Howell Receives $145K Grant To Address Littering

HOWELL, NJ — Howell Township has been awarded more than $140,000 by the state Department of Environmental Protection under the annual New Jersey Clean Communities grants program.

The grants, announced Tuesday, target littering and keeping communities clean throughout the state. They fund education about the environmental harms of littering, setting up volunteer litter cleanups, the purchase of litter removal equipment, efforts to clear litter and debris from stormwater drains, remove graffiti, and support enforcement of local litter laws.

"Nobody likes to see trash-filled roads, rivers, or parks," said Ed Potosnak, acting commissioner of the NJDEP. "By partnering with the Clean Communities Council to provide this critical funding, the DEP is ensuring that municipalities and counties can keep their communities healthy and clean without bearing the costs of these initiatives alone."

The awards are funded by taxes collected from businesses that produce litter-generating products and penalties paid for litter-related violations. The grant awards are prescribed by state law and are based on population, housing units and miles of municipally owned roadways.

Howell's grant was $145,251.69. In addition, Monmouth County received a grant of $156,865, the highest county grant in the state, to assist with countywide initiatives.

Neighboring Farmingdale is receiving a grant of $4,000.