Statement on Senate Passage of Stormwater Utility Bill
njfuture
org) , Managing Director, Policy and Water, 609-393-0008 ext. 114
Clean Stormwater and Flood Reduction Bill Will Help Communities Reduce Flooding, Pollution
TRENTON, June 21 — New Jersey Future today applauded the Senate’s passage of S1073, the Clean Stormwater and Flood Reduction Act.
“This bill gives local governments in New Jersey an important new tool to address a critical issue that is often ignored because the resources aren’t there to fix it,” said Chris Sturm, New Jersey Future’s managing director for policy and water. “Communities will soon have a fair and sustainable way to fund enhancements to their stormwater management systems that will reduce damaging flooding and keep polluted runoff from reaching our waterways.”
The bill permits municipalities, counties and utilities to charge a fee to property owners based on their properties’ impact on the stormwater management system. The funds collected are required to be used for initiatives that will reduce stormwater flooding and polluted runoff. Property owners have the option to reduce their fees through the addition of features such as rain gardens, permeable pavement,and green roofs that manage rainfall on the property, so that it never enters the municipal stormwater system.
“We are experiencing more rainstorms and rainstorms that are more severe than ever before,” Sturm continued, “and communities will face an increasingly urgent need to upgrade the systems that handle the resulting runoff. Forty other states allow for the collection of fees to manage flooding and runoff from rainstorms, with positive results for protecting their public and private property, clean water, workforce, and resilience to the impacts of severe weather. We look forward to New Jersey being the 41st state to take this important step.”
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Founded in 1987, New Jersey Future is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes sensible growth, redevelopment and infrastructure investments to foster vibrant cities and towns, protect natural lands and waterways, enhance transportation choices, provide access to safe, affordable and aging-friendly neighborhoods and fuel a strong economy. The organization does this through original research, innovative policy development, coalition-building, advocacy, and hands-on technical assistance. New Jersey Future serves as the backbone staff for the Jersey Water Works collaborative.
