U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ) successfully secured provisions he authored in the newly signed America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 that will help improve water safety for his constituents in New Jersey.
“A major water safety bill is now law including provisions that will make a positive difference in New Jersey communities, including significant funds for critical water infrastructure upgrades,” Rep. Lance said on Oct. 23 following President Donald Trump signing S. 3021 into law.
The S. 3021 package includes, among numerous provisions, those offered by Rep. Lance to hasten both a flood mitigation feasibility study for the state’s Rahway River Basin and removal of the environmentally unsafe Warren Glen Dam, the tallest dam on New Jersey’s Musconetcong River.
“We have to make sure water is safe for all – that means from homes to schools residents need to trust the water coming out of the tap,” said Rep. Lance. “Major plans for the Musconetcong River and the Rahway River are the types of projects our neighbors are counting on.”
Rep. Lance’s provision regarding the Musconetcong River dam instructs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite a feasibility study for removing the Warren Glen Dam, which is located between Warren and Hunterdon counties and oftentimes has been cited as an environmental hazard. The dam has been out of commission for decades, according to Lance’s office, which noted that its removal would improve the area’s fish habitat.
The lawmaker’s provision concerning the Rahway River Basin also instructs the Corps to speed up its completion of a flood risk management study that’s been stalled for years, his office said.
According to the Army Corps of Engineers, the Rahway River Basin located in northeastern New Jersey, an almost 82-mile-long area, lies within the metropolitan area of Greater New York City. Rapid development in the area has caused increased flooding and excessive stormwater runoff that has damaged homes, businesses, municipal facilities and public infrastructure. At the same time, there has also been environmental degradation along portions of the basin area.
The Corps’ feasibility study will determine restoration and mitigation plans, as well as a cost analysis for determining shared expenses between New York and New Jersey, according to the agency.