And, because the public will be part of the process of setting goals and developing indicators, New Jersey residents will have the opportunity to become more aware of environmental successes as well as continuing problems, and, hopefully, become more involved in helping to resolve the problems. New Jersey is using elements of the Netherlands Green Plan as a model for its Green Plan. One of the most appealing aspects of the Netherlands Plan is its use of priorities, goals and indicators to measure environmental progress. Many other states are expected to join the system next year. States have a much stronger role in setting their environmental priorities and more flexibility in allocating resources to address these priorities.
States can spend more time assessing environmental conditions, problems and solutions.
The EPA will reduce its oversight in states with strong environmental programs, such as New Jersey. States will be involved in an ongoing process to streamline their reporting requirements to the EPA in order to make them less burdensome. The public will be involved in setting environmental goals and indicators, which measure progress. The Agreement is now in effect. The Agreement will be in effect through at least June 30, the end of the state's fiscal year, and is expected to be extended to September 30, the end of the federal fiscal year.