Yesterday, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) issued a public notice announcing that the comment period on the 1,044-page Resilient Environments and Landscape (REAL) Rule Proposal is extended four days. The notice of proposal indicated that written comments may be submitted by November 3. The new public comment period is extended to November 7. No reasoning for the unusually short extension was provided in the Notice.
The League, along with many other groups, has requested an extension of the comment period of 90 days to allow municipalities and taxpayers an opportunity to formulate comprehensive and constructive comments that will contribute to the refinement of these regulations. While the four-day extension of the comment period does not foreclose the possibility of additional extensions, it is notable because it is unusually short. Typically, when rule comment periods are extended, they are done in 30-day increments.
The League continues to encourage our members to review the REAL Rule Proposal to better understand how these changes would impact your community. These specific concerns should be shared with NJDEP through the rule comment process, and we ask that you also share a copy of any comments sent to the NJDEP with the League.
Please read the League’s recent blog post with additional information on the rules and their potential impacts on municipalities. The League also held a Lunch & Learn on October 3 with experts to further explain these rules.
Contact: Frank Marshall, Esq., Associate General Counsel, fmarshall@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x137.