$127K Grant Awarded To Remove Litter From Parsippany

PARSIPPANY, NJ — The Department of Environmental Protection announced that Parsippany has been awarded a $127,790 Clean Communities grant.

More than $24 million was given to municipal and county governments across the state to spruce up communities, improve water quality, reduce localized flooding and protect natural habitats.

“The New Jersey Clean Communities grant program has long been an important resource for local governments across New Jersey, helping them fund programs that remove litter that is unsightly, harms wildlife, degrades water quality and worsens flooding by getting into stormwater-management systems,” said Commissioner Shawn LaTourette.

The DEP is providing $21.4 million to eligible municipalities and $2.7 million to counties for cleanups, education, and enforcement of litter-related laws and ordinances.

The program is funded by taxes paid by businesses that manufacture litter-generating products, as well as penalties collected for litter-related violations.

The New Jersey Clean Communities Council is a non-profit organization that collaborated with the DEP to oversee the program's reporting requirements.

Grants are distributed based on population, housing units and the number of miles of municipally owned roadways.

Litter comes from a variety of sources, including people who throw trash carelessly, overflowing and uncovered garbage cans, and construction sites.

It is frequently dispersed by the wind and carried into stormwater collection systems, where it can clog drains and cause flooding, harm wildlife, and degrade the quality of the state's surface waters.

“Local litter abatement programs are more important than ever as we strive to prevent roadway litter from getting into our waterways,” said JoAnn Gemenden, Executive Director of the New Jersey Clean Communities Council. “Clean Communities grants provide local governments with critical funds to help create a Litter Free NJ, allowing them to organize volunteer cleanups, purchase cleanup equipment and trash and recycling receptacles for public spaces.”