CHAPTER 301

 

An Act appropriating moneys from the "Wastewater Treatment Fund" for grants to project sponsors to finance a portion of the costs of construction of wastewater treatment system projects.


    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:


    1. a. There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection from the "Wastewater Treatment Fund" established pursuant to section 15 of the "Wastewater Treatment Bond Act of 1985," P.L.1985, c.329, the sum of $24,180,000 for the purpose of providing grants to or on behalf of local government units (hereinafter referred to as "project sponsors") to finance up to 20% of the project costs for wastewater treatment system projects as follows:


Project                       Project                                       Estimated                         Grant

Sponsor                      Description                            Project Cost                      Amount

Asbury Park City           Street and storm drain                          $500,000                          $66,515

                                       cleaning equipment

                                       acquisition 

Atlantic County UA       Street and storm drain                          $552,500                          $73,498

                                       cleaning equipment

                                       acquisition

Bayonne MUA              Combined sewer system                      $400,000                          $53,211

                                       partial separation

Bergen County UA        Wastewater treatment                     $14,411,770                     $1,917,165

                                       plant wet weather system

                                       improvements

Bergen County UA        Sewer main construction                $50,000,000                     $6,401,387

Cranford Twp                Storm sewer trunk lines/                   $5,308,000                        $706,111

                                       pump station construction

Dumont Boro                 Stormwater management                  $1,879,900                        $250,000

                                       equipment and stream

                                        bank rehabilitation/flood

                                       control project

East Newark Boro         Solids/Floatables control                  $1,200,000                        $159,633

                                       measures

Edgewater MUA           Combined sewer system                   $2,250,000                        $299,312

                                       separation

Gloucester County         Procurement of street                        $7,601,500                     $1,011,210

                                       sweeping equipment and

                                       construction of salt storage

                                       facility; planning, engineering

                                       and implementation of

                                       County-Wide Stormwater

                                       Management Program

Hackensack City            Combined sewer system                   $5,000,000                        $665,140                                       partial separation

Hudson County              Truck wash facility and                    $1,000,000                        $133,028

Kearny MUA                 Pump station                                     $2,250,000                        $299,312

                                       improvements

Kearny Town                 Sewer separation and                        $2,116,200                        $281,513

                                       Solids/Floatables Control

                                       Measures

Mercer County               Stormwater drainage                         $1,000,000                        $133,028

                                       improvements and cleaning

                                       equipment

Monmouth County        Wreck Pond stormwater                   $1,871,500                        $248,961

                                       restoration project

Newark City                  Solids/Floatables control                $13,813,000                     $1,837,512

                                       measures

Newark City                  Stormwater drainage                         $1,877,000                        $249,693

                                       Improvements

North Bergen MUA       Sewage conveyance and                 $15,955,000                     $2,122,458

                                       reduction of Combined

                                       Sewer Overflow discharges

North Hudson SA          Pump Station Rehabilitation             $1,368,000                        $181,982

                                       and replacement of force mains

North Hudson SA          Pump Station Rehabilitation             $9,009,000                     $1,198,447

                                       and replacement of force mains

Nutley Twp                    Street sweeping equipment                  $500,000                          $66,514

                                       procurement

Ocean County                Long Swamp Creek stormwater          $126,000                          $16,761

                                       restoration project

Paterson City                 Netting & Romag screen                $21,918,400                     $2,915,755

                                       construction and sewer

                                       separation

Perth Amboy City          Combined sewer system                   $3,000,000                        $399,083

                                       partial separation and

                                       Solids/floatables control

                                       netting facility

Rahway Valley SA        Gravity relief sewer                        $13,958,733                     $1,856,899

                                       construction

Wall Twp                       Salt storage facility                              $250,000                          $33,257

                                       construction

West Milford Twp         Sewer system                                    $2,430,000                        $323,257

MUA                             replacement and rehabilitation

West Orange Twp          Storm sewer construction                 $2,100,000                        $279,358


    b.    There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection from the "Wastewater Treatment Fund" established pursuant to section 15 of the "Wastewater Treatment Bond Act of 1985," P.L.1985, c.329, the sum of $3,000,000 for the purpose of providing grants to or on behalf of Bayonne MUA, Bergen County Utilities Authority, Camden City, Camden County MUA, Cliffside Park Borough, East Newark Borough, Edgewater MUA, Elizabeth City, Fort Lee Borough, Gloucester City, Guttenberg Town, Hackensack City, Harrison Town, Jersey City MUA, Joint Meeting of Essex & Unions Counties, Kearny Town, Middlesex County Utilities Authority, Newark City, North Bergen MUA, North Hudson SA, Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners, Paterson City, Perth Amboy City and Ridgefield Park Village (hereinafter referred to as "project sponsors") to finance up to 20% of costs for preliminary engineering projects for the development and evaluation of pathogen control alternatives and cost performance analyses for combined sewer systems as required pursuant to a New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued by the department.

    c.    There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection from the "Wastewater Treatment Fund" established pursuant to section 15 of the"Wastewater Treatment Bond Act of 1985," P.L.1985, c.329, the sum of $2,820,000 for the purpose of providing grants to the following local government units (hereinafter referred to as "project sponsors") to finance up to 20% of the project costs for the following wastewater effluent reuse/recharge projects:


Project Sponsor            Wastewater Project             Total Estimated                               Grant

                                       Description                                  Project Cost                      Amount

Atlantic County UA   Wastewater effluent                   $6,300,000                  $1,260,000

                                    reuse/recharge project 

Cape May County      Wastewater effluent                   $7,800,000                  $1,560,000

MUA                          reuse/recharge project

    d.    To the extent that the balance of the moneys available in the "Wastewater Treatment Fund" that have not been previously appropriated pursuant to law is insufficient to support the sums appropriated pursuant to subsections a. and b. of this section, the following moneys shall be made available from the "Wastewater Treatment Fund" to support the remainder of the appropriations made in those subsections as required:

    (1)  moneys returned to the "Wastewater Treatment Fund" due to project withdrawals, cancellations, or cost savings involving projects previously funded by law; or

    (2)  moneys previously appropriated pursuant to law from the "Wastewater Treatment Fund" to finance projects deemed by the department to be no longer active as of the effective date of this act.

    e.    The grant amount to be provided each project sponsor listed in subsection b. of this section shall be awarded only upon the receipt and approval by the Department of Environmental Protection of an engineering project proposal submitted by the project sponsor. Grant amounts to be provided each project sponsor listed in subsection b. of this section shall be determined and allocated after a review by the department of the engineering study cost estimates submitted by these project sponsors to the department. The total amount of grants awarded pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall not exceed $3,000,000 and no grant shall exceed 20% of the cost for the required engineering studies.

    f.    Any moneys from projects listed in subsection a., b. or c. of this section that have not been obligated as of June 30, 2006may be applied to any other project listed in subsection a., b. or c. of this section, provided that the grant amount awarded to a project sponsor for a particular project shall not exceed 20% of the project cost and that the total amount of grants awarded to project sponsors pursuant to this section shall not exceed $30,000,000.

    g.    The Department of Environmental Protection is authorized to make grants to or on behalf of the project sponsors for the wastewater treatment system projects listed in subsection a. of this section, up to the individual amounts indicated, except as any such amount may be reduced or increased by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection pursuant to section 2 of this act, or if a project fails to meet the requirements of section 3 of this act.

    h.    If the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, after the review of project-specific documentation submitted by the project sponsor in support of a grant authorized pursuant to subsection a., b. or c. of this section, determines that the project will not result in a significant water quality benefit during wet weather conditions or its purpose is inconsistent with the provisions of P.L.1985, c.329, the commissioner may disapprove the project or any portion thereof.


    2.    The Commissioner of Environmental Protection is authorized to reduce or increase the individual amount of grants made available to or on behalf of project sponsors pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of this act based upon final costs defined in and determined in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the commissioner pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1985, c.329, provided that the total amount of the grants awarded pursuant to this act shall not exceed $30,000,000.


    3.    Any grant made by the Department of Environmental Protection pursuant to this act shall be subject to the following requirements:

    a.    The Commissioner of Environmental Protection has certified that the project is in compliance with the provisions of P.L.1985, c.329 and any rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto;

    b.    The grant amount shall not exceed 20% of the estimated project cost;

    c.    The grant shall be subject to any other terms and conditions as may be established by the commissioner.


    4.    The authorization for the making of grants pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of this act shall expire on December 31, 2006, and any project sponsor which has not executed and delivered an agreement with the department for a grant authorized in this act shall no longer be entitled to that grant.


    5.    The Department of Environmental Protection shall provide general technical assistance to any project sponsor requesting assistance regarding project development or applications for funds for a project.


    6.    This act shall take effect immediately.


    Approved January 9, 2006.