Our air is cleaner. For example, the number of days New Jersey violated the federal one-hour air quality standard for ground level ozone has dropped from 45 in 1988 to just 4 last year. We're doing a better job monitoring our air quality, and we're on target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels through incentives to encourage voluntary reductions, promote energy efficiency and renewable technologies, and reduce landfill gas emissions. Our water is clearer. The Delaware River is thriving again, with the shad population up by more than 300 percent since the 1970s.
New Jersey leads the nation in opening shellfish beds for harvesting.
Annual ocean beach closings have dropped from more than 800 in 1988 to just 11 this past year. Our land is cleaner. Mine is the only state in America with a reimbursement program for private parties that voluntarily clean-up sites. In addition, in 1998, the voters of New Jersey overwhelmingly approved my plan to preserve one million acres of open space and farmland by 2010 - and we are already 20 percent of the way there. At the same time, New Jersey's economy is stronger than ever - more people have jobs in my state today than ever before in our history.