Chathams Receive Nearly $30K for Clean Communities

The Chathams received an annual Clean Communities grant this week from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

The grants are given each year to municipalities to support litter and graffiti removal initiatives, including cleanups of public properties, adoption and enforcement of local anti-littering ordinances, public information and education programs, purchases of equipment used to collect litter, litter receptacles and recycling bins, anti-litter signs, supplies to remove graffiti and cleanups of  stormwater systems that can disperse trash into streams, rivers and bays.

The $12,565.76 given to will go toward clean-up projects for Kelley's Pond, Shepard Kollock and the Passaic River Trail this spring and fal, according to Mayor Bruce Harris. Other projects include cleaning the woods along Ogden Street and the Summit Avenue path to the Red Road tunnel, Harris said.

received $16,808.62 in Clean Communities grant money. Administrator Thomas E. Ciccarone said the funds will cover expenses for various clean-up projects. Specifically, Ciccarone said the funds will "help organize, plan and promote events like the Passaic River Clean-up run by the Environmental Commission.

"It is also used to help pay for high school and college students to work during the summer, doing maintenance, trash and litter pickup in the parks and public areas of the township," Ciccarone said.

The DEP awarded a total of $13.86 million to 559 eligible  municipalities. Seven municipalities in New Jersey are not eligible because they have fewer  than 200 housing units, the DEP said in a press release.

An additional $1.73 million was awarded to all 21 counties, with Morris County receiving $77,031.46.

Disbursements to municipalities are based on the number of housing units and miles of municipally owned roadways within each municipality.  Disbursements to counties are based on the number of miles of roads each county  owns.