employees International Union

SIP

State Implementation Plan

SJG

South Jersey Gas

SHPO

State Historic Preservation Office

SAGE

Sustainability and Green Energy

SLAPP

Strategic lawsuits against public participation

SREC

Solar Renewable Energy Credits

SPLP

Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure

SVOCs

Semi-VOCs

TCIA

Tree Care Industry Association

TDM

Transportation Demand Management

TDR

Transfer of Development Rights

TEAC

Transmission Expansion Advisory Committee

TGP

Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company

TID

Transit Improvement Districts

TMDL

Total Maximum Daily Load

TOD

Transit Oriented Development

TPL

Trust for Public Land

TPP

Trans-Pacific Partnership

Transco

Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company, LLC, a division of TWA - Williams Energy

(see Leidy Southeast Expansion Project)

USDA

U.S. Department of Agriculture

USFS

U.S. Forest Service (part of USDA)

VOC

Volatile Organic Compounds

VTM

Vehicle Miles Traveled>

WIPA

Water Infrastructure Protection Act

WMA

Watershed Management Area

WMA

Wildlife Management Area

WQMP

Water Quality Management Plan

Other Terms: From "Land Use and Preservation in New Jersey: A Beginner's Guide" and other sources.

C1 Waterway: Category One Waterway. Classification used for a waterway determined to be of high environmental value, and offering it the highest level of protection in the state, including a three hundred foot buffer between the water's edge and any new development.

Clean Water Act: Federal legislation authorizing the Environmental Protection Agency primary responsibility for regulating the release of pollutants into U.S. waterways. New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection assumed responsibility for Clean Water Act regulations.

DEP: The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; the state agency that oversees the regulation of environmental laws.

Endangered Species: Species whose prospects for survival are in immediate danger and thus need assistance to prevent future extinction. Species can be listed at the Federal level, State level, or both.

Environmental Assessment (EA): Short report detailing the proposed development plan, the site, and potential environmental impacts. There are three outcomes: a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI); a Mitigated FONSI (in which the project can go forward provided some changes are made); and the need for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): Detailed document, required under the federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), describing the proposed project, environmental, demographic and economic impacts, and all possible alternatives. An EIS requires public hearings after the draft (DEIS) is released. All questions asked by the public and by private agencies during the comment period must be answered in writing before the final EIS (FEIS) is released.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Mapping technology that allows the user to create and interact with a variety of maps and data sources.

Green Acres Program: New Jersey's Green Acres Program provides a source of matching funds for counties and municipalities to preserve open space for passive and active recreation.

Ground WaterRainwater runoff that seeps into the ground to become ground water. Ground water moves into water-filled layers of porous geologic formations called aquifers.Historic Designation : Local or state recognition deeming a site, structure, or area as having historical, archaeological or architectural significance.

IMAP: A brand of GIS mapping software.

LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. A certification process for environmentally-friendly and energy efficient buildings developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).

Master Plan: A document describing the land use rules for every parcel in a municipality

MLUL: Municipal Land Use Law, New Jersey's set of rules that govern development.

NIMBY : Stands for "Not in My Back Yard" and refers to an organization or person opposing a development only because it is in their immediate area.

Nonpoint Source PollutionContamination that results from everyday activities such as fertilizing the lawn, walking pets, changing motor oil and littering. With each rainfall, pollutants generated by these activities are washed into storm drains that flow into our waterways and ocean.Open Space: Land in a predominantly open and undeveloped condition that is suitable for use as a natural area, wildlife and native plant habitat, or for passive or active recreation. Open space can include wetlands, watersheds, and stream corridors.

Ordinance: A municipal regulation or requirement. A zoning ordinance, for example, details what can and cannot be built in specific areas of a municipality.

Permit: A formal document granting permission. Permits are issued by municipalities, states, and by the federal government.

Pro Bono: Latin, "for the good." In legal terms, pro bono means "at no cost."

Riparian AreaRiparian areas are ecosystems adjacent to a river or waterway that, in an undisturbed state, provide habitat for wildlife and help improve water quality. Riparian areas are usually transitional zones between wetland and upland areas and are generally comprised of grasses, shrubs, trees, or a mix of vegetation types that exist within a variety of landscapes (e.g., natural, agricultural, forested, suburban, and urban).ROSI: Recreation and Open Space Inventory. A listing of all Green Acres-funded properties as well as all other municipal land held for conservation and/or recreation purposes.

SLAPP: Strategic Lawsuit against Public Participation. Litigation initiated by an agency more powerful than the citizens attempting to stop it for the purpose of shutting down opposition to a project.

Soil Map: A map showing distribution of soil types and/or soil properties (soil pH, textures, organic matter, etc.)

Surface WaterWater in lakes and streamsThreatened Species: Those species that may become endangered if conditions surrounding them begin to or continue to deteriorate.

Waiver: An exception to municipal or state regulations that allows non-compliance with a specific ordinance or rule.

WatershedThe area of land that drains into a body of waterWetlands: A wetland is defined by a high water table, waterlogged soil, and vegetation that can survive frequent inundation. Wetlands are protected by the federal Clean Water Act and include marshes, swamps, bogs, and forests where repeated flooding is common.

Glossaries:
NRDC: Glossary of Environmental Terms
List of Acronyms | US EPA
Glossary of Environmental Terms | Calif. Dept. of Toxic Substances Control
Environmental Acronyms | AGCThe Associated General Contractors of America AcronymFinder

Contacts:
NJ Chapter Issue Coordinators

  Page Last Modified 1/10/2016