Federal Omnibus Bill Has Money For Mobile Lab At Montclair State

MONTCLAIR, NJ — President Joe Biden has signed a $1.5 trillion federal omnibus spending bill, and it contains $400,000 to pay for a mobile lab at Montclair State University that will teach the public about water quality issues, officials said.

Democrats and Republicans both scored political victories in the spending bill. Democrats were able to secure an agreement to increase domestic spending by 6.7 percent to $730 billion, while Republicans prevailed in a 5.6 percent increase in defense-related spending at $782 billion.

The sprawling, 2,741-page omnibus bill — the first major federal spending package of Biden's administration — also funds the government through Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year, and averted a partial government shutdown that would've occurred at midnight Friday. It sends $13.6 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine and NATO allies to bolster the nation’s defense against the Russian invasion. Read More: $1.5 Trillion Omnibus Spending Bill (5 Things To Know)

According to a joint statement from U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and Cory Booker, there are several big wins for New Jersey in the omnibus bill.

The senators said there is $400,000 in the bill that will pay for a "Traveling Harmful Algal Bloom Lab" at Montclair State University. They wrote:

"The Traveling HAB Lab will improve public awareness of water quality issues, including harmful algal blooms. The innovative mobile education and outreach activities will inspire people to take action. The public is increasingly impacted by water pollution, including water-use restrictions triggered by harmful algal bloom (HAB) events. The proposed Traveling HAB Lab will bring an interactive educational experience about water quality and water resource issues to students and communities. By taking water science education directly into schools and communities, we hope to increase awareness of the serious health risks caused by acute exposure to HAB events and the damage they cause to ecosystems. The Traveling HAB Lab will also recruit participants to become active environmental stewards in their communities and assist the state in monitoring and mitigating HAB. This proposed Traveling HAB Lab will bring STEM education to underserved schools and communities and empower students and community members to protect water resources. Many schools lack scientific instruments and supplies for high-quality STEM activities which can elevate the level of science learning and motivate more students to pursue STEM fields for careers. The Traveling HAB Lab will inspire future water scientists to help alleviate and solve future water issues, and help keep our drinking and recreational waters safe and available for future generations to use."

This article contains reporting from Beth Dalbey, Patch staff

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