Vol. 4 No. 3 Winter 1996
A Newsletter About New Jersey's Water Quality Programs

Sponsored by Assemblyman Gibson and Assemblywoman Bark, bill A-1511 would amend the Trust’s existing legislation, creating the "New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust" (EIT) and would authorize the EIT to finance stormwater, water supply, and resource recovery/solid waste projects in addition to wastewater projects. This legislation is part of a four-bill package. The related bills would amend three existing bond acts to allow the EIT to receive a portion of the monies for leveraging. Any amendment to the bond acts, however, would require voter approval during a general election.

This bill, along with the proposed amendments to the three existing bond acts, would allow the DEP and the Trust to provide more financing to counties, municipalities, and authorities for a variety of environmental improvement projects. This will expand the success of the existing joint DEP/Trust wastewater financing program, which has provided low interest loans to finance over $1.2 billion between 1987 and 1995, and just completed 21 new loans in November 1996 for over $86 million (see Wastewater Loans Awarded to 21 Projects).

For more information about the Wastewater Treatment Financing Program and the proposed EIT, please contact Dirk C. Hofman, Executive Director, New Jersey Wastewater Trust at (609) 292-1840.