Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2) announced April 29 that he has gotten an agreement from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to engage with New Jersey state leaders to urge “a more moderate and workable approach” to state Resilient Environments and Landscapes regulations due to be adopted by end of summer.

The REAL regulations create new inundation zones based on projections of sea level rise out to the year 2100. They also establish a new climate-adjusted flood elevation level that adds 5 feet to FEMA’s 100-year flood elevation level.

The regulations were detailed in the New Jersey Register on Aug. 5, 2024. The state has one year from then in which to adopt them.

Van Drew argues in a press release that the proposed regulations are “based on extreme, worst-case scenarios that do not reflect reality and could do real damage to the future of the Jersey Shore.”

When the discussions between EPA and New Jersey officials will take place and what impact they might have on the proposed regulations is unclear.

The rules were published in 2024 after several environmental groups wrote to Gov. Phil Murphy asking that he ensure they were adopted while he was still in office. Term limits bar Murphy from running for a new term.

Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.