Resources

Additional Information:

DEP Guide to Grants and Loans

Many of the programs described on the web site are available only by application. You are encouraged to contact DEP for information about which funding and technical assistance sources may best meet your needs. The best initial source of information is the NJDEP Public Access Center, which can be reached during business hours at 609-777-3373.

MISSION STATEMENT

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is committed to providing a high quality of life for all residents of New Jersey. Its mission is to assist citizens in preserving, sustaining, protecting and enhancing the environment to ensure the integration of high environmental quality, public health and economic vitality. At DEP we recognize that to achieve this mission, we need to work with residents as partners. To do that, many of the programs offer both financial and technical assistance to help communities and businesses develop environmental protection practices in their own towns and facilities.

URBAN MISSION

NJDEP has a number of special initiatives underway in urban areas, designed to assist municipalities, businesses and citizens with local environmental protection and conservation matters. These initiatives are designed to find better methods and models for technical assistance to urban communities. A brief summary of those activities are included here. If you are interested in any of them, we hope you will contact the people listed as project managers for more information.

OFFICE OF THE URBAN COORDINATOR

The Urban Coordinator serves as an intermediary for anyone wishing assistance in reaching DEP staff for assistance in implementing UCC neighborhood-based plans. Judith A. Shaw, Urban Coordinator is available to consult with municipal and neighborhood representatives, and will direct inquiries to both technical assistance and funding for environmental plan components. She can be reached at (609) 633-1378.

BROWNFIELDS REDEVELOPMENT

DEP is committed to working with local governments, non-profits and developers to clean-up contaminated sites in urban New Jersey. The brownfields program staff consults with local mangers on issues relating to clean-up and redevelopment. Contact Terri Smith, Brownfield Coordinator, at 609) 292-1250.

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

The DEP supports the application of innovative technologies in the revitalization of urban neighborhoods. Innovative Brownfield clean-up technologies that have verified performance data per the Department's procedures are available for innovative and potentially permanent remedy funding through the Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Funding. Currently, the availability of the HDSRF requires a partnership between a municipality and a developer meeting the definition in the Brownfield Act as a qualified person. The Office also supports the use of innovative recycling and reuse of construction material and practices have proven highly effective for energy conservation purposes.

The Office manages the NJDEP's Greenhouse Gas Action Plan initiatives and provides technical assistance to municipalities and neighborhood organizations regarding the availability of innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies for reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This also includes information on the potential funding and capital project financing opportunities to lower the municipality's long term operating costs. Municipalities and neighborhood organizations are encouraged to sign a Sustainability Covenant - GHG Initiative with the department, pledging through their voluntary actions to reduce their GHG emissions and assist the State in meeting its overall GHG emissions reduction goal of 3.5% reduction in 1990 GHG emissions by 2005.

For further information call (609) 984 5418.

OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION

Green Acres: Preserving open space and developing parks are key components of urban redevelopment in New Jersey. The DEP Green Acres Program assists local governments and nonprofits by providing funds to preserve open space and develop outdoor recreational facilities in New Jersey. Urban Aid Communities may qualify for grants of up to 75% of the land acquisition cost, or grants of up to 50% of the park development cost, and may be eligible for low interest (2%) loans to cover the remaining costs. All land acquired or developed with Green Acres funds must be open to the public. For further assistance call (609) 984-0500.

Historic Preservation Grants: New Jersey's Historic Preservation Office, located within the Division of Parks and Forestry, Department of Environmental Protection, brings expertise in a variety of fields essential to preserving historic resources. We count among our staff historians, researchers, planners, architectural historians, architects, engineers, and archaeologists. We respond to more than 40,000 calls yearly from people working to preserve, protect and promote New Jersey's historic resources. Whether you are interested in establishing a local historic district, nominating a building to the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, or just interested in restoring your house, you can find information and guidance in the HPO.

The Historic Preservation Office also oversees the Certified Local Government (CLG) program. The CLG program offers municipalities the opportunity to participate more directly in state and federal historic preservation programs. As a CLG, the community is eligible to apply for grant awards for:

Historic preservation master plan elements,

Historic resource surveys,

National Register nominations,

Historic preservation education projects,

Historic structures reports,

Preservation plans, and

CLG training opportunities.

Tuition assistance applications

For more information about the HPO, please visit our web site at www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo or call (609) 292-2028.

Community Forestry Program: The New Jersey Community Forestry Program is designed to advise counties, municipalities and local organizations in developing and implementing community forestry activities, including: proper tree selection, planting and maintenance; community involvement; ordinance development; public awareness and education; insect and disease management; and long-term strategies for natural resource planning. The program has grant, outreach and award programs to assist urban communities to develop their own community forestry programs and to provide technical assistance to help local programs achieve long-term success. This program also covers funding of local development, implementation, and maintenance and research projects for municipalities or volunteer organizations. For information call (609) 292-2532.

Programs of Special Interest to Urban Areas

OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Public Information and Technical Assistance
Geographic Information Systems: GIS is a computerized mapping system for environmental information and DEP data. GIS staff are working with county health and planning agencies, non-profit organizations, libraries, and local environmental managers to gather and share data in digital format to enable planners and environmental managers to make more informed decisions. GIS programs are being developed by some municipalities and the DEP  GIS has a Users Group that meets monthly. For more information contact 609-984-2243.

OFFICE OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Public Information, Technical and Intergovernmental Assistance: The DEP Office of External Affairs serves as the Department's liaison to local governments and their respective organizations e.g., the New Jersey League of Municipalities, the New Jersey Conference of Mayors, the New Jersey Association of Counties and the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions. The Office coordinates with local government officials and DEP program staff, and assists in providing local governments with technical and outreach support and provides matching grants for local environmental projects. For more information call (609) 633-7700.

Funding Opportunities: The Office of External Affairs provides matching grants to local governments through environmental commissions and soil conservation districts. The matching grants range from $1,000 to $2,500 and are administered by the Office's Environmental Services Program. Eligible projects may include: environmental resource inventorieis, community outreach and education projects, beach monitoring and management projects, environmental trail designs, GIS mapping; lake rehabilitation studies, brownfields planning/inventories, stream and water quality testing, NEPPS indicator projects and surveys of threatened and endangered species. For more information call (609) 984-0828.

Office of Communications: This office handles information for general public participation, DEP publications and special projects. For information call 609-777-1344. Public Information: The Public Information Office is a direct link to the news media throughout New Jersey. It issues news releases on major DEP events and actions, and fields questions from news reporters regarding agency programs and initiatives. Call (609) 984-1795.

Environmental Education: This office provides outreach and education for students, K-12, and teacher training. The Office also coordinates Earth Day events with schools across the state and provides support for the NJ Commission on Environmental Education "Plan of Action." For more information call 609-984-9802.

ENFORCEMENT

Public Information and Assistance Programs
Water Watch: The Water Watch program works with volunteers to monitor and oversee local stream corridors in an effort to protect the waterways of New Jersey. Volunteers from these local groups alert DEP enforcement staff to possible problems. For information on Water Watch, please call 984-3588.

Funding Opportunities
County Environmental Health Grants: This program is available only to certified local health agencies and provides funds for enforcement of environmental statutes and for education and training of local health officers. This is primarily a county or regional grants program, but municipalities often have agreements with the region or county program to provide local services. For more information call 609-292-1305.

Noise Control: The State of New Jersey's Noise Control Act of 1971 authorized the NJDEP to promulgate codes, rules and regulations relating to the control and abatement of noise. The Department has developed a Model Noise Ordinance that can be adopted by local municipalities. The Noise Control Act allows municipalities to adopt noise control ordinances that are more stringent then the State code. The Office of Local Environmental Management (OLEM) will provide assistance to county and municipal governing bodies in the development and adoption of a local noise ordinance, to ensure that all local noise control ordinances are consistent with the Noise Control Act and comply with its requirements.

The NJDEP does not have a noise control program and does not investigate noise complaints. Noise control is primarily handled by local health agencies certified by the NJDEP pursuant to the County Environmental Health Act (CEHA). These agencies enforce and investigate noise complaints using a noise ordinance approved by the NJDEP, the Model Noise Ordinance or the public nuisance code. The NJDEP, OLEM can be contacted at (609) 292-1305 for questions regarding noise ordinances. Eric Zwerling, Director of the Rutgers Noise Technical Assistance Center can be contacted free of charge at (732) 932-1953 for technical information about noise and its effects on human health. Contact your local municipality or local CEHA agency to report a noise complaint.

Beach Clean-Ups: Operation Clean Shores assists with local beach clean-up projects. For more information call 609-984-3588.

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION

Public Information and Assistance Programs
Recycling Program Grants: To improve, expand or establish a recycling program. County governments are only eligible. This is a revolving fund. The Recycling Tax expired December 31, 1996. The amount available will be based on the distribution of the fund balance. Awards are based on count census and program announcement and procedures are sent to the counties biennially. The grant deadlines are published in program announcements and are sent directly to the counties. For more information contact Ed Nieliwocki at 609-984-3438

Recycling Education Grants: To provide community education and promotional programs on recycling. The funding is a revolving fund. The Recycling Tax expired December 31, 1996. The amount available will be based on the distribution of the fund balance. County governments, nonprofit organizations, state colleges and universities are eligible. Awards are based on county census. Program announcement and procedures are sent to the counties and to previously funded nonprofit organizations. The grant deadlines are published in program announcements and are sent directly to applicants and notification date varies. For more information contact Ed Nieliwocki at 609-984-3438.

Recycling and Planning Program: This office offers technical support to promote recycling and recycling related business location, expansion assistance and financing. Municipalities may also receive regulatory relief such as temporary storage exemptions and the authority to process brush and tree branches. For more information contact 609-984-3438.

Safe Drinking Water (SDW): This program offers technical assistance to communities in the event of any interruption of water service due to contamination of any kind. SDW also provides information on maintaining safe drinking water supplies and conducts research to ensure the long term availability of safe fresh drinking water in New Jersey. For details call 609-292-5550.

Permit Coordination: The Permit Coordination Group within the Office of Pollution Prevention and Permit Coordination provides assistance to parties who need multiple DEP permits through a project management approach which includes pre-application conferences. These meetings inform parties of the type of permits required for their particular activity or facility and advise them on conditions that will need to be met in order to move quickly with their proposed projects. This approach also serves to educate and advise parties about potential pollution prevention opportunities. For assistance call (609) 292-3600, or visit our website at www.state.nj.us/dep/opppc.

Pollution Prevention: The Pollution Prevention Planning Group within the Office of Pollution Prevention and Permit Coordination offers guidance on developing pollution prevention Plans, plan summaries and plan progress reports, and assistance in identifying opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce air emissions, water discharges and waste generation. For further information contact 609-777-0518, or visit our website at www.state.nj.us/dep.opppc.

Funding Opportunities:To provide loans to recycling businesses that collect, separate, process or convert post-consumer waste material into new products. The program also loans money to companies who manufacture products made from recycled materials. The Recycling Tax expired December 31, 1996. The amount available will be based on the distribution of the fund balance. Recycling businesses or industries located or locating in New Jersey are eligible. The minimum award is $50,000, and the maximum is $500,000. Interest rates are three points below prime rate at time of closing. Maximum loan amounts may be higher for manufacturers and certain projects deemed necessary by the DEP. Ten percent applicant equity. Maximum ten year payback. Applications may be obtained by request from the NJDEP, Bureau of Recycling and planning. Applications are reviewed by the Bureau of Recycling and Planning. There is not set deadline for applications. Applications are reviewed as received. Notification takes place approximately six months from receipt of application. Information on this program is also available from Frank Peluso, Supervisor of Recycling Market Development at 609-984-3438.

Water Supply Loan Programs: These programs ensure continual supplies of safe drinking water for New Jersey municipalities. By statute, these programs are available to water supply systems. These loan programs include Water Supply Replacement, Water Supply Interconnection, and Water Supply Rehabilitation and federal state revolving fund loans. These programs cover all aspects of maintaining and improving local water supply systems, including water storage, water mains, pump stations, wells, treatment works and meters. For information call 609-292-5550

Technical Assistance Programs
Radon Information: : The Radon Program (Radiation Protection Program) offers certification for testing and mitigation and a listing of certified businesses is available on the Radiation Protection Program's website or can be obtained by calling the Radon Program. Outreach exhibits can be provided for conferences or fairs and presentations may be requested for major events. Lesson plans on radon are also available to teachers and schools for grades K-12. Information regarding testing and mitigation in homes, child care centers, and schools is available as well as a radon tier map/report that provides statistics on radon levels for all municipalities in New Jersey. General information packets are available to all citizens that would like to know more about radon. To obtain materials or information, contact the Radon Program at 1-800-648-0394 (within NJ) or 609-984-5425 or visit the website at www.state.nj.us/dep/rpp/index.htm.

Wastewater Treatment Financing Program: This program provides low-interest loans to construct wastewater treatment infrastructure, including CSO abatement projects. For municipalities which did not receive CSO planning or design grants, this loan program may also fund planning and design as part of the construction loan. For more information call 609- 292-8961.

NATURAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES

Public Information and Assistance Programs:
The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife: The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife offers a number of educational programs on the state's fish and wildlife resource and provides guidance on wildlife management issues. For more information contact 609-292-9450.

Community Forestry Program: The New Jersey Community Forestry Program is designed to advise counties, municipalities and local organizations in developing and implementing community forestry activities, including: proper tree selection, planting and maintenance; community involvement; ordinance development; public awareness and education; insect and disease management; and long-term strategies for natural resource planning. The program has grant, outreach and award programs to assist urban communities to develop their own community forestry programs and provides technical assistance to help local programs achieve long-term success. For information call 609-292-2532.

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND SCIENCE

Office of Coastal Planning and Division of Watershed Management: The staff in the Office of Coastal Planning and the Division of Watershed Management offer a wide range of technical services in coastal, land use and water planning. The three federal estuary programs, New York-New Jersey Harbor, Delaware Bay and Barnegat Bay are all housed in the Division of Watershed Management. For assistance, call 609-984-0058. Watershed Management's Bureaus may be reached at: Atlantic Coastal Bureau (609) 984-6888; Upper Delaware/Wallkill Bureau (609) 633-3812; Lower Delaware Bureau (609) 633-1441; Raritan Bureau(609) 633-7020; Northeast Bureau: (609)633-1179. The Office of Coastal Planning may be reached at 609-292-2662.

Science, Research and Technology: The Division of Science, Research and Technology, conducts research and technical studies to improve delivery of DEP program services and to develop standards for DEP regulations related to health and environmental risks in New Jersey. The New Jersey Geological Survey, and the Office of Innovative Technology programs are also housed in this division. Information, reports and research summary briefs can be obtained by calling (609) 984-6071.

NJ Geological Survey:The Geological Survey provides assistance to communities on geology and ground-water availability. NJGS also provides geological maps and other publications, which may be used for land use planning. Recent work includes mapping of inactive mines, development of a methodology which communities can use to delineate and protect aquifer recharge areas, mapping recharge areas in selected watersheds, delineating wellhead protection areas for public supply wells and performing regional water resources investigations. For further assistance call 609-292-1185. Website: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/njgs.

Public Access Center: The Public Access Center (the PAC) is the main information center for NJDEP publications and links to the various program staff in the department. PAC staff will be happy to assist you with publications or connecting you to DEP staff. The PAC can be reached at 609-777-DEP3.

SITE REMEDIATION

Public Information and Assistance Programs
Community Relations: Although Superfund is a federal program, much of it is administered through DEP's Publicly Funded Site Remediation program. The Community Relations program offers assistance to communities with Superfund sites and general assistance to those with contaminated site related questions. For more information call 609-984-3081. The Division of Site Remediation also offers a home buyers program called the Site Information Program that informs potential home buyers and others about known contaminated sites that are in close proximity to properties of interest. For more information about this, call toll free at #1-800-253-5647. They also offer a GIS map locating known sites near the property of interest. They produce reports and brochures on the Site Remediation Program, including the Publicly Funded Site Status Report, SRP Annual Report, Brownfields Information, NPL List, etc. In addition, staff go out and do educational outreach about the work being done in Site Remediation.