WASHINGTON – Last night, the U.S. Senate passed the Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which funds major infrastructure, natural resources and energy projects. U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) helped secure the inclusion of more than $142 million in projects for New Jersey. Those include beach nourishment, flood control, waterway infrastructure and energy projects (list below).“These are major investments in the Garden State that will create jobs while protecting our families, property and natural treasures,” said Menendez. “Replenishing our beaches is about safeguarding coastal communities and preserving the Jersey Shore for millions of families and the economic activity it supports. Many of our flood-prone communities are too familiar with the devastation that can be done when water levels rise, which is why it was important to protect lives and property through investments in flood control. The investments in our harbors and waterways are important to help keep our state’s economic engine running.”The legislation will be reconciled with the version that the House of Representatives passes, then will proceed to final passage to be signed into law.Highlights of the funding Menendez helped secure include:• $5 million for Long Beach Island beach replenishment -- Barnegat Inlet to Little Egg Harbor Inlet• $6.5 million for Ocean City beach replenishment -- Great Egg Harbor Inlet and Peck Beach• $2 million for Avalon and Stone Harbor beach replenishment -- Townsends Inlet to Cape May Inlet (Avalon and Stone Harbor)• $7 million for flood control in the Raritan River Basin, Green Brook Sub-basin• $3 million for Joseph G. Minish Historic Waterfront Park in Newark (bulkhead construction and riverbank stabilization)List total of project funding for New Jersey:$97 million for Army Corps of Engineers general construction (projects in italics indicates beach replenishment) Brigantine Inlet to Great Egg Harbor Inlet, Brigantine Island, NJ -- $80,000Cape May Inlet to Lower Township, NJ -- $200,000Lower Cape May Meadows, Cape May Point, NJ -- $400,000Barnegat Inlet to Little Egg Harbor Inlet (LBI), NJ -- $5,000,000Brigantine Inlet to Great Egg Harbor Inlet (Absecon Island), NJ -- $2,000,000Great Egg Harbor Inlet to Townsends Inlet, NJ -- $3,500,000Great Egg Harbor Inlet and Peck Beach (Ocean City), NJ -- $6,500,000Townsends Inlet to Cape May Inlet, NJ -- $2,000,000Raritan River Basin, Green Brook Sub-basin, New Jersey -- $7,000,000Hackensack Meadowlands, New Jersey (flood control and environmental restoration) -- $500,000Joseph G. Minish Historic Waterfront Park, NJ -- $3,000,000NY & NJ Harbor Deepening, -- $60,000,000Sandy Hook to Barnegat Inlet, New Jersey -- $2,000,000Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay, Port Monmouth, New Jersey -- $2,000,000Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay, NJ -- $2,000,000Ramapo and Mahwah Rivers, Mahwah, NJ and Suffern, NY (flood control) -- $200,000Passaic River Basin Flood Management, New Jersey -- $1,000,000                        $37 million for Army Corps of Operations and Maintenance (waterway infrastructure)Delaware River, Philadelphia to Trenton, NJ and PA -- $820,000Delaware River at Camden -- $15,000Delaware River, Philadelphia to the Sea, PA -- $19,600,000Barnegat Inlet, NJ -- $225,000Manasquan River, NJ -- $150,000New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway, NJ -- $250,000Absecon Inlet, NJ -- $250,000Delaware Estuary Regional Sediment Management (RSM) --  $200,000Salem River, NJ -- $100,000Cold Spring Inlet -- $250,000New York and New Jersey Channels, Arthur Kill Reach, NJ -- $4,100,000New York Harbor, NY & NJ (Drift Removal) --  $7,000,000New York Habor, NY & NJ (Prevention of Obstructive Deposits)  -- $1,045,000Newark Bay, Hackensack and Passaic Rivers -- $150,000Raritan River, New Jersey -- $500,000Passaic River Flood Warning System -- $553,000Project Condition Surveys, NJ -- $1,653,000Shark River -- $400,000Shoal Harbor and Compton Creek -- $80,000Inspection of Completed Works -- $205,000Raritian River to Arthur Kill Cut Off, NJ -- $200,000$4 million for Army Corps of Engineers General Investigations (studies and assessments of projects)Hereford Inlet to Cape May Inlet, NJ -- $130,000New Jersey Alternative Long-Term Nourishment Study -- $110,000Delaware River Comprehensive, NJ -- $290,000Delaware Estuary Salinity Monitoring Study -- $200,000Floodplain maps for Manalapan and Matchaponix Brooks, NJ -- $500,000Lower Saddle River, New Jersey -- $225,000Hudson-Raritan Estuary, NY & NJ -- $170,000HRE-Lower Passaic River Restoration Feasibility Study, New Jersey -- $200,000HRE – Hackensack Meadowlands, NJ -- $200,000Stony Brook, Millstone River Basin, NJ -- $110,000South River, Raritan River Basin, New Jersey -- $215,000Shrewsbury River and Tributaries, NJ -- $511,000Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay, Union Beach, NJ -- $110,000Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay, Leonardo, New Jersey -- $25,000Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay, Highlands, NJ -- $255,000Rahway River Basin, NJ -- $255,000Peckman River and Tributaries, New Jersey -- $300,000Passaic River Main Stem, New Jersey -- $215,000Passaic River, Harrison -- $215,000                        Continuning Authorities Program (projects only listed not provided funding amount)Pennsville, Salem County, NJ (Section 205)Assunpink Creek, Hamilton Twp, NJ (Section 205)Jackson Brook, Morris County, New Jersey Lincoln Park West, Ecosystem Restoration Study, NJ NJIWW, Dredged Hole 35 Restoration, NJMusconetcong River Dam Removals, Milford, NJ (Section 206)Department of Energy $750,000 for Rowan University - Algae to Ethanol Research and Evaluation$1,000,000 for the City of Elizabeth Solar Panels in Municipal Owned Buildings$1,000,000 for Trenton Fuel Works – Cellulosic Diesel Biorefinery# # #