Toms River Receives $168K State Grant

The township will receive $168,297 in state funding to offset the cost of keeping Toms River clean.

The Christie administration on Monday announced its annual "Clean Community" grant awards, with Toms River emerging as one of the top funding recipients.

The state Department of Environmental Protection awarded $13.86 million to 559 eligible municipalities in the state, with Toms River in the top 3 in terms of funding. Only Newark and Jersey City received more funds.

The grants are aimed at offsetting the cost of maintaining clean streets and public areas, officials said.

“This grant program is a perfect example of state, local and nonprofit partnerships working together to maximize the use of our resources to address environmental issues,” said Jane Kozinski, Assistant Commissioner for Environmental Management, in a prepared statement. “Equally important, schools, community groups, local governments and local businesses participate in the cleanups funded by these grants, boosting community spirit and civic pride.”

The grants are funded by user fees on manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors that produce litter-generating products, as defined by the state legislature.

The grant awards are based on road mileage and housing units as compared to all municipal road mileage and housing units statewide.

In addition to the municipal grant, all 21 New Jersey counties received anti-litter funding. Ocean County received the highest amount of grant funding, at $160,448.

The counties receiving the largest grant awards are: Ocean ($160,448), Cumberland ($140,524), Burlington ($131,412), Bergen ($114,416) and Camden ($98,433).

The municipalities receiving the largest grant awards are: Newark, Essex County ($322,906); Jersey City, Hudson County ($297,748); Toms River ($168,297); Hamilton, Mercer County; (142,745); Edison, Middlesex County ($134,350);  Elizabeth, Union County ($132,690), Woodbridge, Middlesex County ($131,533), Brick ($127,792); Middletown, Monmouth County ($114,937); and Cherry Hill, Camden County ($113,429).