What does the State Plan do?

• Recommends commitment of public resources and assistance to communities with planned Brownfield redevelopment strategies, that are consistent with government plans and focuses on long-term economic sustainability, particularly in underserved communities.
• Encourages the development of Brownfield sites by leveraging existing infrastructure, established communities, and available workforce, while utilizing regulatory, statutory, and financial incentives.
• Calls for identification of areas for redevelopment based on community vision and consensus, integrating environmental cleanup with future land use, habitat restoration, and public health protection.
• Focuses on the removal and mitigation of lead paint and pipes in older housing stock, particularly in Overburdened Communities, to protect the public, and especially children, from toxic exposure.
• Highlights the importance of the New Jersey Lead Service Line Replacement Law, which addresses health threats posed by lead in drinking water and requires public community water systems to identify and replace all lead service lines within 10 years of its adoption.

Why it matters:

• Transforms unusable industrial sites into opportunities for economic growth, while addressing inequities in communities and revitalizing local economies.
• Reduces the long-term health risks associated with toxic contamination in Brownfield sites, making these areas safe for redevelopment and public use.
• Directly improves the quality of life, especially in Overburdened Communities, by reducing lead exposure in the housing stock and drinking water supply.
• Assists New Jersey in meeting its health and safety goals by reducing environmental hazards and the health impacts of hazardous materials, while promoting sustainable development.
• Supports New Jersey’s commitment to clean and safe infrastructure to protect residents and the environment from lead in paint and drinking water.

What does the State Plan do?

The State Plan endeavors to ensure that agriculture continues to be a viable industry in the face of a changing climate and an onslaught of invasive species. Some of the objectives include:

• Calls for coordination of all levels of government and existing regulatory mechanisms for planning, siting, designing, and operating waste management facilities.
• Promotes multi-jurisdictional planning and collaboration to efficiently collect, dispose, and manage trash, hazardous waste, and recyclable materials.
• Encourages self-sufficiency in waste management by implementing Solid Waste Management Plans that prioritize source reduction, reuse, and recycling, composting, and sustainable disposal techniques.
• Advocates for the development of educational programs encouraging residents to actively participate in waste reduction and recycling efforts.
• Supports the expansion of remanufacturing and recycling facilities to conserve resources and reduce waste, while promoting the economic reuse of materials.
• Promotes the development of community and regional composting facilities that divert organic waste from the trash stream and repurpose waste for household use.

Why it matters:

• Ensures effective and environmentally sound waste management and recycling practices to reduce the state's environmental impact. Promotes a sustainable approach to waste by prioritizing the reduction, reuse, and recycling of waste, and minimizing landfill reliance and environmental hazards.
• Supports New Jersey’s transition towards a sustainable economy, one which seeks to conserve resources and support economic growth through recycling, composting, and remanufacturing.
• Protects public health by minimizing hazardous waste exposure through enhanced disposal practices and effective household hazardous waste management.
• Supports the development of composting facilities to divert organic waste from landfills to create valuable natural resources for local communities, such as enriched soil.