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STATE FLOOD MITIGATION TASK
FORCE TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETINGS
(05/93) TRENTON - Acting Governor Richard
J. Codey's Flood Mitigation Task Force (Task Force) is kicking
off a series of public meetings to provide an opportunity for
input and comment about long-term response to and planning for
flooding problems on the Delaware River.
“With the hurricane season already in full force
and the approaching one-year anniversary of flooding in Burlington
County, initiating a public dialogue about strategies for preventing
and mitigating the effects of flooding has rarely been more timely,”
said Governor Codey. “Although natural disasters cannot be stopped,
this Task Force and the input of the public will help identify
steps we can take to ensure that, when the next flood occurs,
we minimize the impact it has on our residents.”
Governor Codey created the Task Force in response
to two major rain events during a two-week period in April that
caused flooding along the Delaware River affecting 3,500 homes
and causing the evacuation of more than 5,000 residents in New
Jersey. The Task Force - comprised of professional engineers,
mayors, academics, planners, federal and state officials - is
reviewing the circumstances surrounding the April flooding with
a view toward identifying new ways to mitigate damage in the future.
The Task Force will hold four initial public
meetings to solicit public input, one in each of the counties
affected by the April floods - Mercer, Hunterdon, Warren and Sussex.
The Task Force plans to release its draft recommendations by the
end of September for public comment and present its final report
to Governor Codey by the end of October.
The first public meeting will be held on Monday,
July 11, in Trenton at the Department of Environmental Protection's
(DEP) public hearing room at 401 E. State Street. Hosting the
meeting will be Congressman Rush Holt, Trenton Mayor Douglas Palmer,
and DEP Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell. The meeting will run
from 7 to 9 p.m.
More information about the Task Force's formation
is available at http://www.nj.gov/cgi-bin/governor/njnewsline/view_article.pl?id=2471
. A task force website will be unveiled later this month.
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