Towns and cities across New Jersey are experiencing increased flooding. Many have taken action to address this problem by adopting stormwater management ordinances that go beyond the state’s basic standards to protect the health and safety of their residents.
According to the state’s Stormwater Management rules, municipalities are permitted to impose additional or more stringent stormwater management requirements than what is required by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).
Read Jim Waltman’s Op-ed Piece in NJ Spotlight Here
However, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which oversees the Residential Site Improvement Standards (RSIS), is considering regulations that would continue and strengthen a provision preventing towns and cities from enforcing stronger stormwater controls against residential development.
This is a serious concern for The Watershed Institute and our partners. As communities are struggling to address flooding and climate change, it is counterproductive to have different branches of state government in conflict over stormwater management, a critical public safety issue.
We have reached out to Gov. Phil Murphy, NJDEP, and DCA. We need your support to protect the ability of towns and cities to adopt stormwater management ordinances that suit their own needs and protect against climate threats.
HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP:
1. Use our petition (see below) to let the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and NJDEP know you oppose RSIS’ restrictions on municipal stormwater.
2. Ask your municipal government to join 13 towns and 18 Environmental Commissions in passing this model resolution opposing the RSIS restrictions.
A study last fall from the Northeast Regional Climate Center found extreme rainfall in New Jersey would likely increase by 20% by 2100, compared to 1999. Some counties could see a 50% increase. It is critical that municipalities have the ability to require strong stormwater management to adapt to these significant changes.
Thank you for your participation!
Watch Our RSIS Background Video Here
