MAPLEWOOD, NJ –Commissioner Harold J. Wirths of the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development (LWD) joined Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. today in a tour of storm-damaged South Mountain Reservation, where workers are assisting with recovery work through a National Emergency Grant (NEG) obtained by the Christie Administration following Superstorm Sandy.

Essex County has hired 105 people through the NEG to assist in residual Sandy cleanup efforts, including brush removal public property cleanup, and the city of Newark, under the same grant, hired another 28 workers to participate in cleanup efforts. The Christie Administration obtained a total of $15.6 million under the NEG to put unemployed people to work on the Sandy recovery effort, and continues to deploy workers to communities requesting the aid.

“Through the National Emergency Grant my staff secured the morning after Sandy devastated the Garden State, we have put more than 640 unemployed people to work on important cleanups in 16 counties,” said Labor Commissioner Wirths. “Certain areas of Essex County had a particularly strong need for this assistance, and County Executive Joe DiVincenzo was quick to make use of it. Before we’re done, we hope to bring on as many as 400 additional workers on projects in New Jersey.”

Sandy ranks among the most destructive storms to hit the Northeast in nearly a century. Homes and businesses throughout the state were damaged or destroyed, power outages affected nearly seven (7) million people and 1,000 schools, and 116,000 New Jerseyans were evacuated or displaced.

“Superstorm Sandy was one of the most devastating natural disasters to hit Essex County in our lifetime. The work being done by these employees to remove debris, fallen branches and damaged trees will enable the public to safely enjoy the beautiful open spaces of our historic park system,” DiVincenzo said.

“We thank Governor Chris Christie and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for making these funds available to Essex County. We are pleased that during these difficult economic times we have the ability to utilize these grant funds to employ people and have them engaged on projects that will help stabilize our neighborhoods,” he added..

In addition to securing the NEG, Governor Christie launched a $26 million recovery package through the LWD to help in the recovery of Sandy-impacted businesses and workers, as well as to invest in the state’s future economic growth. That grant package contains three programs, Recovery4Jersey, Skills4Jersey, and Opportunity4Jersey.

For more information about each of these initiatives, please use the links below.

Recovery4Jersey go to:

http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/forms_pdfs/NGO/RECOVERY4JERSEY.pdf

Skills4Jersey go to:

http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/forms_pdfs/NGO/SKILLS4JERSEY.pdf

Opportunity4Jersey go to:

http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/forms_pdfs/NGO/Opportunity4Jersey.pdf

Commissioner Harold J. Wirths of the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development (left) joined Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. (center) in visiting workers hired through at National Emergency Grant to clean up debris left behind by Hurricane Sandy at Essex County’s South Mountain Reservation.