Monroe Township Awarded $105,240 Clean Communities Grant from DEP – A $11K increase from previous year
MONROE TOWNSHIP, N.J. – June 2, 2022 – Monroe Township today announced that it is the recipient of a $105,240.47 Clean Communities grant from the State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Solid Waste Division.
Clean Communities grants are intended to help municipalities and counties across New Jersey promote volunteer and paid clean-up events, purchase equipment, support enforcement activities and educational opportunities.
“The Township Council and I are always looking for ways to push Monroe Township toward a cleaner, greener future,” said Mayor Stephen Dalina. “Our Department of Public Works conducts numerous programs aimed at keeping our town litter-free throughout the year. It is through programs like Clean Communities that we can keep our streets, open space, recreation areas and township grounds clear of litter and debris.”
This year’s grant reflects an increase of $11,000 from the grant received in 2021. Monroe Township is the fourth-largest recipient in all of Middlesex County and one of the largest in the state. This grant award allows the Township to continue to improve upon its ongoing community engagement and education initiatives.
"Monroe has consistently been one of the top municipalities in the state in regard to fighting litter," said JoAnn Gemenden, executive director, New Jersey Clean Communities Council.
"We work closely with Monroe Township officials to ensure that state funds are continually maximized to develop and implement anti-litter education and programming in Monroe, as well as to coordinate local clean-ups,” she said. “We are confident that Monroe Township will use the increased funding in a smart, strategic way."
The Township awarded more than $4,000 so far this year, funded by the Clean Communities grant, to Monroe-based non-profit and community-service groups through its Mini-grant program that offers $500 per group for running localized clean-up efforts.
Interested organizations can register for litter patrol opportunities at Township approved sites by contacting Clean Communities Coordinator, Joe Slomian at 732-656-4575.
Through the grant program, the NJDEP awarded nearly $19.1 million to eligible municipalities and $2.3 million to counties across the state, basing its allocations on statistical reports that outline the number of housing units and municipally owned roadway mileage in a respective area. Grants are funded by a legislated user-fee on manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors that produce litter-generating products.
For a complete list of municipal and county grant awards, visit www.njclean.org.
All media inquiries may be directed to the Monroe Township’s Public Information Officer Stacey Kennedy at 732-521-4400 or