Environmental leaders testified on climate change and sea level rise in New Jersey during a joint hearing of the legislature’s environment committees Thursday morning.
The hearing in Toms River allowed officials to highlight ongoing work to mitigate the effects of climate change in New Jersey, particularly along the coast. One rule at the center of the hearing would reform how developers build in coastal areas as the Jersey Shore faces a two-foot rise in sea level by 2050.
The 1,000-page Department of Environmental Protection draft rule, called the Resilient Environments and Landscapes rule, would tighten restrictions on building in flood-prone areas, including by requiring raised buildings.
Nick Angarone, NJDEP’s chief resilience officer, said a 2.1-foot rise in sea levels in New Jersey by 2050 is “baked in.” Angarone said that, when put simply, the new rule requires builders to build above potential flood levels while being aware of the potential rises in water levels in the coming decades. Other experts who testified supported the rule, saying the state should provide municipalities with the resources to prevent climate change damage before it arrives.
“We are continuing to be taking deliberate action to ensure that climate risks are better understood and reduced,” Angarone said during the hearing.
State Sen. Robert Smith (D-Piscataway), the chair of the Senate’s Environment and Energy Committee, told experts to be creative in identifying solutions that work for New Jerseyans.
“It sounds like we need some creativity to deal with the constitutional obligations,” he said.