Dear New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection,

Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-6(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.

I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.

I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.

I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.

Records requested:

Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.), I request copies of existing government records maintained by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection relating to the Borough of Matawan Water Infrastructure Protection Act (WIPA) submission and the Department determination dated November 6, 2025.

This request seeks only records that already exist. It does not request the creation of new documents, summaries, explanations, opinions, or analyses.

REQUESTED RECORDS

1. All records comprising the WIPA Emergent Condition Certification submission received by NJDEP from the Borough of Matawan, including but not limited to:
- The document titled "Emergent Conditions Analysis - Borough of Matawan" prepared by Remington and Vernick Engineers dated July 2025
- The document titled "Borough of Matawan Water and Sewer Systems Asset Valuation" prepared by NW Financial Group, LLC dated July 2025
- All exhibits, appendices, tables, calculations, attachments, and enclosures transmitted with those materials
- Any revised, supplemental, or corrected versions of the foregoing received by NJDEP prior to November 6, 2025

2. All correspondence exchanged between NJDEP and the Borough of Matawan, Remington and Vernick Engineers, NW Financial Group, LLC, or their representatives, relating to the submission, review, clarification, or evaluation of the Borough of Matawan WIPA Emergent Condition Certification, including emails, letters, and attachments.

3. All existing internal NJDEP records generated or maintained in connection with the review of the Borough of Matawan WIPA submission, including internal memoranda, review notes, comment documents, evaluation materials, or decision support records.

4. All correspondence or records reflecting communications between NJDEP and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, New Jersey Infrastructure Bank, or New Jersey Board of Public Utilities concerning the Borough of Matawan WIPA submission or Emergent Condition Certification.

PERSONAL INFORMATION AND PRIVACY PROTECTIONS

This request expressly excludes and does not seek:
- Social Security numbers
- Dates of birth
- Home addresses
- Personal telephone numbers
- Personal email addresses
- Medical information
- Financial account numbers or personal financial data

If responsive records contain such information, redaction of personal identifiers is expressly authorized and requested in lieu of withholding records in their entirety.

This request is limited to records created or received by NJDEP in an official governmental capacity.

WITHHOLDING OR REDACTION

If any responsive record or portion thereof is withheld or redacted, please identify:
- The specific statutory basis for the withholding or redaction
- The type of record withheld or redacted
- Whether any portion of the record is reasonably segregable and can be released

My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.

Best regards,

John Certo

Dear Ms. Taroco,

I acknowledge receipt of NJDEP’s December 29, 2025 correspondence extending the response deadline for my OPRA request to January 12, 2026.

I respectfully note that the records sought were received by NJDEP, reviewed, and relied upon in connection with the Department’s final determination dated November 6, 2025. As such, the universe of responsive records should be finite, closed, and already identified within the Department’s files.

Given that context, please clarify why additional time is required to locate and review records that necessarily existed and were relied upon as of the November 6, 2025 determination. To the extent any privilege review is being conducted, OPRA requires that such review be limited to record specific determinations and does not permit delay of access to non exempt, reasonably segregable records.

OPRA further contemplates rolling production where records are readily available. Please advise whether any responsive records, including the WIPA submission materials or correspondence, have already been identified and are available for immediate or partial production.

This request seeks only existing government records as maintained by NJDEP and does not require the creation of new documents, analyses, summaries, explanations, or narratives. Electronic records should be produced electronically in their native format or a reasonably usable electronic format.

This acknowledgment of the extension is not a concession that the full extension period is necessary and does not waive any rights or remedies under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act.

I look forward to your response.

Regards,

John Certo