Robert Menendez

MENENDEZ HELPS SECURE MORE THAN $8.4 MILLION FOR ENVIRONMENT RELATED PROJECTS IN NJ

Funding from Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill essential for New Jersey’s land, water and conservation efforts

October 29, 2009

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) hailed the final passage of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, as part of which he secured more than $8.4 million in funding for land, water, and conservation projects. After House and Senate passage, the bill awaits the President’s signature.

“This substantial investment is critical to safeguarding our state’s precious natural resources while protecting public health,” said Menendez. “Preserving our state’s lands, wildlife and water resources helps support our state’s vibrant tourism industry while ensuring that these natural treasures are available for generations to come. Ensuring that our sewer and water systems function properly is an issue of safety and health, and this funding will help in that effort. In addition to these benefits, these investments put people to work at a time when job creation is tremendously important.”

New Jersey Projects that Menendez helped to secure include:

Highlands Conservation Act --$4 million

$4 million for the Highlands Conservation Act (NJ, NY, CT, PA)
Led effort in the Senate to increase funding for this critical open space project that protects valuable wildlife habitat and an important watershed for the region.

Land Acquisition Funding -- $5.5 million

Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge -- Sussex County, NJ -- $1,400,000
Recipient:  Friends of Wallkill River National Wildlife Refugee 
Purpose:  The requested funds will be used for land acquisition by the Wallkill River NWR within the refuge boundary and in the newly-approved Land Protection Plan area.  The Acquisition of these tracts by the Wallkill NWR will help implement the refuge's mission of protecting critical wildlife habitat and water resources along the Wallkill River corridor.

Cape May National Wildlife Refuge – Cape May County, NJ -- $2,000,000
Recipient:  New Jersey Audubon Society
Purpose:  The requested funds will be used for the acquisition of a 30-acre parcel, known as the Russell property, adjacent to the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge. This will help preserve this important aquifer recharge area in the rapidly developing Southern region of New Jersey and will help to provide critical habitat for rare species.

Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge – Atlantic-Ocean Counties, NJ - $1,100,000
Recipient:  New Jersey Audubon Society
Purpose:  The requested funds will be used for the acquisition of a 28.17 acre parcel adjacent to the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Ocean County, New Jersey, within the approved acquisition boundary.  This will help maintain the integrity of the groundwater infiltration and discharge system vital to the functioning of freshwater and tidal wetlands and estuarine waters.

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge – Morris County, NJ -- $1,000,000
Recipient:  New Jersey Audubon Society
Purpose:  The requested funds will be used for the acquisition of an 18 acre parcel, known as the Great Brook Property, adjacent to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, which provides critical habitat for the endangered Indiana Bat and numerous other rare species.

National Park Funding – Save America’s Treasures  --  $200,000

Georgian Court University -- Lakewood, NJ -- $200,000
Project Name: Preservation of the Mansion at Georgian Court
Purpose: The requested funds will be used for exterior restoration work on some of the most prominent architectural features of George Gould's Gilded Age Mansion on the campus of Georgian Court University. The Mansion is the centerpiece of the seven historic buildings, which constituted the Gould 's winter estate. The buildings are now part of the Georgian Court University campus, all of which has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior.

Water and Wastewater Infrastructure -- $2.9 million

City of Hackensack -- Hackensack, NJ -- $300,000
Project Name:  Clay Street Area Combined Sewer Overflow project
Purpose:  The requested funds will be used to separate storm and sanitary lines in the Clay Street area.  This area is a section of the larger Court and Anderson Street area which continues to experience sewage back-up into residences and flooding of streets due to insufficient capacity of the existing system to handle both sanitary and storm flows.

City of New Brunswick -- New Brunswick, NJ -- $300,000
Project Name:  Water Pumping Stations Repair and Upgrade
Purpose:  To repair, replace and upgrade equipment at the City's water utility raw water pumping stations. The pumping stations are critical components of the City-owned and operated water utility that supplies treated drinking water to residential and business customers in New Brunswick and parts of Milltown and Franklin. The pump stations have old equipment in need of repair and upgrading. Failure of the pumps could curtail the City's ability to provide treated water to customers.

City of Orange - Orange, NJ - City of Orange -- $300,000
Project Name: Water Treatment Facility
Purpose:  The requested funds will be used for the replacement of the Chestnut Street Filter Plant which was originally constructed in 1932.  This will also include various updates and improvements to existing potable water production wells and the replacement of a production well.

City of Perth Amboy -- Perth Amboy, NJ --$300,000
Project Name:  Water Infrastructure Improvements
Purpose:  The requested funds will be used for repairs to the 40 million gallon potable water reservoir, the replacement of well pumps, the cleaning of well laterals, and the rehabilitation of Tennants Pond Dam.

County of Monmouth -- Freehold, NJ -- $500,000
Project Name: Monmouth County Wastewater/Water Quality Improvement Project
Purpose:  The requested funds will be used for a wastewater and water quality improvement project that will result in a shared services facility in Monmouth County to allow both the County and municipalities to comply with the requirements of the NJDEP Stormwater Regulation (N.J.A.C. 7:14A) adopted on January 5, 2004.  State law no longer allows the discharge of pollutants from vehicle and equipment washing to the municipal separate storm sewer system or groundwater.

Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioner -- Newark, NJ -- $750,000
Project Name: Passaic Valley Combined Sewage Overflow Project
Purpose:  The requested funds will be used to expand the capacity of the Wastewater Treatment plant from 368 million gallons per day (mgd) to 700 mgd which will reduce combined sewage overflows by 332 mgd in storms, reducing the amount of debris washing up on New Jersey beaches and reducing the discharge of toxic compounds in the NY Harbor.

Borough of Hopatcong -- Hopatcong, NJ  -- $500,000
Project Name: Drinking Water Infrastructure Improvements
Purpose:  The requested funds will be used to install large diameter pipes at nine public community supply wells to improve the disinfection of the raw water before distribution to residents.

                                                                      ###