Similarly, the number of notices of violation, known as NOVs, is down. So are the number of criminal referrals made by the environmental agency to the state attorney general. When the proposed fine was announced, one local newspaper in an editorial argued that the fine did not go far enough, that the DER should consider criminal charges. Under the Ridge administration, the agency's enforcement effort in the case moved in the opposite direction when efforts began to negotiate a settlement package that would cost CBS a lot less. A good deal of anecdotal evidence from businesses has been positive.
Some environmentalists have a different, more cynical view.
They're going to be able to pollute cheaper now. This year, through October, the bureau assessed less than half that amount. As a result, several funds set up to fight pollution and finance special projects are being depleted. Last year, the Bureau of Waste Management issued 1,094 notices of violation, according to an incomplete compilation of records from regional offices. Through September this year, the number was 437.