EPA awards NJ grant to protect watershed, shorelines

NEW YORK CITY, NY, March 23, 2013 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $523,000 to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for the creation of shorelines in Camden, New Jersey and the Barnegat Bay watershed that are made of plants, sand and some rock rather than hard structures such as bulkheads. These types of shorelines create habitats for fish and wildlife, improve water quality and protect shorelines from storm surges and rising seas.

"By supporting the creation of shorelines with plants, sand and other organic material, the EPA is helping communities protect valuable natural resources, residential and commercial properties and essential infrastructure from the types of storm surges and flooding experienced during Hurricane Sandy," said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. "The benefits of these natural barriers will be even more important in the future as New Jersey is likely to see more frequent and severe storms occur due to climate change."

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will use a $323,000 grant to work with the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary to design the restoration of shorelines in Camden’s future Cramer Hill Waterfront Park and Phoenix Park in south Camden. The Cramer Hill Waterfront Park, which will be located on the site of the former Harrison Avenue Landfill, will include a mile-long riverfront greenway and restoration of the shoreline along the Cooper and Delaware Rivers. This project will include local residents and will provide the opportunity for community monitoring.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will also use a $200,000 grant from the EPA to develop one or more living shoreline projects in the Barnegat Bay watershed. These projects will assist in the recovery from Hurricane Sandy and will protect water quality and natural resources from the impacts of future storms. The New Jersey DEP will work with the Barnegat Bay Partnership and other local entities on the project.

For more information on water pollution control program grants, visit: http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/cwf/pollutioncontrol.cfm.

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