Bill > A5778

Introduced Session

This bill makes a one-time supplemental appropriation of $10 million for Fiscal Year 2021 to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) from the General Fund. The bill directs the DEP to establish a program to use these funds for grants to assist qualified entities to pay certain costs associated with the management and maintenance of lakes for recreation and conservation purposes. The bill requires the DEP to develop criteria for the evaluation and ranking of applications to provide priority to projects located in the Highlands Region and pinelands area and to improve water quality and increase recreational access and use of lakes, including projects to control nutrient levels in lakes in order to prevent future harmful algal blooms. The bill provides priority for funding for projects located in the Highlands Region and pinelands area in recognition of the critical role lakes in these ecologically significant locations provide in the supply of drinking water to residents throughout the State, watershed protection, and for recreation and conservation purposes. The bill provides that a grant issued pursuant to the bill may be used for stormwater and nonpoint source pollution management activities, if the DEP determines that those activities would directly enhance, improve, or protect the use of a lake for recreation and conservation purposes. Harmful algal blooms occur when colonies of microscopic algae or bacteria grow at exponential rates and produce toxins harmful to humans and animals. Exposure to these algal blooms can cause a range of health effects, including skin rashes, allergy-like reactions, flu-like symptoms, gastroenteritis, respiratory irritation and eye irritation. The issuance by the DEP of "no contact" advisories or other warnings cautioning against contact with the water in certain lakes due to the presence of harmful algal blooms directly impacts the public's use of lakes for recreation and conservation purposes. Certain stormwater and nonpoint source pollution management activities may control harmful algal blooms, which would result in improvements to water quality and increase recreational access to lakes. The Greenwood Lake Commission, the Lake Hopatcong Commission, and local government units may apply for grants pursuant to the bill. The DEP would be required to approve any application submitted by the Greenwood Lake Commission and the Lake Hopatcong Commission, and each commission would receive a minimum grant award of $750,000.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Brian Bergen (R)*,  John Burzichelli (D)*,  Eric Houghtaling (D)*,  Cleopatra Tucker (D)*,  BettyLou DeCroce (R),  Aura Dunn (R),  John McKeon (D),  Carol Murphy (D),  Parker Space (R),  Harold Wirths (R), 

Substituted by S3618 (1R) (on 06/24/2021)