WASHINGTON — Cong. Leonard Lance, NJ-07, announced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has allocated $500,000 in its 2015 Work Plan for the Rahway River Basin Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study.
The funding would cover a significant portion of the estimated $1.2 million needed to complete the entire study and comes after years of advocacy from Lance and the Mayors’ Council on Rahway River Watershed Flood Control, a committee of several central New Jersey mayors of affected municipalities.
“This is certainly welcome news for the municipalities that face chronic flooding issues from the Rahway River, said Lance, the federal representative for several of the affected towns. “While this is a step in the right direction, we will continue to promote this vital project to achieve the resources needed to complete the study. Thousands of residences and businesses as well as vital infrastructure must be protected.” said Lance.
The USACE and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection signed a Feasibility Cost Sharing Agreement for this project in 2002. Twelve years later the study has yet to be completed.
For the past several fiscal years, Lance has led a letter-writing campaign with New Jersey lawmakers urging the USACE to find the funding to complete the Feasibility Study by allocating resources from any source available.
For their part, the Mayor’s Council outlined several possible solutions for the USACE’s consideration and Lance and the Council have since been promoting a consensus solution considered the most economical and cost-efficient.
“We will continue to fight for these New Jersey municipalities. This project has great merit, a plan and the support of the community. It’s time to finalize the details and give the resident and businesses of these towns the protection they need,” said Lance.