Senator Frank Lautenberg Announces $5 Million In New Federal Clean-up Funding

Funding to Clean Up Leaking Underground Storage Tanks Across New Jersey; Leaking Tanks Can Contaminate Soil and Groundwater; New Funding Will Help Keep Families and Communities Safe

June 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today announced New Jersey will receive almost $5 million in new federal funding to protect families and communities by cleaning up leaking underground storage tanks that can contain hazardous chemicals, such as petroleum. The funding comes from the Economic Recovery Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in February.

“We need to do all we can to protect our communities from hazardous chemicals,” Sen. Lautenberg said. “These funds will help ensure these tanks are clean and families across New Jersey do not have to worry about chemical contamination in their water.”

Leaking underground storage tank leaks can let hazardous substances into the soil, which can threaten a community’s supply of drinking water. These funds will be used to oversee the assessment and cleanup of leaks from the tanks or directly pay for assessment and cleanup of leaks from federally regulated tanks where the responsible party is unknown, unwilling, or unable, or the cleanup is an emergency response.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that there are 16,138 active underground storage tanks in New Jersey, some of which contain hazardous chemicals. More than 6,000 have already been cleaned up and this funding will help remediate 4,000 additional tanks.

The Economic Recovery Act is intended to create or save more than 3.5 million jobs, including 100,000 in New Jersey. In addition, this new law includes approximately $7 billion in essential tax relief for New Jerseyans. More information is available online.

Source: Senator Frank R. Lautenberg