New Jersey is experiencing frequent and intense impacts of the climate crisis with both increased flooding and heat. On August 5, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) proposed land use rules that will modernize regulations requiring that all new development and redevelopment improves resilience to climate change.
“We need long-term solutions to address flooding and defend families and businesses from the extreme destruction taking place in our coastal communities due to more frequent and intense storms from climate change. That’s why releasing the NJPACT [Protection Against Climate Threats] rules for coastal communities is so important,” said Ed Potosnak, executive director of the Hamilton-based New Jersey League of Conservation Voters. “Governor Murphy promised bold solutions to protect communities and we want to thank him and his administration for taking action by publishing the NJPACT rules to safeguard coastal communities.”
“The comprehensive update to land-use regulations will help New Jersey communities, residents and businesses build and strengthen their resilience to sea-level rise, extreme weather, chronic flooding and other impacts through a suite of updates known as the Resilient Environments And Landscapes (REAL) reforms,” NJDEP said in a statement.
“We must adapt in order to best protect ourselves and our property from the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels, more intense storms, and expanding flood zones,” said NJ Sierra Club Director Anjuli Ramos-Busot. “Current projections indicate as much as 5.1 feet of sea-level rise is likely by 2100, and nearly two-thirds of New Jersey’s coastline is at high or very high risk of coastal erosion. Our homes and communities are on the line, and these rules are crucial to keeping New Jerseyans safe, improving stormwater management, and safeguarding critical coastal habitat.”
The 90-day public comment period for the NJPACT REAL rules is currently open, and three public hearings are scheduled through September. The NJDEP has one year from the date of proposal publication to adopt the rules.
“Too often, short-term and short-sighted economic gains for special interests take a front seat in our development decisions. Stormwater flooding and poor water quality already affect our residents and small businesses,” said Nicole Miller, chair of the Newark Green Team and member of the Newark Environmental Commission. “Hopefully with NJPACT REAL rules in effect, New Jersey will first consider the lives and livelihoods of our residents and small businesses as decisions for development are made. We must have long-term thinking for the climate problems that will affect the state both now and for generations to come.”
“REAL expands the area considered flood-prone to account for future sea level rise, which will change the way we build or rebuild in vulnerable areas, providing residents, municipalities, builders, and advocates with a more holistic understanding of flood risk. REAL also strengthens stormwater management requirements to address existing impervious surfaces and outdated stormwater infrastructure,” said New Jersey Future Program Manager Lindsey Sigmund-Massih.
“Blistering heat waves, severe thunderstorms, and damaging floods are clear signs that our environment is ailing. We must reverse the degradation of our environment, which is placing New Jersey’s residents and economy at risk. Wetlands are vital in absorbing flood waters, filtering out pollution, and providing essential fish and wildlife habitat,” said Jim Waltman, executive director of the Pennington-based Watershed Institute. “The REAL rules will demand that before we destroy additional wetlands, we investigate whether such destruction is truly necessary or whether there are viable alternatives to the proposed action. The REAL rules also require that when old development sites are re-developed into new uses, we seize the opportunity to pull back from the wetlands and better address polluted stormwater runoff.”
“Communities across the state are regularly experiencing climate change extremes. We have too much water and flash flooding except for when we don’t have enough water and we have drought. These extremes are only going to get worse for the foreseeable future. We need to take action now so that we stop putting people, businesses, and essential infrastructure in places that we know are going to flood,” said Jennifer M. Coffey, executive director of the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions. “Using scientific data to inform land use regulations and change the way and places we build to reflect the climate change impacts that are happening will make us more resilient. We need to become both stronger and smarter than future storms. We need NJDEP to adopt these rules quickly.”
