Bill Text: NJ A2668 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Appropriates money from Trenton Capital City Aid to Lake Hopatcong Commission for mitigation and prevention of harmful algal blooms.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment, Natural Resources, and Solid Waste Committee [A2668 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A2668-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JAY WEBBER
District 26 (Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Appropriates money from Trenton Capital City Aid to Lake Hopatcong Commission for mitigation and prevention of harmful algal blooms.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
A Supplement to the annual appropriations act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, P.L.2021, c.133.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The following language provision is added to P.L.2021, c.133, the annual appropriations act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022:
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22 DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS 70 Government, Direction, Management, and Control 75 State Subsidies and Financial Aid STATE AID |
Of the amount hereinabove appropriated for Trenton Capital City Aid, the amount of $4,000,000 shall be transferred to the Department of Environmental Protection and allocated to the Lake Hopatcong Commission for the purposes of treating harmful algal blooms in Lake Hopatcong and developing methods and strategies to prevent further harmful algal blooms.
2. (New section) Beginning in Fiscal Year 2022 and in each fiscal year thereafter, the sum of $4,000,000 shall be transferred from the Trenton Capital City account to the Lake Hopatcong Commission for the purposes of treating harmful algal blooms in Lake Hopatcong, and developing methods and strategies to prevent further harmful algal blooms.
The moneys shall be used to develop and implement methods and strategies for water quality restoration and enhancement which may include, but need not be limited to:
(1) assisting municipalities surrounding Lake Hopatcong in developing ordinances, policies, and projects to prevent point and nonpoint source pollution from entering Lake Hopatcong;
(2) working with businesses, private individuals, nonprofit organizations, and any other relevant entities near Lake Hopatcong to encourage best land use practices to prevent further harmful algal blooms;
(3) coordinating with the Department of Environmental Protection to develop new projects or enhance any existing projects or programs for watershed management, including nonpoint source pollution control; and
(4) coordinating with the Natural Resource Conservation Service in the United States Department of Agriculture, and any other relevant federal entity to develop new projects or enhance any existing projects and programs for watershed management, including nonpoint source pollution control.
3. Section 12 of P.L.2000, c.175 (C.58:4B-12) is amended to read as follows:
12. a. The "Lake Hopatcong Fund" is established as a nonlapsing, revolving fund in the Department of the Treasury. The fund shall be administered by the Lake Hopatcong Commission, and shall be credited with monies received and dedicated to the fund pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), section 4 of P.L.1995, c.401 (C.12:7-73) and subsection b. of this section, and with any interest or other investment income earned on monies in the fund. Monies in the fund shall be used to carry out the purposes and objectives of P.L.2000, c.175 (C.58:4B-1 et seq.) and section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) .
b. Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, any State or federal funds appropriated, allocated, or designated by law, rule, regulation, or otherwise for the protection, preservation, restoration, maintenance, management, or enhancement of Lake Hopatcong shall be deposited in the "Lake Hopatcong Fund" for expenditure in furtherance of the purposes and objectives of P.L.2000, c.175. This section shall not apply to State or federal funds appropriated, allocated, or designated for Lake Hopatcong State Park.
(cf: P.L.2017, c.301, s.1)
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would provide funding to the Lake Hopatcong Commission to address and prevent harmful algal blooms.
The bill would provide for a supplemental appropriation of $4 million for fiscal year 2022, and an annual appropriation for these purposes beginning in fiscal year 2022. The methods and strategies for preventing further harmful algal blooms may include, but would need not be limited to: (1) assisting municipalities surrounding Lake Hopatcong in preventing point and nonpoint source pollution from entering Lake Hopatcong; (2) working with businesses, private individuals, nonprofit organizations, and any other relevant entities to encourage best land use practices to prevent further harmful algal blooms; (3) coordinating with the Department of Environmental Protection to develop new projects or enhance any existing projects or programs for watershed management, including nonpoint source pollution control; and (4) coordinating with the Natural Resource Conservation Service in the United States Department of Agriculture, and any other relevant federal entity to develop new projects or enhance any existing projects and programs for watershed management, including nonpoint source pollution control.
The bill provides for the supplemental appropriation and the annual appropriations to be made from the Trenton Capital City Aid Program.
In the early summer of 2019, the Department of Environmental Protection detected cyanobacteria, a form of harmful algal bloom, in Lake Hopatcong and subsequently advised against making any contact with the water. Exposure to these harmful algal blooms can cause a range of health effects, including rashes, allergy-like reactions, flu-like symptoms, gastroenteritis, respiratory irritation, skin rashes and eye irritation. A major contributor to harmful algal blooms is excessive nutrient loading in the water caused by runoff into Lake Hopatcong. This bill provides funding to the Lake Hopatcong Commission to address the current harmful algal bloom, and to take steps to prevent further harmful algal blooms from occurring in the future.
