Official Site of The State of New Jersey
What We Do
Air Quality, Energy and Sustainability (AQES) develops statewide programs, policies, permits and regulations for controlling air pollution and radiation exposure and mitigating climate change. AQES is engaged in the following environmental initiatives:
- Climate change mitigation
- Outdoor (ambient) air quality
- Reducing Industrial air pollution (stationary sources)
- Reducing Pollution from vehicles and engines (mobile sources)
- Emission Measurement
- Diesel Enforcement
- Clean and renewable energy
- Release Prevention
- Small Business and Public Assistance
- Emergency response and environmental monitoring around New Jersey’s nuclear power plants
- Regulating the use of x-ray devices and radioactive materials used for medical and industrial purposes
- Remediation of former radioactive contaminated sites
- Radon and,
- Sustainable practices.
AQES is responsible for ensuring New Jersey meets the requirements of the Federal Clean Air Act, and the Federal Atomic Energy Act as an Agreement State, as well as the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change’s (UNFCC’s) Paris Agreement. AQES draws its authority from a number of state laws, including the Air Pollution Control Act, the Radiation Protection Act, Radiologic Technologist Act, the Radiation Accident Response Act, the Radon Act, the Solar Act, the Global Warming Response Act and the Global Warming Solutions Fund Act.
We are organized into three divisions: Division of Air Quality- which is focused on efforts to control and reduce air quality and climate change pollutants and air toxics; Division of Air Enforcement – which is focused on ensuring regulated entities comply with the NJ Air Pollution Control Act; and the Division of Climate, Clean Energy and Radiation Protection- which is focused on reducing public exposure to radiation from naturally occurring and manmade sources, mitigating climate altering pollutants, researching clean energy sources and supporting sustainable initiatives.
AQES engages and educates our regulated community and the general public about clean air, climate change and transportation/energy choices, and radiological impacts from nuclear energy and other sources (e.g., radon, medical procedures). Finally, AQES interacts with several other State agencies, including the Board of Public Utilities, the Economic Development Authority, the Department of Health, the Department of Transportation, and the Motor Vehicles Commission, to ensure consistency in regulating transportation and energy systems and encouraging sustainable practices.
