The state submitted a "weaker application" and received just $15 milion in disaster relief funds rather than the $326 million requested.
WASHINGTON -- New Jersey got only $15 million of the $326 million requested in disaster relief under a program funded in the Hurricane Sandy aid package in part because the state submitted "a weaker application," a top federal official said Thursday.
The award, announced Thursday by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro at an event in Norfolk, Va., will go to help communities develop plans to address flooding risks, including looking at building codes.
New Jersey missed out on a potential $236 million in federal funds for water pumping stations, berms, wetland restoration and other measures in the Meadowlands to help reduce flooding; as well as $75 million for a New Jersey Transit bus garage in Secaucus as part of an effort to help the state recover economically from Sandy.
Castro said the state "submitted a weaker application on several measures." He said details would be provided to the state within 30 days.
The award drew an angry response from the Christie administration as well as New Jersey Democrats in Washington.
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) said he wanted to find out what went wrong.
"It is simply absurd that New Jersey was awarded only $15 million," Menendez said. "At the end of the day, the people of New Jersey got a raw deal and we need to figure out why it happened. Something went very wrong here and New Jerseyans deserve answers."
Kevin Roberts, a spokesman for Gov. Chris Christie, said the federal government "walked away from a New Jersey project that it deemed worthy of $150 million in funding" as recently as June 2014 and said Congress or HUD's inspector general should investigate.
"This decision is beyond disappointing, as this allocation drastically undercuts New Jersey's important Sandy recovery funds that we fought hard to obtain after the worst natural disaster in state history," Roberts said. "HUD's decision to offer New Jersey such a limited sum is ludicrous given the substantial needs our residents still face."
New Jersey received less in funding than the 12 other states and municipalities awarded money under the $1 billion National Disaster Resilience Competition. The money was diverted from the Sandy aid package over the objections of New Jersey and New York lawmakers, including Menendez.
Of the $1 billion, New York and New Jersey were guaranteed a combined minimum of $181 million.
But New Jersey got only $15 million, while New York got nearly $212 million: New York City was awarded $176 million to help protect lower Manhattan from flooding, and New York state $35.8 million for repairs to public housing projects.
"The state owes an explanation as to why we got shortchanged here," said U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-9th Dist.). "Secretary Castro said there were several feedback mechanisms to help improve New Jersey's application, yet somehow the final application looked darn close to the original. I really hope that New Jersey did not drop the ball."
Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook