Protecting against floods, or a government-mandated retreat from the shore? New Jersey rules debated

Associated Press

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey officials are defending proposed building rules designed to limit damage from future storms and steadily rising seas in coastal areas. Business groups complain the initiative is an effort to force people away from the Jersey Shore by making it harder and costlier to build along the coast. The state says new buildings need to be at least five feet higher off the ground than currently called for, citing expectations of rising seas and more powerful storms. But the New Jersey Business and Industry Association calls the measure the start of a government effort to force people to retreat from the Jersey shore.