Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday reversed yet another policy put in place by his Republican predecessor, Chris Christie.

This one brought smiles to the faces of New Jersey’s top environmentalists.

The Democratic governor, who has made a habit of rolling back Christie’s mark on the Garden State in his first 15 months in office, signed an executive order that rescinds and replaces an order Christie signed at the beginning of his tenure in 2010 establishing how his administration would handle regulations.

Essentially, Christie’s order said that any time the state considered putting a regulation in place that was stronger than a federal regulation, it had to conduct an analysis showing specific reasons why it was needed.

Christie said his move would help the state’s economy by removing unneeded and burdensome layers of regulation. Critics said that caused the process to drag on and left a densely populated state known for its pollution with fewer environmental protections.

“This was part of Chris Christie’s national Republican ambitions,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey chapter of environmental group the Sierra Club. “It was a slap in the face to the environment and public health.”

Environmentalists said the action is especially important at a time when Republican President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency is cutting regulations. New Jersey, which has the most Superfund sites in nation, has long had tougher environmental rules than the federal government.

Murphy’s order requires state agencies to develop state-level regulations and confer with other states when a federal regulation is deemed inadequate.

The goal, Murphy said, is to not only improve the efficiency of government but spark the state’s economy.

“Common-sense regulations have an essential role to play in building a stronger and fairer economy and promoting New Jersey’s progressive values, such as out commitment to environmental protection," Murphy said.

“After months of gathering input from state agencies and stakeholders, this executive order institutes the principles that will guide our rules and regulations going forward," he added.

Proponents say this will speed up the process of regulating the environment, public health, and housing in New Jersey.

Tittel — who has often been critical of Murphy — said he asked the Murphy administration to do this shortly after the Democrat succeeded Christie in January 2018.

“I’m glad the governor did it,” the Sierra Club director said. “I wish it was on the first day. But better late than never.”

Alexandra Altman, a spokesman for Murphy, said the governor has spent months speaking with agencies and advocates “to gather comprehensive information on what a new set of regulatory principles should look like.”

“Governor Murphy believes that the new regulations will drive economic growth and government efficiencies, as well as safeguard the environment, health, safety, and welfare of New Jersey’s residents and communities,” Altman added.

Christie’s order directed every state agency, board, commission or authority — which there are hundreds of in the state — to be given waivers at the start of his administration for rules that could have been “conflicting or unduly burdensome." It was an effort, the former governor would later tout, to breathe life into the state’s economy.

The order was tied to Christie’s so-called Red Tape Review Commission, which put together recommendations that were well-received by the business community, but criticized by environmentalists who argued he put economic growth ahead of public health.

Amy Goldsmith, the state director of another environmental group, Clean Action New Jersey, said Murphy’s new order “rightly relegated” Christie’s order to the “dust bin of history."

“New Jersey needs stronger protections than federal law given our pollution legacy and population density,” Goldsmith added.

Kevin Walsh, executive director of the Fair Share Housing Center, said the move could also help protect New Jersey from any moves by Trump’s administration that could “undermine longstanding civil rights protections” for residents are seeking housing.

Walsh said it appears Murphy will “not simply defer to the federal government when the federal government is going to do things that are harmful.”

Ray Cantor, the vice president of government affairs for the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, said the group is still reviewing Murphy’s order, though he’s encouraged that “upon first glance, we are pleased to see the promise of extensive stakeholder outreach.”

“But we still want to ensure that the (executive order) is protective of business interests, as (Christie’s order) attempted to be," Cantor added. "The language could lead one to believe that business protections are being watered down, given the de-emphasis of the impacts of the regulations on New Jersey businesses. As such, you run the risk of more burdensome regulations, which could hurt economic growth.”

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.

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