Now that the October 1 submittal deadline for the combined sewer overflow plans has come and gone, what should you do?
The deadline not only kicked off the Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) review of the plans, but also a public review of the plans and provides an opportunity for community members to submit comments. All of the plans that were submitted to NJDEP will be posted online here.
The plans will tell you the projects that have been selected to stop sewage overflows, locations, timeline, and the costs. The plans will answer some of the questions we have been asking and will also likely generate more questions, such as: Will flooding be addressed? How will your community be impacted? What are the community benefits? What will it cost and the financing plans?
Your voice is needed to ensure that the solutions are affordable; keep residents healthy; invest in local jobs, businesses and neighborhoods; and create more green spaces that promote climate resiliency.
Comments on the Long Term Control Plans (LTCPs) can be submitted to the appropriate NJDEP contacts. For all comments, we suggest copying Susan Rosenwinkel (Susan.Rosenwinkel@dep.nj.gov), bureau chief of surface water permitting at NJDEP, as well as the relevant permittee contact. Use the guide we developed to assist you with your reviews in the blog post, “How to Review the Draft CSO Long Term Control Plans and Submit Comments.”
After submitting comments to NJDEP and your CSO permit holder, make sure to share your comments with your local officials, environmental commission, and planning/zoning boards.
