New Jersey leaders want to build homes at risk of flooding, but are facing opposition

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) continues to seek public comment on a controversial rule proposal. Supporters say the proposal will protect the state from this rising seas and coastal stormswhile critics argue it will hurt local economies.

In May, the NJDEP proposed a set of rules it described as “first in the nation” called “Resilient Environments and Landscapes,” or REAL.

Ed Potosnak leads the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters. He said existing flood standards are based on outdated historical trends, while the REAL rule proposal focuses on the future.

“The historical data is not being taken into account. It’s not even accurate today,” Potosnak said. “It takes into account future sea level rise projections and ensures that we build, we build up and out of harm’s way.”

For example, REAL rules require that new or reconstructed buildings within the NJDEP floodplain map be built 5 feet higher than existing Federal Emergency Management Agency flood elevations.

The state would also create a floodplain map that is much larger than FEMA’s floodplain map.

But Cape May County Commissioner Bobby Barr said the NJDEP doesn’t consider people like him, who use a motorized wheelchair.

“It’s going to make it extremely difficult for anyone with a disability, a walker, a stroller, anything assistive, crutches, cranes, to get around and navigate,” Barr said.

Barr and Commissioner Director Leonard C. Desiderio oppose the REAL rules, claiming they will cause significant economic damage to South Jersey by increasing construction and insurance costs and potentially curbing development.

“The problem I have is they’re looking at something 75 years in advance,” Desiderio said. “We’re looking at something that has a 17% chance of actually happening.”

According to a 2019 Rutgers University report on sea level rise, there is a 17% chance that the sea will rise by more than five feet by the year 2100 if the world continues to emit modest amounts of emissions. However, the study found that regardless of the exact number, Jersey Shore communities will see some degree of sea level rise.

“I think the 17% is kind of a cherry-picked number. It could actually be worse,” Potosnak said. “So the 17% probability is the highest probability. There are probabilities that fall on that bell curve that are much, much higher.”

Still, Desiderio believes the damage homeowners will face will not be caused by flooding, but by the flood of insurance and construction bills to meet these proposed standards.

“Under this plan, we will build homes even higher, in communities that currently have no chance of being flooded,” Desiderio said. “We want more information. We want more people involved in this.”

But scientists say the information is already clear: Communities will still more flooding to be seen.

Kim McKenna, the director of the Stockton University Coastal Research Center, said the water around the Jersey Shore has risen half a foot since 1980 and is expected to rise even higher.

‘Climate change does causing higher sea levelsMcKenna said. “Our waters are getting warmer. We are seeing more coastal storms, causing water levels to rise.”

John Chadwick has already noticed the change.

Chadwick works at Cape May Riggens, a gas station near the corner of Washington and Lafayette streets. On rainy days, Washington Street floods.

“I’ve seen the water coming to those far pumps on the outside. It’s a few feet of water,” Chadwick said. “It looks like the tides have gotten a little bit worse. The tides are a little bit higher, so when the tides are higher, the more water we get.”

Chadwick believes in climate change and believes that something in society needs to change.

“It just seems like it’s getting worse. It doesn’t seem like it’s getting better,” Chadwick said. “Try to take care of the planet because the things we are doing now are destroying everything.”

The NJDEP will continue to solicit public comments on the REAL rule proposal through November 7.