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Environmental Justice Newsletter
September 29, 2022
Welcome! NJDEP's Office of Environmental Justice is pleased to bring you this edition of the biweekly Environmental Justice Newsletter. In this series, you’ll receive information about grants, webinars, comment opportunities, public hearings/stakeholder meetings, and other ways to amplify environmental justice.
Summary of Important Dates
| September 29, 1pm-3pm |
Green Acres Virtual Outreach - Session 1 |
| September 29, 11am-12pm |
Water Infrastructure Investment Plan Webinar |
| September 30, 10am-12pm |
Green Acres Virtual Outreach - Session 2 |
Participation Opportunities
Today and Tomorrow (9/29-30)-Green Acres
Local and Nonprofit Assistance Stakeholder Outreach
Green Acres Program reviewed the Local and Nonprofit Assistance program’s applications, eligibility requirements, funding priorities, and project administration processes, and identified ways to better serve the public and funding partners. Currently, Local and Nonprofit Assistance is available through low-interest loans for local governments, application assistance, grant matching, and certain tax exemptions. Green Acres will present planned changes and receive feedback during two virtual outreach meetings.
The meetings will be held today, September 29th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM and tomorrow, September 30th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Questions and feedback can be sent to GreenAcres@dep.nj.gov
TODAY (9/29)-NJ Water Infrastructure Investment Plan Webinar
In partnership with the U.S. EPA and NJDEP, the Governor’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Office is hosting a webinar on how IIJA funding is being dispersed and utilized to improve water infrastructure in New Jersey through the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Programs (Water Bank). New Jersey is expected to receive over $1 billion in funding between 2022 and 2026. Speakers from NJDEP and EPA will provide information and take questions on how IIJA funding will flow to municipalities.
When: Today, 9/29 11am-12pm
Registrants will be emailed the meeting link the week of the event. Please send any questions to IIJA@nj.gov
Announcements
NJOEM and NJDEP Mark Hurricane Preparedness Month by Urging the Public to Plan for Increasing Storm Threats
Caused by Climate Change
As the state marks Hurricane Preparedness month and the peak of hurricane season, New Jersey State Police Superintendent and State Director of Emergency Management Patrick J. Callahan and NJDEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette are reminding the public about the vital importance of being prepared as the risks from these powerful storms increase as a result of climate change.
The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management recommends the public sign up for emergency alerts, prepare an emergency kit, make a family go-bag, and make an emergency plan. For more information about these recommended preparations and others, please see the following press release.
NJ State-Specific Climate Science Report Adds Chapter to Help
Inform and Prepare Residents for Health Impacts Associated with
Climate Change
New Jersey is among the first states to produce a comprehensive report on the impacts of climate change on human health and communities by adding a human health supplement to its New Jersey Scientific Report on Climate Change. According to the State’s Human Health and Communities Addendum, climate change will have direct, indirect, and wide-ranging influences on human health, such as exacerbating respiratory conditions and cardiovascular disease in vulnerable populations, causing heat-related stress, increasing the risk of diseases borne by mosquitoes and ticks, increasing the frequency of pathogen contamination of food and water supplies, and increasing mental health stressors.
This addendum will provide the information that people, businesses, and government entities across the state need to better understand how climate change will impact human health and communities in New Jersey.
Warehouse Siting Guidance Adopted
The Office of Planning Advocacy (OPA) recently adopted a policy surrounding distribution warehousing and goods movement. The Warehouse Siting Guidance aims to facilitate a proactive, rather than a reactive, approach; provide municipal factors to consider and balance when developing or updating a Master Plan and reviewing applications, land use, and development requirements; and encourage a regional approach to planning, siting, and facilitating the logistics facilities. The guidance can be accessed here and additional resources are available on the OPA website.
Funding Opportunities
Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program
Funding Opportunity Notice
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) established the new Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) discretionary grant program, funded with $1 billion over the next 5 years. The RCP is the first-ever Federal program dedicated to reconnecting communities previously cut off from economic opportunities due to transportation infrastructure. Funding supports planning and capital construction grants along with technical assistance to connect communities through removal, retrofit, mitigation or replacement of eligible transportation infrastructure. The FY22 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Reconnecting Communities Program is available now on the DOT website.
The deadline for applications is 11:59 PM EDT on Thursday, October 13, 2022. All applications must be submitted through grants.gov. Search for "Reconnecting Communities" or Opportunity Number: DOT-RCP-FY22-01. Please send questions to ReconnectingCommunities@dot.gov.
NJDOT Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Grants
There is still time for municipalities and counties to apply for a FY23 NJ Dept. of Transportation (NJDOT) grant. Applications are being accepted through November 3, 2022. Eligible projects must fall into one of the following 7 categories:
- Environmental mitigation to address stormwater management, control, and water pollution prevention or abatement related to highway construction or due to highway runoff
- Community improvement activities, specifically: Streetscaping and corridor landscaping
- Design and construction of on-road and off-road trail facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other nonmotorized forms of transportation
- Conversion and use of abandoned railroad corridors for trails for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other nonmotorized transportation users
- Construction of scenic turnouts, overlooks, and viewing areas
- Historic preservation and rehabilitation of historic transportation facilities both land and water such as buildings, structures and canals
- Reduction of vehicle-caused wildlife mortality and restoration and maintenance of connectivity among terrestrial and aquatic habitats
Applicants for this federal program must schedule a mandatory one-on-one virtual pre-application meeting. Find out more about this grant opportunity here
National Park Service Outdoor Recreation
Legacy Partnership Program grants
The National Park Service (NPS) will distribute $192 million to communities through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) grant program. ORLP funds the acquisition or development of new parks, or substantial renovation of parks, in economically disadvantaged municipalities of at least 30,000 people. Applications must be submitted through the NJDEP’s Green Acres Program. For more information on grant amounts and pre-application/application deadlines, please visit the Green Acres website
EJ Tools
NJDEP in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) launched the Healthy Community Planning New Jersey (HCPNJ) website, which provides municipal-level reports to help local governments and the public understand and address environmental threats to public health faced by their communities.
The website features an interactive map where users can click by county and municipality to access environment and health reports. Explore the glossary of environmental public health terms and associated FAQ for additional information.
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All New Jersey residents, regardless of income, race, ethnicity, color, or national origin, have a right to live, work, and recreate in a clean and healthy environment. Historically, New Jersey’s low-income communities and communities of color face a disproportionately high number of environmental and public health stressors and, as a result, suffer from increased adverse health effects. New Jersey seeks to correct these outcomes by furthering the promise of environmental justice.
DEP’s Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) aims to improve the quality of life in New Jersey’s most vulnerable communities by educating and empowering communities who are often outside of government decision-making processes and guiding DEP’s programs and other state departments and agencies in implementing environmental justice.
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