Community Corner

Expert Testimony Concludes State is Decidedly Not Stronger Than Sandy

Nine-and-a-half months after superstorm, state panel learns of missteps and mistakes in rush to rebuild.

By Scott Gurian (Courtesy of NJ Spotlight)

A series of environmental experts testified yesterday that the state is taking the wrong approach in rebuilding the shore, not considering the future effects of climate change and not focusing enough of its efforts on offering buyouts in flood-prone areas. The message was delivered before a rare, joint meeting of the Senate and Assembly Environment Committees at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

Taking a line from the new state tourism campaign, former DEP Commissioner Mark Mauriello warned that the state is in fact not “stronger than the storm,” and never will be.

Actually, it's more a matter of brains than brawn. Some of those testifying stressed that the state needs to rethink where it is rebuilding. Others warned that little consideration was being given to affordable housing and also complained about a lack of transparency in the recovery process. And several said that red tape was making it difficult for people to file for state and federal assistance.

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How federal funds are being allocated was also an issue.

“We’re a little bit drunk with all this money," Mauriello said. "It sort of makes you a little bit less concerned about what you do because there’s so much money, but we can’t lose sight of being smart on how we spend the money.” There’s no way to avoid future events like Sandy, he said, so development needs to be directed away from vulnerable areas of the coast.

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Read More at NJSpotlight.com

NJ Spotlight is an issue-driven news website that provides critical insight to New Jersey’s communities and businesses. It is non-partisan, independent, policy-centered and community-minded.


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