DEP AND BURLINGTON
COUNTY SIGN PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
FIVE-YEAR PLAN TO SPEED COUNTY'S ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS
Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP) Commissioner Bob Shinn today signed a five-year
partnership agreement with Burlington County Freeholders
to accelerate achievement of the county's key goals for
protection of its natural resources.
The overall goal of the agreement is
to advance the implementation of local and regional land
use plans for balanced growth management. Burlington County
is the first local government in southern New Jersey to
sign the agreement that is modeled after the National
Environmental Performance Partnership System between DEP
and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
"Through results-based management,
we can focus our technical expertise on issues that are
important to the county and can link economic development
opportunities with environmental improvements in a holistic
manner. The agreement builds on Burlington County's leadership
in open space and farmland preservation, growth management
and solid waste management," Shinn said.
Shinn signed the agreement with Freeholder
Director Vince Farias at the freeholders board meeting
and highlighted the agreement's four key priorities -
continued protection of farmland and the water quality
of streams and aquifers, and reducing the amount of solid
waste and greenhouse gas emissions generated by industries
and county facilities.
"Burlington County has a distinguished
track record of protecting natural resources, and this
agreement will further our progress through a joint action
plan to achieve specific objectives. These goals include
enhancing the Rancocas Creek and Delaware River greenways
and Route 130 corridor, initiating a Silver Track based
assessment with businesses to reduce solid waste and improve
air quality by voluntarily reducing greenhouse gas emissions,"
Farias said.
DEP established a Greenhouse Gas Action
Plan in 1999 to improve air quality by asking private
and public sectors to agree to reduce air emissions from
permitted facilities. More than 75 entities have agreed
so far to work in partnership with the state toward this
goal.
The county will solicit stakeholder input
in developing the action plan to meet its goals and timelines.
A team leader at DEP will work with the county's Office
of Land Use Planning to develop a project schedule and
help the county reach its goals.
This is the fourth Performance Partnership
Agreement Commissioner Shinn has signed with a local government,
the others were with Bayonne, Hudson County and Perth
Amboy.
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