SENATE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 4079

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  NOVEMBER 15, 2021

      The Senate Environment and Energy Committee favorably reports Senate Bill No. 4079.

      This bill would amend P.L.2021, c.203 to alter the list of environmental infrastructure projects for which the Legislature has appropriated funds to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for State fiscal year 2022 (FY2022) to include new projects, remove projects, modify the priority of certain projects, and modify the loan amounts for certain projects.

      The bill would also make various changes to P.L.2021, c.203 to reflect changes in the financial plan of the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB), which administers the loans used to finance the environmental infrastructure projects listed in the bill.  These changes include increasing the principal forgiveness cap for certain lead service line projects, adding a Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Grants program, and providing direct grants to water systems that serve fewer than 500 persons and do not meet the requirements to qualify for a loan.

      In August 2021, P.L.2021, c.203 was enacted into law, which appropriated funds to the DEP for the purpose of financing approximately $1.979 billion in Storm Sandy and other environmental infrastructure projects through the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB) in FY2022.  This bill would amend the lists of environmental infrastructure projects for which the DEP is appropriated funds pursuant to P.L.2021, c.203 to include new projects, remove projects, modify the priority of certain projects, and modify the loan amounts for certain projects, as enumerated in subsection a. of section 2 and subsections a. and b. of section 3 of the bill.  The bill appropriates to the DEP up to $1.62 billion, and any unexpended balances from previous authorizations, to provide loans to project sponsors for a total of 182 eligible environmental infrastructure projects for FY2022.  This would include 100 projects on the “Storm Sandy and State Fiscal Year 2022 Clean Water Project Eligibility List” and 64 projects on the “Storm Sandy and State Fiscal Year 2022 Drinking Water Project Eligibility List.”  The DEP would also be appropriated funds to finance supplemental loans to 14 environmental infrastructure projects.