NJ DEP News Releases

Signs Bill Lifting Nuclear Moratorium, Creates Nuclear Task Force

Governor Mikie Sherrill signed legislation S3870/A4528 to lift New Jersey's de facto moratorium on new nuclear power plant construction, removing a permitting hurdle created by the Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA). The law allows the DEP Commissioner to approve permits based on safe, NRC-compliant waste storage methods, which have a 100 percent effective safety record in the U.S. Concurrently, the newly established Nuclear Task Force, created under Executive Order 2, will organize its work across five focus areas: Financing, Supply Chains and Technology Development, Workforce Growth and Training, Regulatory and Permitting Framework, and Public Trust and Confidence.

NJ DEP Adds Shark River Basin and Lower Passaic River Regions to Resilient NJ Flood Program

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection announced the addition of two new regions — the Shark River Basin in Monmouth County and the Lower Passaic River in Essex County — to its Resilient NJ flood resilience planning program. The expansion brings the total number of participating regions to six, with the program now working with 87 municipalities across coastal and inland areas. NJ DEP is also accepting applications for up to four additional planning regions, with grants of up to $300,000 each available to selected regional teams.

NJ DEP Awards $14.8M in Natural Climate Solutions Grants for Flood Protection

NJ DEP announced $14.8 million in grants through its Natural Climate Solutions Grant Program for three flood protection projects in Cape May, Cumberland, and Ocean counties, NJ. Recipients include the Barnegat Bay Partnership ($4.8M), American Littoral Society ($5M), and Ocean City ($5M), each focused on restoring coastal ecosystems such as salt marshes to provide natural storm-surge and flood protection.