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NOTE: THIS IS A COURTESY COPY OF THIS PLAN AMENDMENT PROPOSAL. THE OFFICIAL VERSION WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE JULY 20, 2026, NEW JERSEY REGISTER. SHOULD THERE BE ANY DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THIS TEXT AND THE OFFICIAL VERSION OF THE PROPOSAL, THE OFFICIAL VERSION WILL GOVERN. PUBLIC NOTICE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION WATERSHED AND LAND MANAGEMENT OFFICE OF POLICY AND TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT Proposed Amendment to the Mercer County Water Quality Management Plan Take notice that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (Department) is seeking public comment on a proposed amendment to the Mercer County Water Quality Management (WQM) Plan in accordance with the New Jersey Water Quality Planning Act, N.J.S.A. 58:11A-1 et seq., and the Water Quality Management Planning rules, N.J.A.C. 7:15. The proposed amendment, identified as the Hopewell Valley Community + Senior Center (Program Interest No. 435452, Activity No. AMD250002) would expand the sewer service area (SSA) of the Ewing-Lawrence Sewerage Authority (NJPDES No. NJ0024759) by 6.33 acres to serve a proposed development of a new community and senior center featuring recreational amenities such as an indoor basketball court, pool, and gym with 1,100 daily members, located on Block 85.07, Lot 19 in Hopewell Township, Mercer County. The project will generate a projected wastewater flow of 8,800 gallons per day (gpd) based on flow calculated in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:14A-23.3. This notice represents the Department’s determination that the proposed amendment is compliant with the applicable regulatory criteria at N.J.A.C. 7:15, as described below. In accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:15-3.3(b), site specific amendments are limited to proposed alterations to eligible SSA as needed to address a specific project or activity. N.J.A.C. 7:15-3.5(j)2 requires that site specific amendments proposing to add 100 or more acres or generating 20,000 gpd or more of wastewater flow shall include a proposed modification to the wastewater treatment capacity analysis prepared in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:15-4.5(b) to include the proposed project or activity. The proposed project involves less than 100 acres of proposed SSA and will generate less than 20,000 gpd of wastewater flow; therefore, an update of the wastewater treatment capacity analysis is not required. Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:15-4.4(d), the following are not eligible for delineation as SSA, except as otherwise provided at N.J.A.C. 7:15-4.4(i), (j), (k), and (l): environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) identified pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:15-4.4(e), as any contiguous area of 25 acres or larger consisting of any of the following, alone, or in combination: endangered or threatened wildlife species habitat, Natural Heritage Priority Sites, riparian zones of Category One (C1) waters and their tributaries, or wetlands; coastal planning areas identified at N.J.A.C. 7:15-4.4(f), and; ESAs subject to 201 Facilities Plan grant conditions pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:15-4.4(g). The Department conducted an evaluation of the project site using a GIS shapefile provided by the applicant compared to the Department’s GIS data layers available at https://gisdata-njdep.opendata.arcgis.com and/or other information as noted below, to determine the presence of any such areas in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:15-4.4(e), (f), and (g) and made the following findings: • The Department determined that the proposed SSA does not contain any areas mapped as endangered or threatened wildlife species habitat Rank 3, 4, or 5 on the Department’s Landscape Maps of Habitat for Endangered, Threatened or Other Priority Wildlife based on the “Landscape Project Data” Version 3.4 GIS data layers, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:15-4.4(e)1. • The Department determined that the proposed SSA does not contain any areas mapped as Natural Heritage Priority Sites based on the “Natural Heritage Priority Sites” GIS data layer, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:15-4.4(e)2. • The Department determined that the proposed SSA does not contain any C1 waters or 300-foot riparian zones along any C1 waters or upstream tributaries within the same HUC-14 watershed of any C1 waters based on the “Surface Water Quality Standards” GIS data layer, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:13-4.1(c)1 and 7:15-4.4(e)3. • The Department determined that the proposed SSA does not contain wetlands based on the “Wetlands 2020” GIS data layer, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:15-4.4(e)4. • The Department determined that the proposed SSA does not contain any areas mapped as Fringe Planning Areas, Rural Planning Areas, or Environmentally Sensitive Planning Areas within the Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA) zone based on the “CAFRA (polygon)” GIS layer and the “State Plan Data” GIS layer, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:15-4.4(f). • The Department determined that there are no 201 Facilities Plan grant conditions applicable to the project based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) list of New Jersey Grantees with ESA Grant Conditions at https://www.epa.gov/npdes-permits/environmentally-sensitive-area-esa-grant-condition-waiver-program-region-2 in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:15-4.4(g). Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:15-4.4(h), the Department considered the land uses allowed in adopted zoning ordinances, future land uses shown in adopted municipal and county master plans, and other local land use objectives. The proposed project received local approval from Hopewell Township on August 19, 2025. The Mercer County Planning Department issued an email dated September 8, 2025, stating that the proposed project is consistent with the Mercer County Master Plan. This notice is to inform the public that a plan amendment has been proposed for the Mercer County WQM Plan. All information related to this plan and the proposed amendment is located at: Mercer County Planning Department McDade Administration Building 640 South Broad Street PO Box 8068 Trenton, New Jersey 08650 AND New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Watershed & Land Management Office of Policy and Technical Development Water Quality Management Planning Program PO Box 420, Mail Code 501-01A 501 East State Street Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0420 The Department’s file is available for inspection between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M., Monday through Friday, upon request. An appointment to inspect the file must be arranged by calling the Office of Policy and Technical Development at (609) 633-7021. Mercer County, as the designated planning agency, requires that a public hearing be held for all WQM plan amendments under its jurisdiction. A public hearing will be held by Mercer County on September 9, 2026, at 7:00 PM at 1440 Parkside Avenue, Ewing Township. Interested persons may submit written comments on the proposed amendment to the Department at the address cited above or at the email: wqmp.publiccomments@dep.nj.gov and to Mercer County at the following address: Secretary, Mercer County Planning Department McDade Administration Building 640 South Broad Street PO Box 8068 Trenton, New Jersey 08650 Comments should reference Program Interest No. 435452, Activity No. AMD250002 and must be submitted within 15 days after the public hearing. Interested persons may request in writing that the Department hold a non-adversarial public hearing on the amendment or extend the public comment period specified in this notice. Such requests should reference Program Interest No. 435452, Activity No. AMD250002 and must demonstrate sufficient public interest for the public hearing or extension of the comment period, as defined at N.J.A.C. 7:1D-5.2(d). The request must be submitted within 30 days of the date of this notice to the Department address cited above. Should the Department decide to hold a public hearing, additional notice will be published in a future issue of the New Jersey Register and the comment period will be extended to 15 days after the Department’s public hearing. All comments submitted prior to the close of the comment period shall be considered by the county and the Department before making a final decision on the proposed amendment. Sewer service is not guaranteed should this amendment be adopted as it represents only one part of the permit process and other issues may need to be addressed. Inclusion in the SSA as a result of the approval of this amendment does not eliminate the need to obtain all necessary permits, approvals, or certifications required by any Federal, State, county, or municipal review agency with jurisdiction over this project/activity. 5/21/2026 Jason Kane, Assistant Director Office of Policy and Technical Development Watershed & Land Management New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Prt fee:$ July 6 -1a