Utility and Transportation Contractors Association (UTCA) Executive Director David Rible issued the following statement today regarding a report from the National Resources Defense Council which shows that New Jersey is getting the second least amount of federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, per lead line, of any state:
“This is absolutely outrageous. Time and time again New Jersey sends money to Washington only to get fleeced in return.
“We, along with members of the Clean Water, Healthy Families, Good Jobs Coalition, warned of this exact scenario months ago when decisions were being made about funding. We specifically noted that this could happen without changes from the Environmental Protection Agency. Those changes never happened and now we have been shortchanged again.
“It is unacceptable to think that New Jersey’s water infrastructure needs are lacking enough to be second to last in funding. In fact, it’s ludicrous. We have some of the oldest water infrastructure in the country, including grossly outdated combined sewer overflow systems that need to be addressed as soon as possible. Moreover, as we showed in Newark, we know how to do this and do it right, so long as the necessary resources are there.
“Our members made New Jersey a shining example of how to fix broken water infrastructure. They stand ready, willing and able to do it again throughout our state. We just need the federal government to get its act together and give us our fair share of funding.”
