(24/P017) TRENTON –On Friday, May 10, Governor Phil Murphy and Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette announced the Administration’s intent to modernize a suite of DEP regulations to better protect New Jersey communities from coastal flooding, sea-level rise, and other public health and safety risks that are increasing due to climate change.
The forthcoming rule proposal, known as REAL – Resilient Environments and Landscapes – reforms, will make New Jersey the first state in the nation to initiate a comprehensive update of land resource protection regulations to address the current and future impacts of a changing climate.
Here is what people are saying:
Senator Linda Greenstein, Vice-Chair of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee: “With worsening climate change comes worsening storms and more damaging flood events. These challenges need to be properly reflected in our environmental regulations, so that the infrastructure we are building now will be able to stand the test of time. I applaud Commissioner LaTourette and Governor Murphy for initiating a comprehensive modernization of land resource protection rules, and look forward to their continued engagement with members of the public, stakeholders, and the communities that are at-risk of flooding.”
Senator John McKeon: “We are already seeing the disastrous effects of climate change, particularly in our coastal areas, which have recently been subject to intense storms, flooding, and erosion. Climate inaction is a grave threat to the safety of New Jersey residents and businesses, and the time to act is now. Commissioner LaTourette and Governor Murphy’s first-in-the-nation update to land resource protection regulations addresses these challenges head-on and will help to ensure the resilience of our communities as the climate crisis evolves.”
Neena Singh, Mayor of Montgomery Township: “Our team of professional staff and resident volunteers have been working hard to mitigate the effects of climate change locally through initiatives like our Earth Day Recycling Fair and recently adopted tree preservation ordinance. Earlier this spring, we had over 80 volunteers clean up our local streams, helping improve the quality of water that supplies our local aquifer. It takes collaboration between communities to make an impact across the region, and we look forward to working together with Governor Murphy and DEP Commissioner LaTourette on their REAL reforms that further our efforts locally.”
Robert Henken, Mayor of Stafford Township: “We appreciate the NJDEP including Stafford Township in the discussion on the REAL – Resilient Environments and Landscapes proposed regulations. In Stafford Township, we have worked with NJDEP on Resilient Stafford to make the Township thrive into the future and look forward to continuing that partnership.”
Richard Lawton, Executive Director of the New Jersey Sustainable Business Council: “As businesses that must be profitable to survive, insurance companies can’t afford to be in denial when it comes to climate risk. That’s why they are dramatically increasing insurance premium prices and even exiting high-risk markets altogether. The trendlines are clear and serve as a harbinger of things to come if we don’t take decisive action. But it’s not just insurance companies – increasing risks and costs of climate change will impact the bottom lines and ongoing viability of all businesses. Whether it’s a Main Street business in a flood-prone community or a large corporation whose board has a fiduciary responsibility for risk oversight, it’s in the long-term interest of all companies to support land management policies designed to build resilience. We applaud the Murphy administration for making this a priority and urge all businesses to support the proposed NJPACT-REAL reforms.”
Anjuli Ramos-Busot, Director of the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club: “New Jersey is on the frontlines of sea-level rise and faces flooding even from mild rain events. There is an urgent need for the NJPACT REAL rules, which will incorporate modern climate science into flood protections and nature-based solutions into our planning and building for a more resilient and safe future. Thank you to the New Jersey DEP and Governor Murphy for pushing these lifesaving rules closer to the finish line, and we look forward to their swift adoption.”
Ed Potosnak, Executive Director of New Jersey League of Conservation Voters: “Climate change is no longer a future problem - it’s here today, and it’s far past time we realized we are making life and death decisions with how we build and rebuild in communities across New Jersey. The release of the NJPACT REAL rules is an important step in the fight to protect homes and critical buildings like hospitals and schools, particularly along our coast. As the most densely populated state in the country, we need to lead the charge on protecting against sea level rise and chronic flooding. Adopting these rules and updating how and where we build will quite literally save lives in the years to come, and we urge the administration to adopt these critical protective rules as soon as possible.”
Jennifer M. Coffey, Executive Director of the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions: “Governor Murphy made a pact with New Jersey in 2020 to make us safer from the escalating impacts of the climate crisis. The NJPACT REAL rules are a groundbreaking set of regulations that will save lives and properties and strengthen protections for critical habitats. Too many lives have been severely impacted by the escalating impacts of the climate crisis, most notably by increasing floods. The NJPACT REAL regulations put an end to the rollbacks from the previous administration and move New Jersey solidly in the direction of how we need to think and act to better prepare for current and future climate change impacts.”
Jim Waltman, Executive Director of the Watershed Institute: “The Watershed Institute applauds Governor Murphy and the NJ DEP for taking an important step towards protecting New Jersey’s residents and environment from the serious threats of climate change. Four years ago, the Governor made a bold commitment to modify DEP’s regulatory and permitting programs to better prepare our state for projected changes to sea levels, precipitation, flooding, and other manifestations of climate change. The rules announced on Friday will provide New Jersey with important tools to make our communities safer and more resilient to climate change. We look forward to reviewing these proposed rules and working towards their adoption.”
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