
Sep-22-11 NEW JERSEY GRANTED NEARLY $7.8 MILLION FOR HURRICANE IRENE RECOVERY
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![]() -News Release- Updated Sept. 22, 2011 |
TRENTON, NJ, Sept. 22, 2011 _ Federal authorities have approved New Jersey’s application for a National Emergency Grant, awarding $7,795,700 to the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development (LWD) to assist with recovery efforts following Hurricane Irene.
The grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor, will fund a plan the state LWD launched immediately after the storm to create 500 temporary jobs for people displaced by Hurricane Irene to remove debris, handle clean-ups and repair damaged roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
“After the storm hit, the state Department of Labor was one of the many agencies mobilized by Governor Chris Christie to assist the businesses and people who were so terribly impacted by the flooding,” said state Department of Labor Commissioner Harold J. Wirths. “Along with issuing On-the-Job Training funds to immediately begin recovery work, my department busily drafted a National Emergency Grant application that resulted in this $7,795,700 award to continue the clean-up and repair effort.”
LWD assembled a “national disaster team” when the hurricane hit and authorized On-the-Job training money to be issued in each county to allow businesses to hire workers to assist in disaster-related clean-ups and responses. Those activities included tree and debris removal, construction, processing insurance claims, building supplies sales, materials transport, utility work, call and claims centers staffing, and infrastructure cleaning and repair.
At the same time, part of the LWD team drafted an application for federal funding to launch the plan to temporarily hire 500 people impacted by the disaster to continue working on the recovery clean-up and repairs.
Hilda L. Solis, secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, announced the National Emergency Grant this week, explaining that $2,598,567 of the funding will be released initially. Additional funding will be made available as the state demonstrates a continued need for assistance.
“This federal grant will fund 500 temporary jobs for eligible workers to assist with cleanup, demolition and repair activities on the tremendous damage to public infrastructure, which might include roads, bridges, utilities, schools and recreational areas," she said.
For additional information on National Emergency Grants, go to: http://www.doleta.gov/NEG/
For more information on what LWD has been doing in respond to Irene, go to: http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/ and click on the “Relief for Hurricane Irene” button.

