For Immediate Release
June 14, 2012 Contact Jeff Tittel, 609-558-9100
Green and Blue Roofs Protect Water Quality The Assembly Environment Committee passed two bills encouraging the use of blue and green roofs. Blue roofs have a mechanism that will drain stormwater such as gravel beds or rooftop detention systems. A green roof is covered with vegetation designed to improve stormwater management.These roofs not only help to improve our stormwater management and conserve water, but also provide cost savings through efficient energy usage for heating and cooling of the buildings.These roofs also help with flooding by controlling stormwater. In our cities especially during the summer time, "heat island" effect causes temperatures to spike making temperatures outside unhealthy for people and requiring more energy to cool buildings.Having green and blue roofs would help limit this effect and keep cities cooler, as well as saving money on heating and air conditioning. Green and blue roofs are used to help store stormwater, preventing combined sewer overflows in urban areas. Combined sewer overflows occur when stormwater floods the sewer system during a storm and the system cannot handle all the additional flow.This causes raw or partially treated sewage to get into our waterways.Green and blue roof technology will help store stormwater and decrease the amount of non-point pollution and sewer overflows that impact our waterways. Water collected on blue roofs can also be connected to non-potable uses in the building such as watering plants or used as gray water in the plumbing.Blue roofs actually help preserve potable water for those uses.
"These bills help promote environmental protection. Green and blue roofs help to clean our water, prevent flooding and allow for the recharge of our aquifers. Green roofs help to better insulate building and save energy. By encouraging green and blue roofs we are doing a lot to protect our water and our environment," said *Jeff Tittel, Director of New Jersey Sierra Club.*
A710 (Ramos)This legislation requires construction of new State buildings, facilities and structures with at least 15,000 square feet in total floor area to have green or blue roofs.
A711 (Ramos) This bill would require the Department of Environmental Protection to adopt rules and regulation regarding the use of blue and green roofs. These rules would require DEP to give priority consideration to any application for a permit, grant, approval, or loan associated with a blue or green roof project. The bill would also require new developments to incorporate blue or green roofs and have these roof projects incorporated into stormwater management plans.
-- Kate Millsaps Program Assistant NJ Chapter of the Sierra Club 609-656-7612