SENATE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2898

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  OCTOBER 10, 2024

      The Senate Environment and Energy Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 2898.

      This bill appropriates an additional $500,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for dredging and restoration of the Peckman River.  The Peckman River is a tributary of the Passaic River that flows through the Townships of Cedar Grove and Verona in Essex County, and the Township of Little Falls and the Borough of Woodland Park in Passaic County. The bill requires the supplemental appropriation to be allocated among the aforementioned municipalities.  The bill directs the Commissioner of Environmental Protection to establish an application process to determine the amount of funding provided to each municipality.  The application shall include such information as the commissioner may deem necessary to determine the amount of funding allocated to each applicant, including, but not limited to, the municipalities’ joint plan for the dredging and restoration of the Peckman River.

      The bill further provides that:

      1) the Peckman River Dredging and Restoration Project would include the dredging, restoration, cleaning, desnagging, and any other purpose or activity consistent with the Statewide general permit issued for the dredging and restoration of the Peckman River, and provided for in the municipalities’ joint plan submitted to the commissioner; and

      2) the Department of Environmental Protection would waive any permit fee for any activity consistent with the Statewide general permit issued for the dredging and restoration of the Peckman River, and provided for in the municipalities’ joint plan submitted to the commissioner.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments to the bill would update the fiscal year of the supplemental appropriation to FY 2025.