Environmental committee recently received its first grant
It may not be an enormous amount of money, but members of Palmyra’s Green team are excited about $2,000.
That’s because the money came in the form of a grant — the first the environmental committee has received since it was formed more than a year ago.
“Just being awarded this $2,000 grant is a big step forward for us,” said Councilwoman Mindie Weiner, who serves on the Green Team.
The Green Team received the grant May 8 from Sustainable Jersey, a statewide nonprofit that certifies municipalities based on efforts to reduce waste and pollution. The PSEG Foundation provided the funding for the grant, according to a news release.
Borough officials said the money will be used to set up a website for the Green Team, create brochures sharing information about sustainability and developing a survey to get public input.
“With the support of PSE&G and Sustainable New Jersey, the Borough of Palmyra is able to launch a comprehensive outreach program initiative to educate and inform our residents,” Mayor Michelle Arnold said in a statement.
“This is an important step in what I am sure will be a borough-wide commitment to preserving our resources and reducing our impact on the environment,” she added.
Sustainable Jersey awarded 20 grants worth $2,000 each to towns around the state. Eight municipalities received $10,000 grants, and four were awarded $20,000, according to the organization.
“This award ceremony that we went to was amazing,” Weiner said. “They gave away quite a bit of money.”
Accomplishing environmental goals through Sustainable Jersey grants does not require taxpayer dollars, which is a plus, Weiner said.
Weiner said she and others on the committee have been working to raise awareness about the Green Team. She said she has spoken to a few local businesses about reducing the use of plastic bags. Targeting disposable water bottle waste is another aim, Weiner said.
The initial grant was the first step, but officials hope the borough will soon be certified by Sustainable Jersey.
“That’s been our main focus,” Weiner said.
For that to happen, the borough would have to take a number of actions toward promoting environmental sustainability to earn a total of at least 150 points under Sustainable Jersey’s ranking system.
Weiner said borough officials must submit a list of goals to Sustainable Jersey in June. By November, those initiatives must be implemented for Palmyra to get certified, she said.
Currently, 200 municipalities in the state are certified, with 152 achieving bronze status and 48 getting silver status, which is the highest rank, according to Sustainable Jersey’s website.
In total, 79 percent of all municipalities in New Jersey participate in the certification program, which equates to 446 towns.
The Green Team’s chairman is Councilman Lew Yetter. Council President Bernadette Russell, Weiner and residents Loretta Kelly, Laura Craig Cloud, Michael Cloud, Kwan Hui, Andrew Blaisdell and Barbara Nowiki also serve on the committee.
