Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers Applauds NJDEP Allocation of $248 Million to Combined Sewage Overflow Issues; Calls for Technical Assistance and Acceleration for Overburdened Communities
TRENTON, NJ — Earlier this week, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) approved the allocation of $300 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars with $248 million of this used to address combined sewage overflow (CSO) issues in our state as a part of the Amended Clean Water Intended Use Plan. These funds were hard fought by an array of advocates in New Jersey, including the Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers (SFSR) campaign.
“Dumping sewage into our waterways is an environmental injustice and a statewide issue. Our waterways don’t end at municipal boundaries. Pollution from combined sewage overflow systems pollutes our communities, rivers, and coastal waterways and demands a broad, holistic approach to mitigating their negative impacts,” said Michele Langa, Staff Attorney, NY/NJ Baykeeper.
On October 3, Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers’ members submitted comments to NJDEP on the proposed amendments to the Final Clean Water Intended Use Plan (IUP). The IUP establishes the priorities and projects that will receive funding in state fiscal year 2023. Considering the urgency of this funding, SFSR is calling for the swift release of the initial draft CSO permits and a timeline for the release of subsequent draft CSO permits. Additionally, SFSR asks that the IUP have financial assistance scaled to reflect the environmental challenges, fiscal distress, and potential burden these projects pose for residents, and that technical assistance is prioritized for under-resourced and low-income communities to ensure they have projects ready to be submitted and considered for funding. The final plan and a list of projects eligible for funding are available from NJDEP.
“We celebrate the release of these funds which will go a long way in addressing the inequitable risks New Jersey communities face with combined sewage overflows polluting our streets and waterways. The time to fund the solutions that have been suggested over the years is right now. To ensure this funding fully addresses the problems with CSOs, we implore NJDEP to prioritize the release of the draft CSO permits in those communities and provide technical assistance so that solutions can be delivered swiftly and meaningfully,” said Jose Amarante, Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers Advisory Board member.
Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers’ members look forward to working with NJDEP, and again urge NJDEP to accelerate permit release in our overburdened communities and to ensure the CSO permits are protective of public health and aligned with communities’ priorities.
