NJ wants to raise houses at risk of flooding but are meeting opposition

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) continues to seek public comment on a controversial rule proposal. Supporters say the proposal will protect the state from rising seas and coastal storms, while critics contend it will damage local economies.
In May, the NJDEP proposed what it described as a “first in the nation” series of rules called “Resilient Environments and Landscapes,” or REAL.
Ed Potosnak runs the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters. He said existing flood standards are based on outdated historical trends, while the REAL rule proposal focuses on the future.
“It takes into account not the historical data. That’s not even accurate up to date today,” Potosnak said. “It takes into account future projections for sea level rise and makes sure that we’re building, we’re building up and out of harm’s way.”
For example, the REAL rules would require new or reconstructed buildings within the NJDEP floodplain map to be built 5 feet higher than the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s existing flood elevations.
The state would also create a floodplain map much larger than FEMA’s floodplain map.
But Cape May County Commissioner Bobby Barr said the NJDEP isn’t taking people like him, who use a motorized wheelchair, into account.
“It’s going to make it extremely difficult for anyone with a disability, a walker, a stroller, anything of assistance, crutches, cranes, to get around and navigate,” Barr said.
Barr and Commissioner Director Leonard C. Desiderio oppose the REAL rules, claiming it’ll cause significant economic damage to South Jersey by increasing construction and insurance costs and potentially curbing development.
“The issues I have is they’re looking at something 75 years in advance,” Desiderio said. “We’re looking at something that may have a 17% chance of actually happening.”
According to a 2019 Rutgers University report on sea level rise, there is a 17% chance the sea will rise by more than 5 feet in the year 2100 if the world continues to emit a moderate amount of emissions. However, the research found that no matter the exact number, Jersey Shore communities will see some amount of sea level rise.
“I think the 17% is sort of a cherry-picked number. It actually could be worse,” Potosnak said. “So, the 17% likelihood is the highest probability. There are probabilities that fall on that bell curve that are much, much higher.”
Still, Desiderio feels the damage homeowners will face won’t be from floodwaters but from the flood of insurance and construction bills to meet these proposed standards.
“Under this plan, we will be raising houses even higher and in communities right now that have no chance of being flooded at all,” Desiderio said. “We want more information. We want more people involved in this.”
But scientists say the information is already clear: communities will continue to see more flooding.
Kim McKenna, the director of the Stockton University Coastal Research Center, said the water surrounding the Jersey Shore has risen half a foot since 1980 and is projected to get higher.
“Climate change is causing the higher sea levels,” McKenna said. “Our waters are getting warmer. We’re seeing more coastal storms, which elevates water levels.”
John Chadwick has already noticed the change.
Chadwick works at Cape May Riggens, a service station near the corner of Washington and Lafayette streets. On rainy days, Washington Street floods.
“I’ve seen the water come up to those far pumps on the outside there. It’s a good couple feet of water,” Chadwick said. “It seems like the tides have gotten a little bit worse. The tides are a little bit higher, so when the tides are higher, the more water we get.”
Chadwick believes in climate change and feels something in society needs to change.
“It only seems like it’s getting worse. It doesn’t seem like it’s getting any better,” Chadwick said. “Try to take care of the planet because the things we’re doing now, it’s destroying everything.”
The NJDEP will continue soliciting public comments on the REAL rule proposal through Nov. 7.