What is an Environmental Commission?

The Environmental Commission advises the government how to protect the water, air, soil, flora and fauna, and your overall quality of life and health in South Harrison Township.

New Jersey State Law (N.J.S.A. 40:56A-1 through 12.) authorizes municipalities to set up a commission to be an advisory body on environmental issues affecting the municipality. The mayor or other governing chief executive can appoint not less than five and not more than seven (not including alternates) volunteer members to the commission for a three year term (two years for alternates). The language in the law is purposely general and so enables the commission to oversee anything in the township that has to do with the environment including but not limited to natural resource planning and protection, open space issues and preservation, water resources and management, pollution prevention and control, solid waste management, noise control, and environmental appearance and application review for applications that present to the Planning and Zoning Board to name a few. Generally the environmental commissions are local environmental advocates, involved in a variety of activities.