BILL REQUIRING STATE FLOOD MAPS TO BE UPDATED MORE FREQUENTLY CLEARS COMMITTEE

Legislation sponsored by Senator Bob Gordon (D-Bergen/Passaic) that would require New Jersey to update its flood maps more frequently in order to protect the public from flooding and to facilitate smarter development was approved yesterday, Sept. 15, by a Senate committee.

“In Bergen County, we have seen areas devastated by flooding .... Outdated flood maps only contribute to the problem,” said Senator Gordon (D-Bergen/Passaic). “We need to make sure that our flood maps are up-to-date so that local officials, homeowners and business owners have the best information available about the changing flood risks in the area. That means ensuring that state mapping is updated on a more frequent basis and is consistent with federal information.”

Senator Gordon introduced the bill after learning that decades-old flood maps maintained by the state were required to be used in the review process of a proposed development project in New Milford, even though FEMA had more updated mapping. The use of the Department of Environmental Protection’s map, developed in 1980, created concern from residents that the proposed development project could be built in a flood-prone area.

The bill is intended to provide more accurate data for local officials to use when considering proposed projects and by potential homeowners and developers when considering building on or purchasing land in certain areas that may be prone to flooding.

The bill (S-308) would amend the “Flood Hazard Area Control Act” to require the Department of Environmental Protection to update its delineations of flood hazard areas at least once every 15 years. It would also require the DEP to incorporate any new flood delineations adopted by FEMA, as long they are at least as protective as the DEP’s delineation. The bill would also allow for a more recent FEMA delineation to be used by DEP, provided that the FEMA delineation is at least as protective as the department’s delineation.

The bill was approved by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee yesterday, Sept. 15, and it will now head to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee for consideration.