(Cherry Hill, N.J.) – Cherry Hill Township has been awarded a $124,859 Clean Communities Grant from the State of New Jersey, Mayor Cahn announced this week.
The grant is among $17 million in Clean Communities grants announced this week by the Christie Administration, and will ultimately be used to help the Township conduct community cleanup efforts that will help beautify Township open space.
“These grants build civic pride and enable our cities, towns and counties to move ahead with programs that remove litter from our neighborhoods and along our roads and highways, making our state a better place to live and work,” said Jane Kozinski, Assistant
Commissioner for Environmental Management.
As established by law, the nonprofit New Jersey Clean Communities oversees the reporting
requirements for the program. The grants are funded by a legislated user-fee on manufacturers,
wholesalers and distributors that produce litter-generating products. Disbursements to
municipalities are based on the number of housing units and miles of municipally owned
roadways within each municipality.
“New Jersey Clean Communities is a grassroots, community-driven litter abatement program
that depends on funding disbursed to towns and counties every year,” said Sandy Huber, the
group’s executive director. “Money used for cleanup, enforcement and education related to litter
abatement helps relieve strained municipal budgets, creates employment and promotes
volunteerism. We are grateful for the funding and proud of three decades of success in sustaining
a reduction in litter statewide.”
Municipalities receiving the largest grant awards are: Newark, (Essex County) $355,479; Jersey
City, (Hudson County ) $328,191; Toms River (Ocean County) $185,242; Edison Township
(Middlesex County) $147,896; Hamilton Township (Mercer County) $157,183; Woodbridge
Township (Middlesex County) $145,003; Paterson (Passaic County) $159,203; Elizabeth City
(Union) 145,979; Brick Township (Ocean County) $140,369; Middletown (Monmouth County)
$126,573; Cherry Hill (Camden County) $124,859; Trenton (Mercer County) $117,080; Clifton
(Passaic County) $114,093; Vineland (Cumberland County) $109,499; Franklin Township
(Somerset County); $108,389; Camden (Camden County) $104,829; Gloucester Township
(Camden County) $102,896; and Old Bridge Township (Monmouth County) $101,259.
The counties receiving the largest grant awards are: Ocean, $177,441, Cumberland, $154,735,
Burlington, $144,714, Bergen, $119,061 and Gloucester, $116,628.
Litter comes from pedestrians, motorists, overflowing household garbage, construction sites and
uncovered trucks, and is often blown by the wind until it is trapped somewhere, as along a fence
or in a ditch or gully. People tend to litter when an area is already littered, and when they do not
feel a sense of ownership or community pride. In addition to being unsightly, litter unhealthy
may create a negative public image.
Activities funded by the grants include cleanups of stormwater systems that can disperse trash
into streams, rivers and bays; volunteer cleanups of public properties; adoption and enforcement
of local anti-littering ordinances; beach cleanups; public information and education programs;
and purchases of litter collection equipment, litter receptacles, recycling bins, anti-litter signs and
supplies to remove graffiti.
For lists of municipal and county grant awards, visit:
http://www.nj.gov/dep/docs/ccg-muni-2014.pdf and http://www.nj.gov/dep/docs/ccg-county-
2014.pdf
