Sen. Lautenberg: Senate Approves Bill to Provide More Than $15 Million for Open Space, Clean Water in New Jersey

October 29, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today announced that the Senate has approved the final version of the FY 2010 Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, which includes $15 million for projects in New Jersey to preserve open space in national wildlife refuges, protect forests, renovate infrastructure and help local communities provide clean water.

The legislation also provides federal funds to protect bats from White Nose Syndrome and to develop a management plan for the Great Falls National Historic Park. The legislation was approved in the House of Representatives earlier today and will now be sent to the White House where it is expected to be signed.

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“Protecting natural resources in New Jersey is essential to the environmental quality and economic health of our state. These important funds will preserve New Jersey’s wildlife and natural habitats, further protect open space and improve water quality in our reservoirs and communities,” said Sen. Lautenberg, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Listed below is a breakdown of the investments in New Jersey:

Land and Water Preservation Projects

* Highlands Conservation Act: $4 million to help preserve open space in the Highlands

* Cape May National Wildlife Refuge: $2 million to expand the refuge by 30 acres in Middle Township, Cape May County

* Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge: $1.1 million to expand the refuge by 28 acres in Barnegat Township in order to provide stop-over breeding and wintering habitat for migratory land bird species, wading birds and waterfowl

* Wallkill National Wildlife Refuge: $1.4 million to expand the refuge in order to protect a wide variety of threatened and endangered species

* Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge: $1 million to expand the refuge by 18 acres in order to provide critical habitat for the endangered Indiana Bat and many other rare species

* Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area: $2.2 million to demolish and remove hazardous structures throughout the park

* Silas Little Experimental Forest: $253,000 for capital improvements and maintenance at the forest in New Lisbon that provides opportunities for fire and forest productivity research

Clean Water Projects

* The Borough of Hopatcong: $500,000 to help install large diameter pipes at public community supply wells to improve the disinfection of the raw water before distribution to residents

* The City of Orange: $300,000 to help replace the Chester Street Filter Plant and improve the drinking water system

* The City of Hackensack: $300,000 for the Clay Street area combined sewer overflow improvement project to reduce sewage back-up and street flooding due to the insufficient capacity of the existing system

* Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission: $750,000 to expand the capacity of the Wastewater Treatment plant in an effort to reduce combined sewage overflows

* The City of Perth Amboy: $300,000 to the help the city rehabilitate drinking water infrastructure

* The City of New Brunswick: $300,000 to help upgrade the city’s water pumping stations, which are more than 50 years old

* Monmouth County: $500,000 for a wastewater/water quality improvement project to allow both the County and municipalities to comply with state regulations

Historic Preservation Projects

* Georgian Court University: $200,000 for the preservation of The Mansion at Georgian Court which is the centerpiece of seven historic buildings on the campu

* South Orange: $150,000 for the restoration of the South Orange Village Hall which is an historic structure listed on both the state and national historic registers

Source: Senator Frank R. Lautenberg