New Jersey municipalities and counties may tap into their Clean Communities grants to offset some of the cleanup costs of Hurricane Sandy, Assemblyman Ronald S. Dancer said today.

“Hurricane Sandy’s devastation left a mess in many communities throughout New Jersey,” Dancer, R-Ocean, Burlington, Monmouth and Middlesex, said. “We cannot stick local property taxpayers with the entire cleanup costs especially when that would disproportionately affect those in communities hit hardest by the superstorm.”

New Jersey counties and municipalities receive Clean Communities grants to pay for litter cleanup that helps beautify communities and roadsides. The grants are funded by a user-fee on manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors that produce litter-generating products. Municipal grants are determined by the number of housing units and the number of miles of local roads. County grants are determined by the number of miles on county roads.

“Somebody has to pay to remove all the debris strewn through our communities, and these funds have already been dedicated for community cleanup,” said Dancer, adding that local government can use these grants to qualify for Federal Emergency Management Agency grants that require a 25 percent match. “Restoring New Jersey presents many challenges and we have to maximize the resources we have available.”

Dancer contacted the New Jersey Clean Communities Council, the nonprofit organization legally responsible to oversee the program, to verify Clean Communities Grants could be used for storm cleanup.
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