Days after deadly storms, NJ leaders call on fossil fuel firms to pay for storm damage

PLAINFIELD – In the wake of two violent storms in as many weeks that left four dead in the city, state and local leaders are calling for the passage of legislation to combat the impact of climate change.

During a news conference July 22 on the steps of City Hall, Mayor Adrian Mapp was joined by Rahway Mayor Raymond Giacobbe, Garwood Mayor Jen Blumenstock and state legislators in advocating for the passage of the New Jersey Climate Superfund Act, which would create a dedicated state fund to support infrastructure upgrades and climate resilience projects funded by damages collected from companies most responsible for the climate crisis.

The bill which has already advanced through initial committees in both the state Assembly and the Senate awaits final committee and floor votes.

The event, presented by Food & Water Watch New Jersey, highlighted the human and economic toll of extreme weather in New Jersey and urged state leaders to hold fossil fuel companies accountable by requiring them to pay for damages caused by climate change.

With federal infrastructure funding threatened and climate disasters escalating, advocates said the state needs to act to ensure polluters – not taxpayers – pay to protect New Jersey.

The news conference came the day after the Plainfield City Council unanimously approved a special emergency appropriation of up to $5 million to pay for the extraordinary expenses for the repair and reconstruction of public property damaged by the July storms.

The funds will pay for overtime labor, disposal of the flooded bulk items and vegetation, as well as the cost for any contractors the city had to hire. The funds will also be used to pay for repairs to uprooted sidewalks after some giant trees fell, creating huge holes. The funds are slated to be paid back through the budget over five years.

“Last week a deadly flash flood here in Plainfield and the devastating floods across New Jersey have shaken our community to the core,” Mapp said during the news conference. “These are not isolated incidents, they are a warning sign of a planet in crisis, one that is heating up faster than ever because of decades of burning fuel, oil and gas. What used to be rare events are now becoming a regular destructive reality. We can no longer act surprised when climate change turns storms into disasters.”

And as the rainfall from storms increases so does the risk to homes, infrastructure and lives.

“Meanwhile the federal government has cut funding for the very programs designed to keep us safe,” said Mapp, adding the city lost $5.6 million in flood reduction projects due to federal budget cuts. “Programs like FEMA and NOAA, lifelines for disaster relief are being gutted leaving local governments like ours to pick up the pieces with very limited resources.”

Mapp said the fossil fuel industry has known for decades their products cause climate change.

“They chose to lie, they chose to lobby, while communities like ours paid the price in lives, property damage and rising costs. This cannot continue. That’s why I call on all of us to support the New Jersey Climate Superfund Act – which will ensure corporate polluters, not taxpayers, pay for the damage they have caused,” Mapp said.

State Sen. Bob Smith, D-Piscataway, the Environment Committee chair, said climate change-induced extreme weather comes at an extreme cost — lives, property damage and more in Plainfield, Piscataway and across the state.

“We need more heroic efforts. Polluters that have profited from this chaos must bear the costs. The Climate Superfund Act does that, helps us build back stronger, to reduce damage in the future. We can’t pass it fast enough,” said Smith, a bill sponsor.

State Sen. John McKeon, D-West Orange, a prime sponsor of the Climate Superfund Act, said communities across New Jersey are underwater, both literally and financially.

“The severe flooding we have recently experienced is not an isolated incident, but yet another example of a growing pattern of climate-related disasters that are increasing in frequency, level of destruction, and cost to residents of our state,” McKeon said. “Our local governments are already stretched thin responding to these disasters and rebuilding damaged infrastructure. We must work with them at the state level to prepare for the next big storms. We cannot continue to force our residents to foot these massive bills while the biggest polluters, who are largely responsible for these crises, get out of paying their fair share.”

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.