Saddle Brook, NJ — Bergen County residents, elected officials, and climate advocates rallied today to demand passage of the New Jersey Climate Superfund Act (S3545/A4696). The legislation would require major fossil fuel corporations to pay for their role in driving the climate crisis and fund urgently needed infrastructure upgrades to protect New Jersey communities from worsening flooding and extreme weather.

“Bergen County is one of the most flood-vulnerable areas in the country, facing constant, costly damage. The NJ Climate Superfund Act demands corporate polluters pay their fair share to fund our community’s flood defenses and secure a resilient future, instead of sticking New Jersey taxpayers with the bill,” said Senator Joseph Lagana, Assemblywoman Lisa Swain, and Assemblyman Christopher Tully in a joint statement.

“Bergen County continues to face serious and growing threats from flooding and extreme weather, and we cannot continue asking taxpayers to shoulder the full burden of climate-related damages while the biggest polluters walk away without accountability. The Climate Superfund Act holds the largest fossil fuel companies accountable for the damage their emissions have caused—and ensures they help fund the critical upgrades we need to protect our communities,” said Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese (LD-36), Chair of the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee. “As Chair, I am especially focused on ensuring these funds support defensive upgrades to our roads, bridges, railroads, and transit systems. This legislation also invests in flood protection, upgraded stormwater infrastructure, the elevation and retrofitting of utilities vulnerable to flooding, and a more stable and resilient electrical grid. These are practical and critical improvements that will make New Jersey a safer, stronger, and better-prepared state for the future. I am proud to co-sponsor this legislation and stand with community leaders and advocates who are demanding real solutions.”

“New Jersey is feeling the heat — literally. As temperatures break records, so does our demand for accountability. The Climate Superfund Act (A4696) makes fossil fuel companies, not New Jersey families, pay for the damage they’ve caused,” said Assemblyman John Allen (LD-32). “With growing backing from voters, towns, and legislators, we’re building unstoppable momentum. I’m proud to champion this bill and stand alongside communities calling for fairness, justice, and bold climate action.”

Support for the NJ Climate Superfund Act continues to grow: fifty state legislators are now co-sponsoring the bill and more than fifty municipalities have passed resolutions in support.

“Towns like Rochelle Park have seen how repeated flooding and severe storms disrupt lives, damage property, and strain local resources. As someone who lives in a flood zone, I know how real those challenges are for a small town like ours where flooding reaches so many families. The NJ Climate Superfund Act is about fairness and accountability, making sure the biggest polluters help pay for the damage their emissions cause, from worsening floods to damaged infrastructure and the growing costs our town faces to protect residents. It is simply unfair for taxpayers to keep shouldering those costs alone,” said Rochelle Park Deputy Mayor Thomas Miller. “That is why the Rochelle Park Township Committee was proud to pass a resolution supporting this bill and urging the Legislature to move it forward. It is a responsible step that holds corporations accountable and helps build a stronger, more resilient Rochelle Park for the future.”

“Bergen County is ranked the second most at-risk county for flooding in the entire U.S. Residents across the county regularly deal with this reality, and have to foot the cleanup bill while the fossil fuel industry makes record profits,” said Sam DiFalco, Organizer at Food & Water Watch. “The Climate Superfund Act offers a fair solution: make the polluters who caused this mess pay to protect our communities so we can make them more resilient to the storms we know are coming. Our state leaders must act and pass the Climate Superfund Act as soon as possible.”

“New Jersey championed the creation of the Superfund program to clean up our toxic sites more than 40 years ago; it’s time that we have a Superfund program for our climate disasters, especially for vulnerable communities that see increased flooding risks. The floods hitting the river towns of Bergen County aren’t going away — they are only going to get worse,” said Doug O’Malley, Director of Environment New Jersey. “We are not going to see more federal funding to mitigate climate impacts – the time is now for the Legislature to work to pass the Climate Superfund Act by the end of the year.”

“For decades, Exxon, Shell, BP, and other corporations deliberately hid the truth about fossil fuels. They pressured journalists to hide stories, funded research that favored fossil fuels over renewable solutions, put forward false solutions such as ‘natural gas,’ and more,” said Paula Rogovin, Teaneck resident and climate advocate. “We, the people, have paid the price for damage caused by climate change while corporations profited. Now, we must pass the Climate Superfund Act and make those polluters pay!”

“The threat of climate change is here, and it is hitting New Jersey hard, no matter where you live in the state. New Jerseyans have had to shoulder the financial burden of rebuilding and adapting as storms and fires ravage their homes for far too long,” said Molly Cleary, Environmental Advocate at Clean Water Action. “The Climate Superfund Act ensures that those who caused this crisis, the fossil fuel industry, pay their fair share as New Jersey makes necessary steps towards a more climate-resilient future. Clean Water Action is proud to stand with our partners in the fight to get this critical bill passed.”

“I am grateful to be joined by Senator Joseph Lagana, Assemblyman Christopher Tully, and Assemblywoman Lisa Swain, along with local elected officials, in the fight to pass the Climate Superfund Act,” said Ben Dziobek, Executive Director of the Climate Revolution Action Network. “Bergen County has changed a lot since I was a little kid visiting my tías and tíos in Fort Lee, but what I can tell you is that municipalities are facing extreme flooding and severe weather events that significantly strain their budgets. The legislators here today are standing up for local taxpayers and ensuring good union infrastructure jobs for decades to come — making us all safer, more prepared, and at the end of the day, putting more money back in every New Jerseyan’s wallet.”

Modeled after similar laws passed in New York and Vermont, the Climate Superfund Act has already cleared environmental committees in both chambers of the Legislature. The bill would create a dedicated state fund to support climate resiliency projects — from rebuilding after floods and storms to upgrading critical infrastructure — while ensuring taxpayers are no longer left to shoulder the costs of climate destruction.