TRENTON – Bills sponsored by Senator Linda Greenstein and Senator Richard Codey, which would provide funding for environmental infrastructure projects, passed the Senate today.
The bills would provide the creation of new loans for fiscal year 2019 (FY2019) to fund clean water and drinking water upgrades.
Bill S-3185, sponsored by Senator Greenstein, as well as Senator Christopher Bateman, would amend the list of environmental infrastructure projects receiving long-term funding from the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB) for FY2019 to add new projects and remove others.
“Our water utilities must be renovated if we are going to provide our tax payers with the clean water they need,” said Senator Greenstein (D-Mercer/Middlesex). “There are areas in our state relying on aging infrastructure and this must be addressed. This is a public health hazard and we must ensure we are providing the public with water that is safe and free of impurities.”
The second bill, S-3186, sponsored by Senator Codey, would amend the list of environmental infrastructure projects receiving long-term funding from the Department of Environmental Protection for FY2019 to add new projects and the remove of others.
“The people of New Jersey deserve access to the clean drinking water,” said Senator Codey (D-Essex/Morris). “Prioritizing the rehabilitation of our water infrastructure will prevent an epidemic similar to Flint, Michigan. This legislation addresses the need to upgrade aging infrastructure throughout the state and would make our goal of providing clean water to all a reality.”
Under current law, the NJIB must submit a list of environmental infrastructure projects, to be approved by the legislature for long-term funding. In August 2018, $810.6 million were appropriated to fund environmental infrastructure projects. Both bills would amend those appropriations to include those new projects and remove others.
The bills passed the Senate by votes of 38-0, and 40-0 respectively.