For Immediate Release
Media Contacts: Jackie.Greger@sierraclub.org
NJ PACT REAL Rules Officially Proposed, Keeping Us Above Water
Trenton, NJ - Today, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) announced that the Protecting Against Climate Threat Resilient Environments and Landscapes (NJPACT REAL) rules are moving forward and will be published for public comment this summer. Current projections indicate as much as 5.1 feet of sea-level rise is likely by 2100, and nearly two-thirds of New Jersey’s coastline is at high, or very high risk of coastal erosion.
Given our susceptibility to sea level rise, extreme weather events and a lack of resiliency, these rules would integrate climate change impacts into the regulatory process, enhance protections for coastal areas, improve stormwater programs, and safeguard critical wildlife habitats.
A courtesy copy of the REAL proposal is available here.
Anjuli Ramos-Busot, NJ Chapter Director, made the following statement:
“Today is a major step forward for protecting our frontline coastal communities in New Jersey who are facing rising sea levels and unprecedented flooding even on sunny days. The NJPACT REAL rules will keep people and property safe and out of harm’s way, and most importantly will update our flood zones to reflect modern climate science. Thank you to the New Jersey DEP and Governor Murphy for pushing these lifesaving rules closer to the finish line, and we look forward to their swift adoption. Thanks to the action taken today, New Jersey can keep our heads above water.”
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About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information about our work in New Jersey, visit www.sierraclub.org/new-jersey.