(16/41) TRENTON – A partnership between the Christie Administration and several agencies to improve environmental challenges and quality of life in the City of Camden is the recipient of a prestigious Environmental Champion Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today.

The Camden Collaborative Initiative was launched in 2013 as a partnership between the Christie Administration through the Department of Environmental Protection, Camden City, Camden County led by its Municipal Utilities Authority, the Cooper’s Ferry Partnership and EPA. The partnership aims to improve the health, environment and quality of life in Camden through projects to reduce flooding, improve and establish parks, and more.

“It is an honor for the Christie Administration to receive this award, which recognizes the hard work and dedication the Camden Collaborative Initiative has undertaken to enhance and restore the environment in the City of Camden,” said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin. “Our work is not done, however. We will continue working to improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in the city, while at the same time restoring parks and undertaking other projects that will help lead to economic revitalization.”

As part of the DEP’s efforts in Camden, the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Financing Program (NJEIFP) has provided approximately $8 million in subsidized financing to pay for a significant majority of the Camden Collaborative Initiative projects. The NJEIFP consists of a partnership between the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust (NJEIT) and the Department of Environmental Protection, in which applicants are offered low-interest loans from the NJEIT and zero-interest loans from the DEP.

The EPA Environmental Champion Award is the highest recognition the EPA presents to the public. Each spring, EPA honors individuals and organizations who contributed significantly during the prior year to improving the environment in their region. The Camden Collaborative Initiative is among 40 recipients that will be recognized during the awards ceremony today at EPA Region 2 offices in New York City. EPA Region 2 includes New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and eight federally recognized Indian Nations in New York State.