Owners urged to protect public safety as climate change threatens bigger floods
By Jon Hurdle. NJ Spotlight
New Jersey is providing $45 million in new low-interest loans to repair and upgrade dams to ensure their safety and help them cope with increased flooding caused by climate change.
Department of Environmental Protection is making $40 million available through a state program on dam restoration, and another $5 million through the Inland Waters Loan Program which funds flood-mitigation projects such as dredging and stream restoration.
DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said the new funding is part of the state’s plan to become more resilient to the effects of climate change.
“This funding will enable private and municipal dam owners to undertake environmental infrastructure projects that provide more spillway capacity that is critical to public safety, especially as rainfall events continue to become more severe due to our changing climate,” he said in a statement Monday.
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