The Jersey City Board of Education has received a $79,521 grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) to retrofit up to 39 different schools with green infrastructure.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“This innovative Stormwater Assistance Grant program is funding projects in all corners of the state that will mitigate flooding and improve the ecological health of our waterways,” NJ DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said in a statement.
“We are proud to provide our communities with the resources to make them safer, healthier, and more resilient. At the same time, we must acknowledge that we have much work to do to address New Jersey’s pressing water infrastructure needs, estimated at $30 billion.”
Their initial plan calls for the construction of rain gardens at two schools as. The Jersey City Public School District, through its in-kind match partners, will make a $23,050 in-kind match, for a total project cost of $102,571.
Work will include assessment of green infrastructure opportunities, development of a plan to receive public input on the green infrastructure retrofit plans, and community education and outreach.
The Stormwater Assistance Grant is one of dozens announced today, totaling about $7 million across the state.
The DEP is using money from the state’s Corporate Business Tax and the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund to fund the grant program.
Grants were prioritized for municipalities with combined sewer systems and/or those that are designated by the DEP as overburdened, officials said today.
