Bill Text: NJ A5761 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Appropriates $4 million from the Property Tax Relief Fund to DEP for mitigation and prevention of harmful algal blooms in Greenwood Lake; reduces Trenton Capital City Aid Program appropriation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-08-27 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee [A5761 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-A5761-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JAY WEBBER
District 26 (Essex, Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Appropriates $4 million from the Property Tax Relief Fund to DEP for mitigation and prevention of harmful algal blooms in Greenwood Lake; reduces Trenton Capital City Aid Program appropriation.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Supplement and amendment to "An Act making appropriations for the support of the State Government and the several public purposes for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020 and regulating the disbursement thereof," approved June 30, 2019 (P.L.2019, c.150), supplementing Title 32 of the Revised Statutes, and amending P.L.2019, c.138.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. In addition to the amounts appropriated under P.L.2019, c.150, there is appropriated from the Property Tax Relief Fund the following sum for the purpose specified:
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42 DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 40 Community Development and Environmental Management 43 Science and Technical Programs STATE AID |
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07-4850 Hazardous Algal Bloom Remediation (PTRF)..................... |
$4,000,000 |
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Total State Aid Appropriation, |
$4,000,000 |
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Hazardous Algal Bloom Remediation (PTRF) ......... |
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State Aid: |
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05 Greenwood Lake Assistance Program...... |
($4,000,000) |
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There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection, to be distributed to the Township of West Milford, for the purposes of treating harmful algal blooms in Greenwood Lake and developing methods and strategies to prevent future harmful algal blooms.
2. The following items in section 1 of P.L.2019, c.150, the annual State appropriations act for Fiscal Year 2020, are amended to read as follows:
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22 DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS 70 Government Direction, Management, and Control 75 State Subsidies and Financial Aid STATE AID |
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04-8030 Local Government Services................................................. |
[$791,908,000] $787,908,000 |
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(From General Fund........................................$2,192,000)
(From Property Tax Relief Fund [$789,716,000]$785,716,000) |
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Total State Aid Appropriation, State Subsidies, and Financial Aid...................................................[$791,908,000] State Aid: |
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$787,908,000 |
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04 Trenton Capital City Aid (PTRF)............... [10,000,000] |
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(6,000,000) |
3. (New section) There is established the Greenwood Lake Assistance Program, for which there shall be appropriated from the Property Tax Relief Fund to the Department of Environmental Protection the sum of $4,000,000 per year beginning in fiscal year 2020 and each fiscal year thereafter to be distributed to the Township of West Milford. Funds received by the township shall be used exclusively for the purposes of treating harmful algal blooms in Greenwood Lake and developing methods and strategies to prevent future harmful algal blooms. The moneys shall be used to develop and implement methods and strategies for water quality restoration and enhancement which may include, but need not be limited to:
(1) developing ordinances, policies, and projects to prevent point and nonpoint source pollution from entering Greenwood Lake;
(2) working with businesses, private individuals, nonprofit organizations, and any other relevant entities near Greenwood Lake to encourage best land use practices to prevent future harmful algal blooms;
(3) coordinating with the Department of Environmental Protection and the Greenwood Lake Commission to develop and enhance any existing projects or programs for watershed management, including nonpoint source pollution control; and
(4) coordinating with the Natural Resource Conservation Service in the United States Department of Agriculture, and any other relevant federal entity to develop and enhance any existing projects and programs for watershed management, including nonpoint source pollution control.
4. Section 1 of P.L.2019 c.138 (C.52:27D-118.44) is amended to read as follows:
1. There is established the Trenton Capital City Aid Program, for which there shall be appropriated in each fiscal year an amount not less than [$10,000,000] $6,000,000 for the City of Trenton. Funds received by the city shall be used solely and exclusively by the city for the purpose of reducing the amount to be raised through the property tax levy for municipal purposes. If in any year the funds dedicated to the city through the Trenton Capital City Aid Program exceed the amount to be raised through the property tax levy for municipal purposes, the remaining balance of the State aid payment shall be allocated in equal amounts to Mercer County and the Trenton School District to be used to reduce the amount of the property tax levies for county and school purposes, notwithstanding the provisions of this section, or of any other law to the contrary. The Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs shall certify annually that the city has complied with the requirements of this section.
(cf: P.L.2019, c.138, s.1)
5. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would provide funding from the Property Tax Relief Fund to the Township of West Milford, through the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), to address and prevent harmful algal blooms in Greenwood Lake.
The bill would provide for an annual appropriation of $4 million from the Property Tax Relief Fund to the DEP, to be distributed to the Township of West Milford, for the purposes of treating harmful algal blooms in Greenwood Lake, and developing methods and strategies to prevent future harmful algal blooms. The methods and strategies for preventing future harmful algal blooms may include, but would need not be limited to: (1) developing ordinances, policies, and projects to prevent point and nonpoint source pollution from entering Greenwood Lake; (2) working with businesses, private individuals, nonprofit organizations, and any other relevant entities to encourage best land use practices to prevent future harmful algal blooms; (3) coordinating with the DEP and the Greenwood Lake Commission to develop and enhance any existing projects or programs for watershed management, including nonpoint source pollution control; and (4) coordinating with the Natural Resource Conservation Service in the United States Department of Agriculture, and any other relevant federal entity to develop and enhance any existing projects and programs for watershed management, including nonpoint source pollution control.
In addition, the bill would reduce the amount of money devoted to the Trenton Capital City Aid program by $4 million.
In July of 2019, the DEP detected cyanobacteria, a form of harmful algal bloom, in Greenwood Lake and subsequently advised against making any contact with the lake water. Exposure to these harmful algal blooms can cause a range of health effects, including rashes, allergy-like reactions, flu-like symptoms, gastroenteritis, respiratory irritation, skin rashes and eye irritation. A major contributor to harmful algal blooms is excessive nutrient loading in the water caused by runoff into Greenwood Lake. This bill provides funding to the Township of West Milford to address the current harmful algal bloom, and to take steps to prevent future harmful algal blooms from occurring in the future.
