Overview

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection protects public health and the state's air, water and land through environmental regulation and conservation. Its work pairs pollution control and contaminated-site cleanup with conservation of wildlife, forests and historic places. The agency sets environmental standards, issues permits and enforces environmental laws, while its resource programs maintain public parks and support community resilience. State appropriations support programs that bring scientific research, regulation and land stewardship under one department. Established on the first Earth Day in 1970, it is headquartered in Trenton, New Jersey.