Category: ENVIRONMENT

Senate Enviro Cmt. Unanimously Releases Green Acres Bill

Today, the Senate Environment Committee unanimously released S3254 (Mukherji/Greenstein), which prohibits the expenditure of Green Acres funds for the purchase, use, installation, or replacement of artificial turf fields. In recent years, the Green Acres Program has spent millions in public funding on artificial fields, including $10 million in 2023 and another $4 million in 2025. This legislation is essential for protecting our environment and public health, and for ensuring that Green Acres funds are strictly dedicated to conservation and safe recreation.

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Atlantic City Has Your Summer Plans Covered

Kick off the start of summer in Atlantic City with a season packed full of excitement, celebration, and unforgettable experiences! June brings major events and entertainment to the destination, from live concerts and beach festivals to family-friendly attractions and nightlife that keeps the city buzzing all month long. We’re also proud to celebrate Pride Month by welcoming visitors and locals alike to colorful events, inclusive celebrations, and community gatherings that showcase the spirit and diversity of Atlantic City. And of course, no summer evening is complete without spectacular fireworks lighting up the shoreline, creating the perfect backdrop for warm nights by the beach. Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a full summer escape, June is the perfect time to experience everything Atlantic City has to offer.

Governor Meyer Declares Statewide Drought Watch

Governor Matt Meyer has issued a statewide drought watch due to precipitation levels experiencing a steep and steady decline throughout the state for the second time in three years, particularly in Kent and Sussex Counties. The Governor declared a drought watch after receiving guidance from the Delaware Water Supply Coordinating Council (WSCC).

The drought watch is in effect until further notice. During this time, Delawareans are asked to voluntarily reduce outdoor uses of water and practice wise water use in their homes in order to preserve the state’s water resources for more necessary uses.

The Governor’s decision follows a May 26 assessment of drought conditions by the WSCC and the subsequent recommendation from the Governor’s Drought Response Committee on May 29. The council found that the state would need to receive 21 inches of rainfall over the next three months – summer months when evaporation is at its highest – to recharge Delaware’s water supply back to normal levels.

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New research details PFAS prevalence in the Delaware River Basin

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is sharing the latest results of extensive field investigation and monitoring of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in PFAS Water Quality and Fish Tissue Assessment Study, a report marking more than 20 years of dedicated research into so-called forever chemicals within the Delaware River Basin.

The new research confirms PFAS contamination is both widespread and persistent in the Delaware River and selected tributaries. Surface water concentrations are increasing at a faster rate than water volume as the river moves downstream into Delaware Bay, suggesting there are ongoing inputs from unknown sources like industrial facilities, wastewater discharges and stormwater.

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Keep it Clean NJ!

New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Priya Jain announced that the Department is launching an anti-litter campaign aimed at summer travelers. The main component will be flying an aerial banner over the Jersey Shore with the message: Keep it Clean NJ.

“With the start of summer, New Jersey’s highways will be filled with people driving to vacation destinations across the state – whether they are going to hike the Appalachian Trail in North Jersey or going down to the Shore to enjoy our beaches and boardwalks,” NJDOT Commissioner Priya Jain said. “Keeping our roadways, bike paths, and boardwalks clean and litter free is everyone’s responsibility. Flying a banner in the skies above the Jersey Shore, as well as over the World Cup matches, is a creative and simple way to remind millions of people to respect the environment and keep New Jersey beautiful by simply putting trash in its proper place.”

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Delaware Takes New Approach to Improve Breeding Success

Least terns, a bird historically found each summer along many of Delaware’s bay and Atlantic Ocean beaches, have faltered in recent years into their current listing as a state endangered species – leading the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to take a new approach for giving the birds a lift into a better future.

Identified by their small size, silvery-gray back and wings, yellow bill, and black cap with a white triangle on their forehead, least terns can be a common sight at Cape Henlopen State Park from May through August. A beach-nesting species, the terns form small colonies above the high tide line where breeding pairs typically lay two eggs on the sand in small scrapes – putting their nests at risk from predation and severe weather events.

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EPA Announces $103 Million to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water 

 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing $103,084,000 in funding to protect New Jersey from exposure to lead in drinking water. This investment will go directly to states through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and is part of EPA’s unwavering commitment to Making America Healthy Again. 

This funding will go toward finding and replacing lead pipes (also known as lead service lines) that deliver water to homes. Communities can use these funds for identifying lead pipes, planning removal projects, and funding replacement of these lead service lines. Lead is a powerful neurotoxin that is especially harmful to children. Each lead pipe removed and replaced delivers real, tangible human health benefits in communities across our great nation. 

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Spring Stopover Puts Delaware at Center of Annual Shorebird Migration Phenomenon

Each May, thousands of shorebirds of different species pause their marathon migration – while enroute from wintering in South America back to their Arctic breeding grounds – to refuel in Delaware Bay. There, monitored from the moment they arrive by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and DNREC’s Delaware Shorebird Project, they feast for several weeks on the massive spawning of horseshoe crab eggs, an interconnecting system that goes back millennia – and makes for a modern-day ecological spectacle like no other in the animal kingdom.

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DNREC Expects to Complete Channel Marking Projects for Major Boating Waters Ahead of Memorial Day Weekend

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced that the DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management Section has begun channel marker installation and maintenance activities on five major boating waters in Delaware’s Inland Bays. DNREC’s intent, while weather dependent, is to complete channel marking and related maintenance ahead of the Memorial Day weekend so boaters can get underway on the traditional start of their season.

While some smaller portions of the project could extend into early June, the Shoreline and Waterway Management Section within the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship aims to bring five channel marking jobs to fruition ahead of the holiday weekend. All these efforts will address navigation safety concerns, replace missing aids to navigation, and restore channel marking functionality in several state waterways impacted by storms and shifting conditions over the last year.

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DNREC Releases 2026-2030 Delaware Wetland Program Plan

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has released a five-year Delaware Wetland Program Plan as a guide for identifying wetland research, education, management and conservation needs within the state. Wetland program plans are voluntarily developed and implemented by state agencies and Native American tribes for articulating what they aim to accomplish with wetland programs over time.

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