Announcements
NJDEP Finalizes Agreement with BASF Regarding
the Ciba-Geigy Superfund Site in Toms River
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and BASF Corporation have reached a revised, final settlement agreement that secures natural resource restoration and resolves state-based natural resource damage claims for natural resource injuries at and related to the Ciba-Geigy Superfund Site in Toms River, Ocean County.
Under the settlement, BASF will permanently preserve approximately 1,000 acres and fully design and implement nine natural resource restoration projects on 375 acres of the preserved land to compensate the public for historic ecological and groundwater injuries caused by Ciba-Geigy.
EPA Releases Environmental Justice Toolkit for
Lead Paint Enforcement Programs
The Toolkit provides strategies, examples, and other information for federal, state, Tribal and local government enforcement practitioners to use during all stages of environmental enforcement and compliance monitoring activities designed to eliminate harmful exposures to lead paint in housing. This resource is a compilation of best practices and supports commitments made in EPA’s Lead Strategy, which seeks to reduce lead exposures locally with a focus on underserved communities and promote environmental justice through a whole of government approach.
Murphy Administration Releases Its 2nd RGGI Strategic Funding Plan
Continuing Investments in Climate Change Reduction, Environmental Justice and Clean Energy Through 2025
The second Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Strategic Funding Plan: Years 2023 through 2025 introduces new investments while prioritizing projects that will benefit New Jersey’s environmental justice communities.
The 2023-2025 Strategic Funding Plan identifies four initiatives for funding:
- Accelerate healthy homes and building decarbonization
- Catalyze clean, equitable transportation
- Strengthen New Jersey’s forests
- Promote blue carbon in coastal habitats
In conjunction with the plan’s release, the DEP also announced that it is opening another competitive solicitation to invest over $13 million in the purchase of additional electric trucks in overburdened communities.
More information on RGGI, RGGI strategic investments in New Jersey, NJ's vehicle electrification goals, and updates on RGGI-funded programs are available online.
EJMAP Stressors Update
On July 27, DEP released an updated version of the Environmental Justice Mapping, Assessment and Protection Tool (EJMAP). This update includes new stressor data that has been made publicly available since its original release on April 11th. Any permit application subject to the Environmental Justice Law submitted on or after July 31, 2023 must use the new stressor data layer for analysis.
The tool will now default to the updated layer. The original layer will remain as an archived layer within the tool and will have its own button for permit applications received from April 11th, 2023 to July 30th, 2023. To learn what stressor data was updated in EJMAP, visit the EJMAP Data Update.
Questions or comments about the EJMAP can be sent to ejmapfeedback@dep.nj.gov.
Participation Opportunities
Upcoming Environmental Justice Law Public Hearings
August 22 - Transco LNG Station 240 - Title V Modification - Carlstadt (virtual) (español)
September 12 - Hard Rock Hotel - Title V Air Permit Renewal - Atlantic City (virtual)
Facilities subject to the Environmental Justice Law must facilitate meaningful opportunities for overburdened communities to engage in permitting decisions for pollution-generating facilities through an enhanced public participation process. Subscribe to EJ Law notices by County
NASA ARSET Satellite Data for Air Quality
Environmental Justice and Equity Applications Training
The NASA Applied Remote Sensing Training (ARSET) program will demonstrate how remotely-sensed environmental indicators, specifically for air pollution, can be paired with demographic data to understand disproportionate exposures in overburdened communities.
This training will consist of three two-hour sessions and be held online. Part 1 of the training sessions begins on August 23, 2023 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM.
EPA Launches Nationwide Series of
Community Lead Awareness Sessions
As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to protect communities from childhood lead exposure and advance environmental justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a series of free educational sessions on the dangers of lead and ways to reduce and prevent lead exposure. These sessions are based on the Lead Awareness Curriculum, an adaptable resource to protect communities from potential lead exposure, and will be held in English and Spanish.
The sessions will supplement EPA’s local lead training and outreach initiative, which has been implemented in 22 communities across the U.S. and Puerto Rico in 2021 and 2022. Learn more about EPA’s upcoming community lead awareness sessions.
Funding Opportunities
NOAA Climate Resilience Regional Challenge
This competitive grant program can help coastal communities become more resilient to future
impacts of climate change. There are two separate parallel tracks under this grant:
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Regional Collaborative Building and Strategy Development will support building/expanding regional partnerships and engaging with tribes and underrepresented communities to assess the risk to climate change.
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Implementation of Resilience and Adaptation Actions will support projects such as acquiring vulnerable land, building natural infrastructure, improving existing public infrastructure resilience, or strengthening public access to coastal natural resources.
Letters of intent are due by August 21, 2023, and grant applications are due February 13, 2024.
Vehicle Electrification Projects Grant Funding and Webinars
In a continuing effort to reduce diesel emissions and mitigate climate change, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is offering another round of funding to replace medium- and heavy-duty diesel vehicles with electric. Leveraging proceeds from New Jersey’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), this solicitation will spend $13 million on local government vehicle electrification projects with a focus on overburdened communities. Project proposals are due by 11:59 pm on September 4, 2023.
Two live informational webinars with DEP Bureau of Mobile Sources staff will be held on August 9 and 16 to review the solicitation and answer questions. More information on project eligibility and webinar registration is available online.
Brownfields Redevelopment Incentive Program
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) is NOW accepting applications for the Brownfields Redevelopment Incentive Program. This $300 million competitive program offers up to $8 million in tax credits per project for environmental investigation, remediation, abatement, and demolition activities to allow for the redevelopment of brownfield sites in New Jersey. The overarching goal of this program is to redevelop blighted properties into community assets. This is a competitive program which is well funded. Applications are due by 5 pm on Thursday September 21, 2023.
A 2-minute survey is available at eligibility assessment tool to find out if your organization and site may qualify for the program.
Learn more and prepare to apply at Brownfields Redevelopment Incentive Program. If you have questions, please reach out to the NJEDA Brownfields Team at bftaxcredit@njeda.gov.
 Murphy Administration Offering $19 Million in Grants to Assist Municipalities with New Stormwater Permitting Requirements
The Murphy Administration announced the availability of $19 million in grants to help municipalities with the transition to new municipal stormwater permitting system requirements designed to better protect NJ's waterways from pollutants in stormwater. These permitting changes will also help mitigate localized flooding that is increasing due to climate change.
Full details of the Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) are available online. Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis through December 31, 2023.
HUD Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP)
New funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and $4 billion in loan commitment authority will make Housing and Urban Development (HUD) -assisted multifamily housing more energy efficient, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and improve climate resiliency. There are three awards to apply for:
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Elements: Provides modest awards designed to add proven and highly impactful climate resilience and carbon reduction measures to the construction scopes of in-progress recapitalization transaction. Applications are due by March 28, 2024.
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Leading Edge: Provides funding to owners aiming to quickly meet ambitious carbon reduction, renewable energy generation, use of building materials with lower embodied carbon, and resilience goals without requiring extensive technical assistance from HUD. Applications are due by April 30, 2024.
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Comprehensive: Amplifies recent technological advancements in utility efficiency, carbon reduction strategies, and energy generation; and brings a new focus on preparing for climate hazards by reducing residents’ and properties’ exposure to hazards. Applications are due by May 30, 2024.
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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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