Mercer Times

The Murphy Administration has announced the launch of a $20 million initiative aimed at modernizing stormwater infrastructure and management strategies in New Jersey. This effort, called the Ready to Be Resilient Stormwater and Resilience Funding Program, is supported by funding from the Biden-Harris Administration’s American Rescue Plan.

The program allocates $9 million for resilience-related efforts, including grants for regional watershed management, technical assistance programs, flood mapping advancement, and post-disaster damage assessment improvement. Additionally, $11 million will be available as principal forgiveness loans through the State Revolving Fund for local projects focusing on green technologies.

Governor Phil Murphy emphasized the importance of modernizing infrastructure to build a climate-resilient future: “Helping our local communities modernize infrastructure and get ahead of the next storm is key to building a more climate resilient future for our state,” he said. “Thanks to this additional funding from the American Rescue Plan, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping further our efforts to prevent and respond to the increasing threat of climate change in New Jersey.”

Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette highlighted the urgency brought by climate change: “The science, including New Jersey-specific rainfall studies, clearly demonstrates that precipitation is becoming more intense and frequent as a result of climate change,” he stated. The program aims to provide communities with resources needed to replace outdated infrastructure contributing to localized flooding.

Nick Angarone, New Jersey’s Chief Resilience Officer, pointed out that understanding community vulnerabilities is crucial: “Understanding the full scope of your community’s climate vulnerabilities is fundamental to developing and implementing plans and projects that will effectively reduce those risks," he noted.

Details about specific allocations include $3.6 million for local technical assistance through Rutgers Cooperative Extension Engineers and $2 million allocated through Resilient NJ – Resilience Planning Program. The latter supports municipalities in assessing their vulnerability to climate impacts.

Furthermore, funds are designated for building statewide resilience data ($350,000), flood mapping ($250,000), and state asset damage assessment protocol development ($100,000). Grants totaling over $5 million will support various activities promoting stormwater management within communities.

Principal forgiveness financing of $11 million will prioritize projects using green infrastructure technology aimed at mitigating localized flooding due to increased precipitation from climate change.

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