Environmentalists and community activists tend to have adifferent view. In many instances they remain unconvinced that theprocess is sufficiently protective of environmental and publichealth concerns.

These competing views were presented to the Senate's EnvironmentCommittee in late 2006.

On October 23, 2006, DEP Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson outlinedher assessment of the needed legislative revisions, includingseveral that would strengthen the current enforcement process.These would authorize DEP to recover all of its direct and indirectcosts, including legal fees, from responsible parties; increasepenalties for Industrial Site Recovery Act violations; enable theimposition of civil administrative penalties for site remediationviolations; sanction first priority liens whenever the departmentexpended any public funds for remediation; and clarify theauthority to remove Spill Act responsible parties from thevoluntary cleanup program.