Burlington Review

Burlington County, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and 11 municipalities, is undertaking a project to assess climate change hazards in Route 130 Corridor towns. This initiative aims to enhance resilience to floods, severe storms, and other climatic hazards.

The DEP and County are organizing three public workshops to inform residents and gather input on the project. Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel emphasized the importance of these discussions, stating, "This planning initiative is designed to identify potential hazards, along with science-based solutions to make our Route 130 communities more resilient and ready for future storms, floods and other extreme weather events."

State Senator Troy Singleton noted the urgency, mentioning, "Burlington County continues to be impacted by the alarming increase in severe storms and extreme weather. This planning assistance will help our Delaware River communities become better prepared and more resilient."

Workshops will be held on April 10 at the Burlington Township Municipal Building, April 22 at the Kennedy Center in Willingboro, and April 24 at the Delran Municipal Building. The sessions will include presentations by DEP’s Resilient NJ planners and the Dewberry consulting firm.

The initiative includes 11 municipalities along the Delaware River and its tributaries, which have experienced flooding and severe storms. The project is led by DEP’s Office of Climate Resilience and is partly funded by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972.

Eckel expressed hope for broader applications of this planning, saying, "We hope this project creates a model for additional planning across our county and region."