Washington - U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will partner with Cooper's Ferry Partnership in Camden to advance projects aimed at reducing water pollution caused by contaminated stormwater. The EPA will provide technical assistance valued at $70,000 to help evaluate and improve the city's sustainable stormwater infrastructure.

"This assistance from EPA will go a long way in helping Camden deal with polluted stormwater," said Menendez. "I'm pleased the City of Camden is thinking outside the box by putting in place a smart initiative that focuses on a green infrastructure. With the guidance of the EPA, I'm confident these investments will result in a more livable and stronger community."

"Clean water is critical to the public health of our communities and this federal funding will help improve water quality in Camden," said Senator Lautenberg, a member of theAppropriations Committee, which funds EPA."Through thisfederalgrant, the EPA will help the City of Camden minimize water pollution and modernize the city's infrastructure."

Under the partnership announced today, the EPA will assess the benefit of numerous projects under the Camden Stormwater and Resource Management (SMART) initiative including: an assessment of the water quality, air quality, and brownfield remediation benefits, and the flooding mitigation potential of the SMART Initiative. The EPA will additionally help Camden SMART conduct an assessment of the barriers posed by local codes and permitting processes for various green infrastructure projects. The EPA will also help Camden identify appropriate green infrastructure practices for brownfield sites and other sites that pose potential challenges for the implementation of green infrastructure.

The Camden SMART initiativeaims to develop a comprehensive network of green infrastructure programs and projects for the City of Camden including neighborhood green and grey infrastructure projects, stormwater management policy development, and green infrastructure training programs.

Click Here for more information on the Camden SMART initiative.

Click Here for more information on EPA's green infrastructure programs.

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