Toms River Receives $270K Grant To Address Littering

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Toms River has been awarded nearly $270,000 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.

Toms River's grant was $267,494.85. In addition, Ocean County received a grant of $254,692, the highest county grant in the state, to assist with countywide initiatives.

Nearby, Beachwood received $27,152.08; Lavallette received $14,602.56; Island Heights received $5,389.68
Pine Beach received $6,766.48; South Toms River received $6,985.18; Seaside Heights received $12,269.95 and Seaside Park received $12,762.