Communities in New Jersey with combined sewer systems have submitted their plans to reduce combined sewer overflows into local waterways. The implementation of these plans could cost between $2.5 billion and $3.8 billion, and the proposed timeframes for implementation span 20 to 40 years. Facts like these can be found in the Long Term Control Plans but you need to know where to find them.
The plans include all of the reports that were submitted to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) over the last five years as well as the most recent Selection and Implementation of Alternatives Report. To assist community members and those who are interested in the contents of these plans, the Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers campaign has developed a series of fact sheets that highlight the most pertinent information for communities to know, such as the cost of the projects and implementation.
The fact sheets provide summaries of the projects that have been selected, the implementation schedules, costs, how public participation was conducted, how climate change and environmental justice were considered. They also include information on how to submit comments on the plans and who to contact for more information. While these sheets will be helpful for at-a-glance summaries, the full reports may be helpful for a fuller understanding of how the projects were selected.
Comments on these plans can be submitted to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection until January 31. The full combined sewer overflow Long Term Control Plans can be downloaded from the NJDEP website.
