Natural Resources

New Jersey Adopts Tough New Stormwater Rules

March 2004

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has adopted new stormwater rules that will establish a 300-foot setback requirement for stormwater discharges into protected streams. By requiring construction projects to channel stormwater runoff within the buffer zone back onto lands being developed, the rules could limit development on as much as 300,000 acres of land, and protect water quality in as many as 6,000 miles of designated waters.

In announcing the new rules on January 5, New Jersey Governor James McGreevey stated that "These stormwater rules are the most comprehensive set of water protections in the nation--no other state has required statewide 300-foot buffers around its high quality waters. They will prove to be a critical tool in our fight against sprawl."

The actual rules can be accessed on the NJDEP website.

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