September 14, 2005

Students Receive Environmental Achievement Award for Metedeconk Water Quality Project

LAWRENCEVILLE- Robert A. Briant, Sr., Chairman of the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust recently announced the presentation of the first annual "Environmental Achievement Awards" to Saint Dominic's Elementary School in Brick Township and the following four eighth grade students; Carly De La Hoz, Nicole Del Bene, Dominick Liberatore and Jessica Lichnowski. The awards were presented at St. Dominic's Back to School Night on September 14, 2005, in recognition of the efforts made to protect the Metedeconk River.

"We must provide stewardship over our natural resources to protect our streams and rivers insuring the future water resources for New Jersey. These students not only focused their activities on improving the water quality of the Metedeconk River, they also developed and implemented a number of tools to get the message out and educate not only the residents of Brick Township, but everyone who utilizes the Metedeconk River for drinking water and recreation." stated Chairman Briant.

The New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Financing Program is a partnership between the Trust and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which administers the State Revolving Funds. The Program provides loans for a variety of clean and safe drinking water projects. The loans can be used for open space preservation, wastewater management, non-point source pollution control, landfill construction and closure, and projects to protect the state's drinking water supplies.

Since 1987 the Program has loaned $2.8 billion to local and county governments, and local, county and regional authorities. The savings produced by the Financing Program have provided taxpayers and ratepayers more than $800 million in avoided interest and other financing costs.