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Officials say flooding can't be stopped but people can be moved out of harm's way

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Over 500 residential properties have been approved for buy-outs in flood-prone towns in the Passaic River Basin at a cost of $121 million in FEMA aid, state Environmental Commissioner Bob Martin told officials Thursday.

Of the total 540 properties in the pipeline, 125 are acquisitions leveraged with $5.6 million in state Blue Acres funds, including 58 properties in Wayne, 46 in Lincoln Park, 20 in Pompton Lakes, and 1 in Little Falls. The state Department of Environmental Protection has begun appraisals of the properties and will make offers to owners in the coming months. The DEP expects to close on the majority of the acquisitions by the end of the year.

The DEP previously set aside $2 million to provide aid to municipalities and counties to cover their required non-federal match to buy flood-prone properties. The DEP is now working to direct another $8 million for the non-federal match for 174 additional properties that received FEMA aid under the federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Irene. The properties are in Denville, Fairfield, Lincoln Park, Little Falls, Manville, Middlesex, New Milford, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Paterson, Pequannock, Pompton Lakes, and Westwood.

The state Office of Emergency Management, working in cooperation with FEMA and the DEP, is working toward securing matches from local funding for the remaining 241 properties. Matching funds would come from a variety of sources, including the state Green Acres Program and county and local open space trust programs.

The Passaic River Basin Flood Advisory Commission has acknowledged that none of its recommendations can change the reality that the Passaic River basin is a highly developed flood plain that will continue to flood. The DEP’s goal has been to leverage Blue Acres funds with FEMA money to purchase structures most susceptible to chronic flooding and preserve those properties as open space.

“The most effective strategy is to move as many people out of harm’s way as we can,” Martin said. “We fully expect the pace of offers and acquisitions to pick up in the coming months. All levels of government will continue to work together to help local governments and the residents of flood-prone areas.”

Martin met today with mayors and other elected officials in Lincoln Park to provide them an update on the state’s efforts to mitigate the impact of flooding in the Passaic River Basin.

“While there is no silver bullet that can put an end to flooding, the Christie administration is committed to doing everything in its power to provide relief to people who have had to live for far too long with the cost, stress and anxiety of repeated flooding,” Martin said. “We are continuing to move ahead on the Passaic River Basin Flood Advisory Commission’s 15-point plan to mitigate the impacts of flooding in this highly populated basin.”