An alternative energy project involving the installation of a Solar
Energy System on the roofs of five existing buildings at the North
Hudson Sewerage Authority plant on Adams Street in Hoboken has
won a prestigious environmental award.

Representatives of the NHSA were in Atlantic City recently where
they received a WAVE Award for Best Management Practices from
 the Association of Environmental Authorities (AEA) at the
organization's annual convention.

 According to Richard J. Wolff, NHSA Chairman,"the solar project
aids the Authority in doing its part to reduce smog, acid rain and CO2
emissions while conserving natural resources."

 "In addition, the approximate annual fiscal benefit to the Authority
 from energy rebates, direct energy savings and Solar Renewable
 Energy Certificates is $27,800, even with a costly outlay of
 $1,216,000," he added.

 Overall, the entire project cost $2.6 million, which included
construction costs for heating, ventilation and air conditioning
 improvements to the administration building and restoration of the
roofs on four of the plant buildings.

 The Solar Energy system uses fixed (non-moveable) photovoltaic
 (solar energy) panels mounted on the roofs of five existing buildings
 within the Adams Street Wastewater Treatment Plant. The buildings
 receiving solar energy panels are the administration building,
preliminary facilities building, trickling filter pump station, secondary
clarification building and the solids processing building.

 The solar energy system will have a total of 821 solar panels and will
 produce 185,970 KWh of electric energy per year. The energy will be
 used at the treatment facility.

Fred Pocci is Guest Panelist on Stormwater Needs At League of Municipalities Conference

GUEST PANELISTS - Fred Pocci, Executive Director of the North Hudson Sewerage Authority, center, is flanked, from left to right, by fellow panelists Dennis Hart, Executive Director of the N.J. Environmental Infrastructure Trust; Mayor James Anzaldi of Clifton; Robert Hough, Project Engineer for the Princeton Sewer Operating Committee; and Attorney Robert Beinfield of Hawkins, Delafield and Wood. The panelists conducted a workshop on "Financing New Jersey's Sewer, Water and Stormwater Needs" at the 92^nd Annual Conference of the League of Municipalities held recently in Atlantic City.

Fred Pocci, Executive Director and Engineer for the North Hudson Sewerage Authority, was a guest panelist at the 92nd Annual Conference of the League of Municipalities held in Atlantic City.

Pocci served on the League's workshop panel titled "Financing New Jersey's Sewer, Water and Stormwater Needs" along with Presiding Moderator, Mayor James Anzaldi of Clifton; Dennis Hart, Executive Director of the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust; Robert Hough, Princeton Sewer Operating Committee; and Robert Beinfield, an attorney with the firm of Hawkins, Delafield and Wood.

The panel discussed how aging infrastructure and dwindling open space continue to impact residents' quality of life. They also pointed out that current estimates project more than $15 billion is needed to upgrade older water and sewer systems in New Jersey. In addition, recent state Stormwater regulations have imposed new requirements on municipalities that can be very costly.

Pocci, with probably the most experience in dealing with an aging infrastructure system on the panel, explained the problems faced by the communities the Authority services - Hoboken, Union City, West New York and Weehawken - and how the Authority is financing the projects necessary to keep the system in compliance with regulations.

He also detailed the upgrading of the system completed to date and the role played by the N.J. Environmental Infrastructure Trust financing, and the proposed newly announced project of building four new wet weather pump stations to help relieve the flooding problem in the Southwest section of Hoboken. That project will be paid for jointly by the Sewerage Authority, the City of Hoboken and an assessment on all future developments.

Trust Fund Executive Director Hart pointed out that North Hudson was one of the prime agencies in the state which takes advantage of the fund's low interest loans, thereby saving their clients thousands of dollars in interest and enhancing its ability to bring projects on line much quicker.

 North Hudson Sewerage Authority and Hoboken Reach Agreement on $30 Million Deal to Build 4 Wet Weather Pumping Stations

 (Hoboken, NJ) The North Hudson Sewerage Authority today announced that an agreement has been reached with the City of Hoboken to finance construction of four wet-weather pumping stations at an estimated cost of $30 million to alleviate the flooding problems in that community.

 The announcement came at a press conference held at the Authority's offices and attended by NHSA Executive Director and Authority Engineer Fred Pocci, Hoboken Mayor David Roberts, Union City Mayor and Assemblyman Brian Stack, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons, and Hoboken Councilmen Ruben Ramos, Peter Cammarano, Michael Russo and Chris Campos.

 The four pumping stations will be built underground along the city's waterfront at 15^th,11^th, 4^th streets at the end of Observer Highway. The pumps will only operate during wet weather situations and are seen as a cure to end flooding in Hoboken.

 The estimated cost is between $25 Million and $30 Million Dollars. Mayor Stack and Ruben Ramos will seek state funding, Congressman Albio Sires will seek federal funding, and the NHSA will file grant applications for both types of funding.

The first design for the first pumping station at 11^th Street has already been conceptually approved by the NJDEP and the Authority expects to begin construction in the Spring-Fall of 2008. The entire project is expected to take between two and three years to complete.

North Hudson Sewerage Authority Joins NJCSO Group - Public Invited to Join Citizen Advisory Committee

The North Hudson Sewerage Authority announces that it has joined the NJCSO Group and is inviting all individuals and groups to participate in a Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) to explore issues and options related to Combined Sewer Systems.

North Hudson Sewerage Authority serves the cities of Hoboken and Union City, the town of West New York and the township of Weehawken. Other members of the NJCSO Group are the city of Paterson, the towns of Guttenberg, Harrison and Kearny, the borough of East Newark, Jersey City MUA, Bayonne MUA, North Bergen Municipal Utilities Authority, and Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners. Each of these entities owns and/or operates various components of a Combined Sewer System.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has modified the General New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) Permit for Combined Sewer Systems, which requires that all municipalities with combined sewer systems undertake a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Long-term Control Plan (LTCP). The CAC is the first step in this endeavor.

The CAC will provide input and recommendations to the NJCSO Group as the LTCP is being developed. The CAC will hear presentations, offer feedback, learn about alternative controls and their estimated project costs and benefits, and ultimately will offer recommendations on what types of controls, if any, should be implemented under the LTCP.

The CAC had its first meeting in October 2005 and has been meeting approximately every three months. The CAC will conclude in January 2007 and a Public Participation Program Report will be submitted to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection summarizing the CAC's findings.

Combined sewer systems are typically located in older urban areas and were constructed to provide for the transportation of sanitary sewage, industrial discharges, and stormwater within the same pipe. The systems were designed to transport all dry weather flows, and some wet weather flows for treatment at a domestic treatment facility. Nevertheless, the systems were also designed to discharge excess flows from the combined sewer system as a combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharge into the adjacent receiving waters. The LTCP is a feasibility study to evaluate the means, costs, and effectiveness of possible control alternatives for reducing the frequency and volume of CSO discharges, as well as different levels of pretreatment and disinfection.

Anyone interested in participating on the CAC should call, email, or fax contact information:

Name
Organization and Title (if any);
Address (for notifications);
Phone Number (for notifications - organization, work, or home);
Fax Number (if available); and
email address (for notifications)
to Donna Gregory, of Hatch Mott MacDonald (phone number 973-941-9397, email address donna.gregory@hatchmott.com, or fax number 973-912-2632). Notifications of interest should be submitted immediately.

Hatch Mott MacDonald has been retained by the NJ CSO Group to develop, coordinate, and implement the Public Participation Work Plan as submitted to the NJDEP. Hatch Mott MacDonald is a full-service transportation, infrastructure and environmental engineering company.

07/24/06$70.39

Dr. Richard J. Wolff of Weehawken was elected Chairman for his 18th consecutive term at the February reorganization meeting of the North Hudson Sewerage Authority. Dr. Richard J. Wolff Also elected at the meeting was Harold Schroeder of West New York, Vice Chairman; Robert Ruiz of Union City, Treasurer; Patleo Spaccavento of Hoboken, Assistant Treasurer; Joseph Rivera of West New York, Secretary; and Michael Schaeffer of Hoboken, Assistant Secretary. Wolff first joined the Tri-City Sewerage Authority, the forerunner to the North Hudson Authority, in 1987. In 1988 he was elected Chairman, a post he has been reelected to by his fellow commissioners ever since. During his tenure as Chairman he presided over the first regionalization of wastewater treatment services in the State of New Jersey with the merger of the West New York Municipal Utilities Authority system into Tri-City, then servicing Hoboken, Union City and Weehawken. The new North Hudson Sewerage Entity brought the operation into compliance with environmental regulations, thereby facilitating the lifting of a sewerage hookup ban which existed when he first took the reins. Since then, the Authority has successfully handled the voluminous building expansion in the four communities it serves and received a host of WAVE Awards from the Association of Environmental Authorities and praise from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Dr. Wolff received a Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University, an M.A. in History from Columbia University, and both a Masters and Ph.D. in Philosophy from Columbia University. He is currently the CEO of The Global Consulting Group of New York City, an international consulting firm focused on investor relations, corporate communications and public affairs. It has 11 offices worldwide. A former Assistant Dean and Assistant Professor of History at St. John's University, he served as a Delegate on the United States Trade Mission to the Republic of Peru. He currently serves as Chairman of the Chip in for the Children, Inc., a foundation which benefits the children of the four communities the authority serves, and as a member of the Hudson River Waterfront Park Performing Arts Center. LOPEZ JOINS BOARD AT NORTH HUDSON SEWERAGE AUTHORITY David M. Lopez of Hoboken was seated as a new Commissioner at the February reorganization meeting of the North Hudson Sewerage Authority. Lopez was nominated by Hoboken Mayor David Roberts and confirmed by the Hoboken City Council at its January 4, 2006 meeting. Since last year, Lopez is a real estate associate with Castlepoint Realty and Lopez Associates of New Jersey, a father-son team of realtors who have amassed nearly $10 million in sales volume during their first year. Prior to that he served as Senior Project Manager for Exodus Communications, one of the world's leading provider of managed hosting services for enterprises with mission critical internet services. For two years prior, he served as an Account Executive with the MWW Group, a public affairs and lobbying firm. He is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of New Jersey City University where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. ACTING GOVERNOR CODEY SIGNS "PAY TO PLAY LEGISLATION"      On January 5, 2006, Acting Governor Codey signed into law A-3013(S-1987) which took effect immediately. The statute requires that "Not later than 10 days prior to entering into a contract having an anticipated value in excess of $17,500, except for a contract that is required by law to be publicly advertised by bids ... any business entity bidding thereon or negotiating therefore [shall] submit along with its bid or price quote, a list of political contributions ... that are required to be reported by the recipient ... and that were made by the business entity during the preceding 12 month period, along with the date and amount of each contribution and the name of the recipient of each contribution ..." Governor Richard Codey      That applies to all contributions over $300, the level at which contributions must be reported by recipients on their ELEC reports.      There is no exemption from the reporting requirement simply because a large business entity does not have anyone with more than a 10% interest in the entity. The legislation requires that all contributions by principals, partners, officers or directors of the business entity or their spouses must be reported:      When a business entity is other than a natural person, a contribution by: all principals, partners, officers, or directors of the business entity or their spouses; any subsidiaries directly or indirectly controlled by the business entity; or any political organization organized under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code that is directly or indirectly controlled by the business entity, other than a candidate committee, election fund, or political party committee, shall be deemed to be contribution by the business entity.      It is our understanding that the Department of Community Affairs will be issuing a Local Finance Notice within the next few days with some guidance on the new legislation.      As of the date hereof, January 7, 2006, the official text of the legislation was not available on government or private websites. Attached hereto is the October 18, 2004 Assembly Substitute for Assembly Nos. 3013 and 3421. To Design and Build New CSOs Authority Gets $4.4 Million in Grants      The North Hudson Sewerage Authority has received two grants totaling $4,451,516 for the design and construction of combined sewer overflow (CSO) facilities.      According to Authority Chairman Richard Wolff, the grants call for nine CSOs along the Hudson River waterway from Newark Street in Hoboken to West New York, including four each in Hoboken and Weehawken, and one in West New York. The facilities in Weehawken will also be used to treat flow from Union City, since Union City has no access to the Hudson River. Congressman Robert Menendez Senator Frank Lautenberg      Wolff expressed the Authority's gratitude to Congressman Robert Menendez and Senator Frank Lautenberg for their efforts in obtaining a federal grant of $1,425,000 from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Another grant in the amount of $3,026,516 came from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.      The new facilities are designed to remove solids and floatables from the sewerage system to prevent their flow to the river after rainstorms. Four of the nine will be larger to handle areas which produce larger flows. The grant represents 90% of the total cost. Operate NHSA Plants O.M.I. Wins Malcolm Baldridge Award      Operations Management International, Inc. (OMI), the company which operates and maintains the North Hudson Sewerage Authority facilities, is one of four winners of the prestigious 2000 Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Awards. The announcement of the award came from President William Clinton.      The award was established by Congress in 1987 to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. businesses by promoting quality awareness, recognizing the quality and performance achievements of U.S. organizations, and publicizing successful performance strategies.      All applicants for the award undergo a rigorous examination process that takes from 300 to 1,000 hours. Applications are reviewed by an independent board of about 400 examiners primarily from the private sector. Each applicant receives a report citing strengths and opportunities for improvement. It is the first time that a water treatment company has received the award.      In addition to the North Hudson system, OMI operates 159 water and wastewater facilities in the Americas, Middle East and Asia.      NHSA Chairman Richard Wolff, on behalf of the entire Board of Commissioners, congradulated OMI on winning the award, citing it as further proof that the North Hudson OMI public-private partnership is providing efficient and quality service to its customers in the four communities it serves. Repairs at Plants A Year-Round Project      The North Hudson Sewerage Authority maintains two wastewater treatment facilities, the Adams Street Plant in Hoboken, and the other, the River Road Facility in West New York.      Wastewater treatment facilities, by their very nature, require constant maintenance and repair due to the face that much of the machinery and many parts have short shelf life resulting from constant use.      The Adams Street plant consists of the plant, four pump stations, 12 combined sewer overflow (CSO) regulators, and related mains and outfalls.      In addition, primary treatment consists of three bar racks, two vortex chambers for grit removal, three primary clarifiers, three trickling filters for secondary treatment, and ultraviolet radiation equipment. The River Road facility contains similar equipment.      Since 1998 at the Adams Street plant, removal flights, chains, shafts and drive assembly were replaced for all three clarifiers and skimmers were rehabilitated. A pump in the pump station was rebuilt and the three trickling filters will be rehabilitated by the end of 2000.      A total of 30 valves, operators and controls were replaced, and all control signals were converted to straight electric for better control. The ultraviolet disinfections system was replaced and two belt filter presses were completely rebuilt. Pump stations in Hoboken and Weehawken were repaired.      The River Road facility in West New York also went through a series of repairs and replacements resulting in the facility now meeting NJDEP and USEPA standards. NHSA Rebuilding Infrastructure      Over the past year, the North Hudson Sewerage Authority has been implementing a 20 million dollar infrastructure renewal program to repair and update sewer systems in Hoboken, Union City, Weehawken and West New York.      Approximately 100 miles of sewers, many dating back to the Civil War over 139 years ago, are being cleaned, repaired, rebuilt and in some cases, replaced in an ongoing program expected to last another four years at minimum.      The project was undertaken after the Authority conducted an extensive two-year engineering study of the collection systems according to Executive Director, Fred Pocci.      Pocci pointed out that the municipalities formerly maintained the systems as best they could but that the collection systems have now largely reached the effective end of their service lives.      The work is proceeding on a "most critical" basis first. According to Pocci the program will result in long-term benefits to the Authority's customers. There will be less street collapses caused by underground sewer line problems, a refurbished system will help the Authority in its efforst to alleviate flooding, a more efficient system will cost less to run, and the environment will be protected. Light Rail Project Will Improve SW Drainage      New Jersey Transit, as part of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail system, is proceeding with the design of a CSO consolidation conduit along Observer Highway which will eliminate two outfalls under the train yard. It will improve drainage in Southwest Hoboken.      The overall project, including construction costs, will run about $13 million and proceed at no cost to taxpayers of Hoboken or ratepayers of the North Hudson Sewerage Authority system.