Greening New Jersey’s Water Infrastructure

A Public Hearing sponsored by theNew Jersey Clean Water Council

Monday, December 10, 2012, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

NJ Department of Environmental Protection - Public Hearing Room (1st Floor)

401 East State Street, Trenton, New Jersey

PURPOSE OF THE HEARING

The New Jersey Clean Water Council seeks public testimonyon successful and unsuccessful public and private efforts to design, permit, finance, construct and maintain cutting edge "green technology" and "green infrastructure" projects, using both engineered and natural technologies for water supply, wastewater and stormwater management. Though “green” infrastructure and technologies for improving water resource management have been used in several areas of the State, public entities remain cautious in their use due to Return on Investment concerns and lack of confidence in the multiple benefits of these technologies.

Under New Jersey law, the Clean Water Council of New Jersey is required to hold a public hearing once a year regarding water pollution related issues and report its recommendations to the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection.

REQUEST FOR TESTIMONY

Clean water—drinkable, swimmable and fishable—has been the goal of planning and regulatory efforts for over fifty years. While managing water resources to achieve this goal continues to be the primary focus for New Jersey’s leaders, evidence from other jurisdictions indicates familiarity with both technology and available funding are lacking. The Council seeks input and reaction to the following questions:

  • What green and other innovative technologies are being used or should be used to manage stormwater and other water resources?
  • What can be done to link traditional gray infrastructure and “green”technology or infrastructure to manage and protect water resources?
  • What incentives are available to encourage municipalities to use these technologies?
  • To what extent can funding for innovative technology projects be improved by NJEIT?

If barriers exist, how could the program be modified?

  • What other funding sources are available and how can we pool funding from multiple sources?
  • What impediments deter implementation ofinnovative technologies?
  • What regulations must be revised in order to eliminate impediments?
  • Whichtechniques have or have not been fully developed? How can we advance these?
  • How can public supportfor green or innovative technologies be encouraged?

HOW TO TESTIFY

The Council will provide 5 minutes per oral presentation and stronglyencourages the submittal of detailed written comments by email or CD, as well as paper, to augment your testimony. Written comments will be accepted until December 31, 2012, and can be sent to the New Jersey Clean Water Council, c/o NJDEP - Division of Water Quality, 401 East State Street, P.O. Box 425, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0425 or by fax at (609) 341-4518. Ifsubmitting on flash drive, disk or CD, the preferred format is Microsoft Word® 2003 or above. Macintosh formats should not be used.

For more information, please contact Stanley Cach at or (609) 292-8961.

To reserve a time period to testify in person, please contact Gerry Skrajewski at or (609) 292-8961.