New Jersey regulators approve controversial new flood rules

Environmentalists cheered new flood rules as a needed move to guard against climate impacts. Critics warn of the costs.

By: Nikita Biryukov

Outlets: New Jersey Monitor

Published: January 22, 2026

Words: 698

Last Updated: 1 month ago

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New Jersey regulators approved a series of controversial flood rules in the hours before Phil Murphy’s second term as governor ended Tuesday, capping a six-year process that, at times, left both its backers and its detractors flummoxed.

The rules — called Protection Against Climate Threats Resilient Environments and Landscape Rule, or PACT REAL — raise elevation requirements in some areas of the state, expand flood maps, create new wetland protection and stormwater …

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