This bill amends the Comprehensive State Development Plan to include provisions related to the protection of natural resources and the identification of environmental threats. It adds a new section to the plan that focuses on assessing environmental threats, including chemical and biological contamination, waste disposal, and inadequate recycling opportunities. The purpose of this section is to address the cumulative effects of natural and man-made contaminants on air, water, and land, and to anticipate possible future threats to the natural environment.
Additionally, the bill amends an existing section of the plan to include the evaluation of drinking water aquifer identification and protection, protection of lakes, rivers, estuaries, forests, wetlands, shoreline uplands, coastal marshlands, and wildlife habitat within the natural resources section. These changes to the plan may result in increased costs for the project, as it will require additional expertise, time, and effort from the vendor responsible for drafting the plan.