Franklin Township – Warren
 

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JCP&L Reminds Public to Have a Safety-First Summer

Foil balloons, drones, fireworks and power lines don’t mix

With the first day of summer fast approaching, FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is reminding the public to be cautious of potential electrical hazards associated with popular outdoor activities. Celebrating responsibly will help keep customers safe and the electricity flowing reliably this season.

“As we prepare for parades, barbeques and outdoor fun, we encourage everyone to keep electrical safety top of mind to ensure a safe holiday and summer season,” said Chad Stoneking, director of safety operations at FirstEnergy. “Enjoying the season responsibly can also help prevent unnecessary disruptions to your electric service during a time when many people rely on their air conditioning to stay cool and comfortable.”

Foil balloons and fireworks are two of the most common and festive ways to celebrate summer events, including graduation parties, weddings and Independence Day. However, they can create safety issues and cause major damage to the electric system when they are used near power lines and electrical equipment.

While foil balloons have increased in popularity as holiday and party decorations, they continue to cause many power outages because their metallic coating conducts electricity when they drift into power lines or electrical equipment. February typically marks the onset of a dramatic increase in outages caused by adrift metallic balloons that peaks in June or July, when warm weather takes celebrations and picnics outdoors. Over recent months, foil balloons were to blame for more than 50 power outages across FirstEnergy’s six-state service area.

Customers should securely tie helium-filled foil balloons to a weight that is heavy enough to prevent them from floating away, and then puncture and deflate them once they are no longer in use because they can stay inflated for several weeks. Never release them into the sky.

FirstEnergy also encourages customers to leave the large, colorful fireworks displays to the professionals. Extra caution should be used when handling fireworks, firecrackers and rockets at home, and they should only be lit in open areas where no power lines are in sight. Should a firework accidentally come in contact with a power line or equipment, leave it alone and immediately call 911 to report the problem.

To help ensure holidays and celebrations are enjoyed responsibly, customers should keep the following outdoor safety tips in mind:

  • Never fly kites, motorized airplanes or drones near power lines. While kites almost always use cotton string, wet cotton string can conduct electricity as well as metal string.
  • Never attempt to retrieve any type of object that gets caught in a power line or drifts or crashes into a substation. Leave it alone and immediately call FirstEnergy at 888-544-4877 to report the problem.
  • Keep electrical devices and cords at least 10-feet away from water sources such as pools and spas. When possible, use battery-operated electrical devices outside.
  • All outdoor receptacles should be covered to keep them dry. This is especially important around pools, spas and other summer water activities.
  • When hauling a boat, make sure it clears overhead power lines and stay away from power lines when sailing.
  • Never climb a tree that is growing near or into overhead lines or near a utility pole. Also, never climb utility poles or other infrastructure, in particular transmission towers or substation fences. These activities are extremely hazardous and can result in very severe injuries.
  • Stay far away from a downed or low-hanging power line. Always assume any downed wires are energized and dangerous. Report them ASAP by calling 911.

To get familiarized with drone safety, the public can visit FirstEnergy’s Drone Safety Zone, the first video game of its kind in the utility industry that allows players to learn current rules and best practices for drone operators while racing against others.

Visit www.firstenergycorp.com/publicsafety to learn about FirstEnergy’s “Stop. Look. Live.” safety campaign to educate the public about staying safe around electricity and near power lines and equipment.

JCP&L Tips to Beat the Heat

When summer temps rise, so does electricity use as air conditioners, refrigerators + other equipment work harder to keep us comfortable. You're encouraged to conserve energy during this weeks heat. Here are some simple tips:

Heat waves can stretch our comfort – and our electric bills. Here are some simple tips for using electricity wisely when demand is high:

  • Set your thermostat as high as comfort will allow, and use fans to stay cool. For every degree you increase the temperature in your home, you can decrease energy use by about 3 percent.
  • Draw blinds, shades, or drapes to block the sunlight during the hottest part of the day, especially on south- and west-facing windows.
  • Preset your programmable thermostat to keep the temperature in your home higher while you’re away, and to reduce the temperature before you arrive back home.
  • Only operate fans and window air conditioners when someone is in the room.
  • Keep refrigerators and freezers as full as possible. Frozen or cold items in the refrigerator help keep other items cool, so your refrigerator won’t have to work as hard to maintain temperature.
  • Close rooms that aren't used regularly during the summer. Close the air conditioning vents in those rooms, as well.
  • Avoid using heat-producing appliances during the hottest hours of the day. The less heat produced in the home, the less work your air conditioner will have to do.
  • Check air conditioner and furnace fan filters. Clogged filters waste energy and money by forcing HVAC systems to work harder than necessary.
  • Avoid unnecessary power use by turning off non-essential lights, appliances and electronics.

Additionally, consider investing in ENERGY STAR® appliances or HVAC systems. These units use less energy than those that meet federal standards. FirstEnergy's utilities may offer rebates on these purchases, and tax deductions may apply, as well.

Stay Safe During Hot Weather

Your primary concern during a heat wave should be to take proper health precautions. Take these steps to keep your family and friends safe:

  • Have basic emergency supplies on hand, including extra bottles of water.
  • Consider the impact of heat on your activities, especially during the hottest part of the day.
  • Drink plenty of water; dehydration is a primary health hazard during severe hot weather.
  • If air conditioning is unavailable, go to a cooler location, such as a basement. Some communities also offer cooling stations at public facilities.
  • Check on seniors or those living alone who may have difficulty in hot conditions. Make sure they are also drinking plenty of water and staying as cool as possible.

For more energy-saving tips and resources, visit www.firstenergycorp.com/saveenergy. 

FirstEnergy, JCP&L Warn Customers to Be on Guard Against Utility Scammers this Summer

FirstEnergy and JCP&L remind customers to remain vigilant against utility imposters who claim to be associated with our company. While we take significant measures to ensure the safety and security of our customers’ account information, utility scammers continue to use sophisticated tactics to target vulnerable customers, like senior citizens or small business owners.

Last year, FirstEnergy utility customers reported more than 3,500 attempted scams. The actual number of scam attempts is even higher since many go unreported to the company or law enforcement. Although these sophisticated scammers work year-round, they are more active during summer and winter months because they know customers rely on electricity to cool or heat their homes and are more likely to comply due to fear of disconnection.

FirstEnergy customers can avoid falling victim to a utility scam by keeping the following information in mind:

  • We often make courtesy calls to remind customers about outstanding balances and send written notices of a possible disconnection, but we do NOT call or email to demand immediate payment to avoid a same-day shutoff.
  • Utility impostors often require that you use unusual payment methods like digital payment apps, cryptocurrencies or money transfers. Only send payments to your FirstEnergy electric company using established payment methods.
  • FirstEnergy field collectors working in New Jersey will offer customers with past-due accounts the opportunity to pay their bill in person before disconnecting service. All employees carry company-issued photo identification.
  • Imposters often use Caller ID spoofing software to misrepresent the source of a phone call to further mislead and confuse their targets. Call-back numbers provided by these criminals often use greetings and hold messages that mimic legitimate businesses. Always contact your electric company using the phone number listed on your bill or on the FirstEnergy website.
  • If you suspect a scam, hang up or close the door and contact your local police department and FirstEnergy.
  • If you have any doubts about the status of your account or the identity of a FirstEnergy employee, contact your electric company at the number listed on your bill or the company’s website. Never call the number the scammer provides.

We encourage customers to frequently visit our scam information page at www.firstenergycorp.com/scaminfo for updates and information on emerging scam activity. Stay safe!

JCP&L Who Owns What

When your home’s exterior electrical system is damaged, it’s important to understand which components are our responsibility and which are yours. View flyer with more information

Energy Assistance Programs

Seeding Crop Fields Using Airplanes

Two low-flying planes will blanket 3,000 acres of New Jersey cropland in cover crops: an all-natural mixture of grass and clover seeds.

Wells & Septics

For Information on Well & Septic issues in Franklin Township please contact the Warren County Health Department. http://www.co.warren.nj.us/healthdept/

New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Clean Energy Program

See information from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities regarding their "Clean Energy" incentive program for New Jersey residents, businesses and local municipalities.

Power Lines: Work Safe - Play Safe

Summer is a great time for relaxing, leisurely activities and completing work on outdoor projects. Whether you're working or playing, it's important to be aware of power lines and stay safe.  View safety guidelines ...

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

Eligible households do not need to reapply for the program to receive supplemental benefits. The benefits are available because LIHEAP funding for the year increased beyond the original projection provided by the federal government.

Nearly 158,000 households that heat their homes with gas will receive an added benefit of $100 while those that heat with electric will receive a $250 benefit. Approximately 28,000 families that heat with deliverable fuels, such as oil or propane, will receive a $175 supplemental benefit. Also, about 51,000 households that received medically-required cooling assistance will receive a $100 supplemental benefit.

The DCA's Division of Housing and Community Resources administers the LIHEAP program, which is a federally-funded initiative that helps low-income residents with their heating and cooling bills, and makes provisions for emergency heating system services and emergency fuel assistance. To be eligible for LIHEAP benefits, a household must be responsible for home heating or cooling costs, either directly or included in the rent; and have gross income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

The LIHEAP application also serves as an application for the Universal Service Fund (USF) Program, which is run by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. USF helps low-income households pay for their electric and natural gas costs. LIHEAP eligible households may also be eligible to receive USF assistance.

To be eligible for USF, a household gross income must be at or below 175% of the federal poverty level, and pay more than 3% of its annual income for electric, or more than 3% for natural gas. If a household has electric heat, it must spend more than 6% of its annual income on electricity to be eligible. USF applications are accepted throughout the year.

For more information on LIHEAP, or to find the nearest agency participating in the program, please log on to www.energyassistance.nj.gov or call 1-800-510-3102 (LIHEAP).

Steps to Take After a Flood

From NJ's Office of Emergency Management:

Steps To Take After a Flood (.pdf)

Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act – Information

The Highlands Water Protection Act (Highlands Act) was enacted on Aug. 10, 2004 with the purpose of protecting the region’s great wealth of natural resources, including the waterbodies that supply drinking water to more than half of the state’s population. The Highlands Act defined both a Highlands Preservation Area and a Highlands Planning Area. The regulatory program established by the Highlands Act applies only to Major Highlands Development in the Highlands Preservation Area. An interactive map (i-map) of the Highlands Region is available at www.nj.gov/dep/highlands. The Highlands Special Adoption Rules were adopted on May 9, 2005 and became immediately effective.

For more information on the Highlands Act, visit www.nj.gov/dep/highlands

Highlands Council
100 North Road
Route 513
Chester, New Jersey 07930
(908) 879-6737
Fax (908) 879-4205

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Watershed Management
Bureau of Watershed Regulation
P.O. Box 418
401 East State Street
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0418
(609) 984-6888

Well Water Testing

The New Jersey Private Well Testing Act (PWTA) requires that all private well owners involved in a real estate sale have their water tested in accordance with the Act.  The Act also requires landlords served by wells to test every 5 years with an initial test conducted before March 15,  2004. The Warren County Health Department recommends that all private well owners have their wells tested for the parameters listed under the PWTA to insure that the water is potable.

The Warren County Health Department strongly recommends that residents of Franklin Township have their wells tested for volatile organic compounds in the area referred to as the Pohatcong Valley. An EPA investigation of the area (Pohatcong Valley Superfund Site) has been ongoing since the early 1980’s.  A new study area has been identified by the EPA as Operable Unit 2 (OU2). All residents in Operable Unit 1 (OU1) should already be using public water.  Operable Unit 2 runs along the Pohatcong Valley in Franklin Township and runs into Greenwich Township. A map is available for review at the Warren County Health Department.  Many residents are aware of the contamination through reading newspaper articles, EPA Town Meetings and Warren County Health Department notifications as part of the PWTA. The chemicals of concern are trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) which are common solvents used in industry and dry cleaning.

Nitrates are also a concern in Franklin Township due mainly to the geology of the area and the extensive use of fertilizer from agriculture. Fertilizers enter the groundwater easily through sinkholes in cavernous limestone.

If you contact a NJ State Certified Lab to test your well for the PWTA parameters make sure you explain that the test is for your knowledge and not a real estate transfer.    

If you have any questions about water sampling or have inquiries about the Superfund Site please feel free to contact the Warren County Health Department at 908-475-7960.

Private Well Testing Act Parameters in Warren County

Total Coliform Bacteria*                                                         
2. Nitrates
3. Volatile Organic Compounds (EPA Method 524.2)
4. Iron
5. Manganese
6. pH
7. Total Hardness
8. Lead**

*Total Coliform positive results must be identified further to rule out Fecal Coliform or E Coli contamination.

**Lead results above 10 ppb must be evaluated further to rule out improper sampling procedures or plumbing issues as the likely cause/source of the lead in the sample result.

Bicycle Helmet Law

The New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety has asked us to remind you that, effective march 1, 2006 New Jersey's Bicycle Helmet Law will change. Young people under the age of 17 will be required to wear an approved helmet when cycling, roller skating, inline skating, or skateboarding. The law currently affects riders under the age of 14. For more information on the new law and other bicycle safety issues, please visit http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/bike/regulations.shtm.

Franklin Township Online!

We would like to express a hearty thank you to Christie Jacobsen, our webmaster, for a job very well done and for making this site possible. If you would like something added to these pages, please contact the Mayor or the Township Clerk with your request. We want this web site to reflect your interests and needs.

New Environmental Complaints Toll-Free Number

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has recently established a new toll-free telephone number, 1-877-WARNDEP (I -877-927-6337) for the reporting of environmental complaints and abuses including spills, discharges and emergencies. This toll-free hotline number will be operated on a 24-hour, 7-day/week basis.

Division of Fish and Wildlife and State Park Service Offer Tips on Reducing Risks From Bear Encounters Following Events at Ramapo Mountain State Forest

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife and State Park Service are reminding residents of ways to reduce bear encounters and offering tips should they come within close range of black bears following a recent bear-human interaction at Ramapo Mountain State Forest.

On Saturday afternoon, a pair of hikers was closely followed by a potentially aggressive black bear at the forest. The Division of Fish and Wildlife is investigating whether the bear came in contact with one of the hikers, a 7-year-old boy. Neither person was seriously injured.

View press release...

Give Your Space Heater Some Space

Space heaters are a great way to warm up a cold room or provide supplemental heat to your home. But while convenient, they are also a leading cause of home fires during the winter months. If you're going to use a space heater, here are a few tips to make sure you stay extra warm – and safe.

Do's

  • Use only equipment that is made for home heating. Use all types of heaters carefully and follow all directions for safe use.
  • Use a space heater that has been tested to the latest safety standards and has been certified by a nationally recognized laboratory. These heaters have the most up-to-date safety features. Older space heaters may not meet newer safety standards.
  • Place the heater on a level, hard, nonflammable surface, such as a ceramic tile floor.
  • Make sure space heaters are at least three feet away from bedding, drapes, furniture and other flammable materials.
  • Place smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside of sleeping areas and inside each bedroom.
  • Utilize a carbon monoxide detector.

Don'ts

  • Never leave a space heater on when you go to sleep.
  • Don't place a space heater close to any sleeping person, bedding, furniture, drapes or other flammable materials.
  • Never use gasoline in a kerosene space heater, as even small amounts of gasoline mixed with kerosene can increase the risk of fire.
  • Never use your oven, grill or clothes dryer to heat your home. This could cause a fire or dangerous carbon monoxide gas, which produces deadly, odorless, colorless fume

Be a Good Neighbor – Be Bear Aware

New Jersey is home to all kinds of beautiful wildlife – including black bears.

Black bears are getting a lot of attention these days, for the wrong reasons. They're venturing too close to homes and into backyards, looking for food. Bears that look for food near your home or in your yard likely have learned bad habits from people who feed them intentionally, or unintentionally by carelessly leaving out food or garbage.

View more info

Warren County Sheriff's Office Implements "Project Medicine Drop"

Unwanted or outdated medicines can be safely disposed of through "Project Medicine Drop," Warren County Sheriff David P. Gallant has announced. This project is a free medicine collection program for residents to safely dispose of unwanted, expired, or unused medicines.

View more info

New Jersey HomeKeeper Program Announced

The New Jersey Housing Mortgage Finance Agency has announced the New Jersey HomeKeeper program funded thru a grant from United States Treasury's Hardest Hit Fund. The Homekeeper Program offers financial help to homeowners who are in danger of losing their home as a direct result of unemployment or underemployment. New Jersey HomeKeeper provides assistance in the form of a second mortgage loan, repayable only if the homeowner sells, refinances, transfers or ceases to occupy the subject property within 10 years from the date of the assistance loan. New Jersey HomeKeeper loan proceeds may be used to cover arrearages and/or an approved amount of the homeowner's monthly mortgage payment, including property taxes, property insurance, and mortgage insurance. Housing Counseling is also provided to prospective applicants at no cost. Eligible homeowners may receive financial assistance of up to $48,000.00 for a period not to exceed 24 months.

If you know of constituents that may be interested in the program please direct them to www.njhomekeeper.gov or have them contact the toll-free HomeKeeper call center at (855)-NJ-KEEP-1

 
Franklin Township Warren County - P.O. Box 547 Broadway, NJ 08808
Municipal Building - 2093 Rt. 57, Broadway, NJ 08808