Pallone Announces $117,000 for Rutgers University to Help New Jersey Businesses Reduce Pollution

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced that Rutgers University has been awarded $117,000 to help New Jersey businesses reduce the amount of toxic materials that they generate or use. The funding, provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will allow Rutgers to identify manufacturers that are candidates for pollution prevention assistance, particularly those that are vulnerable to releases of hazardous substances in the event of climate change-related storm surges.

“The sheer force of Superstorm Sandy and the destruction that lay in its wake was devastating, but a toxic spill in addition to the physical damage would have been disastrous” said Pallone. “We must make sure that, in the event of another overwhelming storm, harmful chemicals that could pollute our environment are not released from industrial plants. This funding will help us do just that by reducing the amount of hazardous materials that New Jersey businesses use and produce.”

With this grant, Rutgers will work with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the Rutgers Small Business Development Center to help businesses use less toxic substances during the manufacturing process.

“It is significant that, as one of the largest universities in the region, Rutgers is leading the way on pollution prevention, and I hope that other educational institutions and localities will follow suit. I’d like to thank them for their efforts on this front and the EPA for funding this important initiative in New Jersey.”

Pallone Announces Over $500,000 For Job Safety Training, Pollution Prevention Efforts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. Thursday announced over half a million dollars in federal grants that will help create and maintain jobs, improve worker safety and prevent pollution in the region. The Department of Labor allocated $348,000 to two local organizations that will support in-person, hands-on training and educational programs for workers and employers in industries with especially high injury and fatality rates.

“Employees should not have to worry about their lives while they are on the job,” said Pallone. “Worker safety is the best it has ever been, but that doesn’t mean we can’t always do more to prevent accidents on the job. I’m glad to see this money go toward training that will save lives.”

Rutgers University received $180,000 that will fund hazard prevention training and materials to limited-English, low-literacy, young and hard-to-reach workers employed in the warehouse and light production industries. University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey received $168,000 to update training materials and provide training on the use of fall protection in the construction industry.

Additionally, EPA awarded two grants totaling $200,000 to Rutgers to reduce the University’s carbon footprint. The first grant of $50,000 will facilitate the Center for Advanced Energy Systems implementation of a smart electrical metering system on the Busch and Livingston campuses in Piscataway. The second grant for $150,000 will help the university recruit high school students as “Water Champions” to lead water conservation changes throughout their communities. Both grants were part of approximately $4 million in grants EPA awards each year aimed at prevention pollution across the nation.

“As one of the largest universities in the region, it’s significant that Rutgers is working hard to make its carbon footprint small,” said Pallone. “Rutgers is working hard to lead the way on pollution prevention and I hope other educational institutions and localities will follow its lead. Protecting the environment also keeps and creates jobs in the area, which continues to be one of my highest priorities.”