NJEJA Letter Regarding  Opposition to Vineland AI Data Center Project Development

 

January 2026


To: Council President Spinelli and Members of the Vineland City Council

CC: City of Vineland Planning Board 

Vineland City Council

640 East Wood St

Vineland, NJ 08362-1508

 

Re: Opposition to Project PBA‑24‑00022 (DataOne/Nebius/NEP Data Center)

 

Dear Council President Spinelli and Members of the council,

On behalf of the environmental justice communities that we serve and support, including the residents of Vineland, the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance respectfully submits this letter to urge the Planning Board and City of Vineland City Council to withdraw all approvals for Project PBA‑24‑00022 its current form such that a comprehensive, independent environmental review can be completed before any further action is taken. The project’s proposed 300‑megawatt hyperscale data center would impose severe, cumulative harms on an already overburdened area.  Furthermore, the Planning Board’s June 26, 2024, approval was granted with little over a week’s notice of the meeting and did not grant sufficient time for community members to review the proposal and provide input on the project. 

As such, we write this letter to bring to your attention several concerns we have regarding this project and to reiterate our support for the residents of Vineland who wish to seek this project halted so that a thorough analysis can be completed. This will give residents a holistic understanding of how the project will impact their community – perhaps both positively and negatively – and ensure that a more community-centric process is utilized in this project’s development.

Air Emissions and Local Public Health Risk

Project PBA‑24‑00022’s application indicates that the facility will rely on “behind‑the‑meter” power generation, with news reports indicating that natural‑gas and diesel backup generators will supply the majority of the 300 MW load. Operation of these fossil‑fuel generators would emit nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and fine particulate matter, creating a constant source of air pollution which leads to an exacerbated risk of asthma, cardiovascular disease, and other health conditions linked to poor air quality., , The American Lung Association’s State of the Air report assigns Cumberland County a D‑grade for particulate matter, indicating that local particulate matter concentrations already exceed standards. Vineland itself is classified as a “moderate‑risk” community for air quality, a contributing factor of that risk being power generation. Adding a 300‑MW data center has the potential to increase and worsen the negative health impacts that the Vineland community currently endures. The Vineland Environmental Commission’s technical comments specifically note that data centers are “quite noisy” and operate 24 hours a day. However, yet the Board’s meeting minutes do not reflect any discussion regarding emissions, noise thresholds, or required mitigation measures. 

Water Usage, Stormwater Risks, and Wetland Damage

Furthermore, water usage and stormwater management present additional, unaddressed risks. Project PBA‑24‑00022 describes a “hybrid air cooling system with a water component and a loop system” that allegedly has “no discharge into the municipal sanitary sewer,” while simultaneously stating that “water that is blown out goes into the sewer system.” No quantitative estimate of total water draw or blow‑down volume was provided. This could be potentially risky for the City of Vineland as it might impede Vineland’s ongoing water‑conservation measures and exacerbate previous groundwater contamination. The Environmental Commission comments stated that the applicant has not demonstrated a closed‑loop water system, that being, a closed system enabled to reuse both recycled wastewater and freshwater, allowing water supplies to be used multiple times. The applicant may rely on potable water instead for cooling “which is”, an unsustainable practice in a region already experiencing low water pressure. 

Moreover, the stormwater plan is presented only as more efficient and of better design, yet it is without any publicly shared calculations regarding peak runoff rates, time of concentration, surface storage, no predications on storm events, nor any hydrologic or hydraulic analysis. Additionally, the applicant has been granted numerous waivers by the planning Board to the city’s Stormwater Control Ordinance which allows reduced setbacks, elimination of required side slopes, and removal of access drives for bio‑retention basins. In doing so, these stormwater plan waivers undermine the protective intent of state stormwater standards and increase the likelihood that runoff containing pollutants from generators will reach nearby wetlands and groundwater, thereby presenting further risk and harm to the surrounding community.

In line with our concern for the surrounding community, enforcement records show that the parcel of land which Project PBA‑24‑00022 seeks to build on has been cited for unauthorized clearing and filling of approximately 1.08 acres of freshwater wetland, and an additional 3.97 acres of wetland transition area; these, violations cited under N.J.A.C. 7:7A‑2.2(a) and 7:7A‑3. Proceeding with a project that will further disturb these wetlands would compound ecological damage and expose the city to additional liability for non‑compliance with state wetland protection statutes.

Transmission and Electrical Load

The feasibility‑study agreement between the City of Vineland, Atlantic City Electric (ACE), and Northeast Precast/NEP Real Estate has not made clear, if the proposed data center will require substantial upgrades to local electric transmission capacity in order to support its 300 MW load. Although ACE has agreed to conduct a preliminary study, there has been no mention in this agreement to require an independent Energy Impact Statement. That being an analysis that quantifies a project’s electricity demand, the emissions from any on‑site generation, and the cumulative effects on regional grid reliability and local air quality for large‑scale energy intensive projects, such as utility transmission upgrades, industrial facilities, and data centers. Energy Impact Statements are crucial because they deliver an independent, data‑driven assessment of a project’s electricity demand, emissions, and grid effects, ensuring that any upgrades or on‑site generation meet standards before permits are granted. Without an Energy Impact Statement, communities cannot verify whether proposed developments will overload the local grid, worsen air quality or create undue noise.

Prior to any approval for permitting granted to Project PBA‑24‑00022, a comprehensive environmental review, should have been conducted which would have included air‑quality modeling, greenhouse‑gas accounting, and assessment of cumulative impacts on regional grid reliability. In order to best protect the community – both from a local air pollution and health perspective as well as a grid capacity and energy production standpoint – a comprehensive environmental review must be completed by an independent third party before any transmission upgrades or on‑site fossil‑fuel generation can proceed. The absence of such a study constitutes a procedural deficiency that leaves Vineland exposed to unvetted emissions, noise, and reliability risks associated with the data center’s energy supply strategy.

Taken together, the deficiencies in the permitting process, continuous high‑intensity noise, unquantified water consumption, unchecked emissions, inadequate stormwater controls, cited wetland violations, and the lack of an Energy Impact Statement, pose an unprecedented threat to public health, environmental quality, and climate‑justice commitments in Vineland. While this facility is not subject to the Environmental Justice Law at this time, the State of New Jersey has made clear its commitment to the principles of environmental justice and robust review, and therefore, the Board’s rapid approval without substantive scrutiny contravenes the state’s stated commitments to the principles of environmental justice and protection of overburdened communities, including engaging in meaningful community participation and cumulative impact analysis for projects that disproportionately affect environmental justice communities.

In light of these facts, we – in support of Sustain South Jersey, and local residents, respectfully request that the Vineland Planning Board/Council:

  1. Immediately suspend all permits and approvals for Project PBA‑24‑00022 pending a full, independent Environmental Impact Statement that addresses air quality, water use, stormwater management, noise, wetland impacts, grid strain, and electronic waste handling;

  2. Require Project PBA‑24‑00022 to submit a detailed engineering design demonstrating zero‑emission on‑site power generation – specifically solar photovoltaic with battery storage as we believe this to be most physically and financially feasible for all parties while yielding the greatest benefit -, continuous stack monitoring, and a binding emissions cap. 

  3. Obligate the developer to provide a closed‑loop water‑recycling cooling system design with verified maximum draw rates and documented blow‑down reduction strategies, confirming that no potable water will be consumed;

  4. Conduct a comprehensive noise impact analysis that includes continuous operational sound levels, night‑time thresholds, and mitigation measures such as acoustic enclosures or alternative equipment placement;

  5. Partner with Vineland residents to update the Vineland City Master Plan to create a definition of “AI data centers” and “hyperscale data centers” in the City Master Plan and embed enforceable zoning rules, including: a community‑driven safeguards of energy, water, noise and waste impacts, a specific land‑use designation (e.g., “Restricted Industrial – AI Data Center”) that confines siting to suitable infrastructure‑ready sites away from vulnerable neighborhoods, and collaboration with NJ Office of Planning Advocacy. 

  6. Provide full public disclosure of all technical documents, ensure translation services for non‑English speakers, and hold a new public hearing with at least thirty days’ notice prior to the hearing as well as 90 day public written comment period after the public hearing to allow affected residents to review, comment, and engage with experts on the Environmental Impact Statement and mitigation plans.

We stand ready to work collaboratively with the City of Vineland Planning Board, NJDEP, and other regulatory agencies to ensure that any development in Vineland meets the highest standards of environmental protection and social equity. Until these conditions are satisfied, we urge you to halt construction, rescind the approval, and reopen the process to genuine community participation.

We urge you to reflect on their decision and what kind of legacy they want to leave behind. As public servants, it is incumbent upon you to prioritize the community, their health, and the local environment in your decision-making processes.

 

Signed:


New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance

45 Academy St, Newark, NJ 07102

(973) 306-4696

info@njeja.org

 

Brooke Helmick, Director of Policy 

 

Shamar White, Policy Fellow

People Over Plastics: Senate Committee Poised to Vote on Major Packaging Reduction Legislation

New Jersey Environmental and Environmental Justice Advocates gathered alongside medical professionals to discuss the urgency and necessity of solutions to the plastic waste crisis. Speakers included experts from Environment New Jersey, Just Zero, Clean Water Action, and New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance as well as NJ Pulmonologist Dr. Walter Wynkoop and Rutgers University Pharmacology and Toxicology Professor Dr. Phoebe Stapleton. 

On the eve of the last NJ Senate Energy and Environment Committee, advocates called on legislators to pass Senate Bill S. 3398, Packing Product Stewardship Act sponsored by Sen. Bob Smith. In particular, advocates called on the legislature to include strong provisions to reduce  toxics in packaging, eliminate any exemptions to the law, ensure chemical recycling was not included as an alternative to true recycling, and to provide for strong accountability and transparency requirements. With nearly 40% of plastic used for packaging, the need for this bill is incredibly apparent. View the press conference and read the full press release below.

Read the full press release

NJEJA Joins Partners in Tackling Plastic Pollution

On October 8, NJEJA joined partners in a webinar focusing on plastic pollution in New Jersey. Topics included upcoming bills including “Skip the Stuff”, a Bottle Bill, and an “Extended Producer Responsibility” bill. Watch the webinar below and take action by sending a letter to your state legislator in support of these important pieces of legislation. 

NJEJA Statement on Fourth Power Plant In Newark

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 9, 2024

Press Contact

Melissa Miles, Executive Director | melissa@njeja.org 

 

NJEJA Calls Upon PVSC To Reject Power Plant Proposal: New Jersey Residents Should Have Clean Air Regardless of Zip Code

 

Newark, New Jersey – The New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, a statewide organization dedicated to reducing and eliminating environmental injustices in communities of color and low-income communities, opposes Governor Murphy’s decision to approve a fourth power plant in the City of Newark and calls upon the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners to reject the proposal. 

The approval of the plan, which will burn natural gas, only extends New Jersey’s reliance on fossil fuels and directly contradicts the state’s clean energy goals. Furthermore, the impact of a fourth plant in the Ironbound community, and Newark as a whole, will have detrimental effects on local air pollution. Any additional power plants, even those that have outlined steps to decrease their emissions, risks increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and co-pollutants emissions which increases local air pollution. The power plant represents not only an environmental injustice, but a threat to public health.  

We stand in solidarity with our community members, elected officials, and community-based organizations who have opposed this project. We demand clean air for all New Jersey residents, and call on the Murphy administration and the Commissioners to ensure that clean air is available to all, not just certain zip codes. 

 

“For months, if not years, the residents of Newark have opposed the construction of an additional power plant in their city due to valid health concerns. The state should listen to them and not build this plant.”

Dr. Nicky Sheats, Esq.
Chair of the Board, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance
Director of the Center for the Urban Environment at the John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean University

 

“We understand that our adversary here is environmental racism and capital, which continue to put profit over people. Better solutions to fossil-burning power plants exist and we need the PVSC Commissioners to prioritize clean energy for the health and well-being of the East Ward community.”

Melissa Miles
Executive Director, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance 

 

“The decision to move forward with this project, despite vocal opposition from community members, public officials, and community-based organizations, demonstrates that community members have not been treated as equal stakeholders in this process. Communities must be centered in this decision making process and residents have been clear: Newark does not need or want another power plant.”

Brooke Helmick 
Director of Policy, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance

 

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The New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance is an alliance of New Jersey-based organizations and individuals working together to identify, prevent, and reduce and/or eliminate environmental injustices that exist in communities of color and low-income communities. NJEJA will support community efforts to remediate and rebuild impacted neighborhoods, using the community’s vision of improvement, through education, advocacy, the review and promulgation of public policies, training, and through organizing and technical assistance.

NJEJA Applauds Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project Approval: Clean Renewable Energy Development Benefits Everyone

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 9, 2024

Press Contacts

Melissa Miles, Executive Director | melissa@njeja.org 

Brooke Helmick, Director of Policy | brooke@njeja.org

 

NJEJA Applauds Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project Approval: Clean Renewable Energy Development Benefits Everyone

 

Newark, New Jersey – The New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, a statewide organization dedicated to reducing and eliminating environmental injustices in communities of color and low-income communities, applauds the recent decision to approve the Atlantic Shores offshore wind energy project. 

 

The approval will lead to the development of the nation’s ninth commercial-scale offshore wind project and generate up to 2,800 megawatts of clean electricity, and is expected to power nearly one million homes. The program can support the state of New Jersey in reaching its clean energy goals. Such clean energy programs not only support the movement to divest from fossil fuels but also support the work of mitigating local air pollution and providing cleaner air for all communities, particularly those disproportionately burdened by energy production. 

 

As this program rolls out, we encourage state and federal officials to prioritize the principles of a Just Transition and continue meaningful engagement with local communities — particularly communities Of Color and low-income communities, who will be directly impacted by this infrastructure and development. We offer our continued support and expertise in ensuring that environmental justice communities are centered and prioritized in the future of clean energy development. 


Learn more about the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance and our work in equipping our communities with the tools needed for a career in offshore wind.

 

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For questions regarding this statement, please contact Brooke Helmick, NJEJA Director of Policy at brooke@njeja.org

The New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance is an alliance of New Jersey-based organizations and individuals working together to identify, prevent, and reduce and/or eliminate environmental injustices that exist in communities of color and low-income communities. NJEJA will support community efforts to remediate and rebuild impacted neighborhoods, using the community’s vision of improvement, through education, advocacy, the review and promulgation of public policies, training, and through organizing and technical assistance.

Press Release: EJ Community Members Say: EPA Rules Must Incorporate Cumulative Impacts Analysis and Discontinue Reliance on CCS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 26, 2024

Press Contacts

NJ Environmental Justice Alliance: Melissa Miles | melissa@njeja.org 

Center for the Urban Environment of the Watson Institute for Urban Policy & Research: Dr. Nicky Sheats, Esq. | nsheats@kean.edu

Tishman Environment and Design Center: Dr. Ana Isabel Baptista | baptista@newschool.edu  

Ironbound Community Corp.: Maria Lopez-Nunez | mlopeznunez@ironboundcc.org 

 

EJ Community Members Say:

EPA Rules Must Incorporate Cumulative Impacts Analysis and Discontinue Reliance on CCS

 

Washington D.C.On April 25, the EPA announced a suite of four standards on toxic air pollution, water pollution, land contamination, and GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions from fossil fuel burning power plants. Key among these is the final rule for existing coal-fired and new natural gas-fired power plants. 

 

We recognize the important steps the EPA has taken in removing hydrogen co-firing from consideration as a BSER (Best System of Emissions Reduction) and understand the importance in a delayed ruling on reducing GHG emissions from existing natural gas plants in order to consider the best approach and to address environmental justice concerns. 

In order to best address the risks of climate change and local air pollution as well as protect frontline Environmental Justice communities, the EPA should incorporate a cumulative impacts and MER (mandatory emissions reduction) approach. 

We would also call upon the EPA to continue to strengthen its rules and ensure that future rules do not include hydrogen co-firing or CCS/CCUS as a BSER. We urge the EPA to discontinue its reliance on and promotion of CCS as a technological solution to climate change mitigation. CCS is an unproven and high-risk approach to reducing GHG emissions, and fails to address co-pollutant emissions from power plants in a meaningful and holistic way. 

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“The EPA Power Plant Rule update resulted from decades of organizing and advocacy and years of partnerships between the EPA and Environmental Justice communities. The EPA is modeling some of the best practices around the engagement of impacted communities, and these updated rules are a win for us all. At the same time, we acknowledge the parts of the rules flagged by communities as non-starters, namely the use of carbon capture, utilization and storage in EJ communities. The implicit inclusion of this dangerous technology was a loss for us all. However, we maintain hope that the next update will incorporate cumulative impacts and a mandatory emissions reduction approach to regulating existing power plants.”

Melissa Miles, 

Executive Director, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance

 

“I congratulate EPA on the decision to remove hydrogen co-firing from the power plant rule. However, cumulative impacts and mandatory emissions reductions policies should be incorporated into the rule to protect environmental justice communities in general, and especially as a safeguard for the potential harms of carbon capture technology, which unfortunately remains in the rule. These protective policies should also be incorporated into the existing gas plants portion of the rule.”

Dr. Nicky Sheats, Esq., 

Director, Center for the Urban Environment, John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean University 

President of the Board and member of the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance

 

“We want to urge the USEPA to prioritize the health and well-being of environmental justice communities in the implementation of these rules. We look forward to seeing mandatory emissions reductions and approaches to reducing cumulative impacts embedded in the regulations now being developed for existing natural gas plants.”

Dr. Ana Isabel Baptista, 

Co-Director Tishman Environment & Design Center

NJEJA Board Member 

 

“EPA has to show progress on cumulative impacts and mandatory emissions reductions if we are to believe that this administration is not just all talk regarding the welfare of the most vulnerable communities. These concepts must be embedded into existing and future regulation to safeguard our communities from bad local actors.”

 

Maria Lopez-Nunez,

Deputy Director, Organizing and Advocacy Ironbound Community Corporation

 

For questions regarding this statement, please contact Brooke Helmick, NJEJA Director of Policy at brooke@njeja.org

The New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance is an alliance of New Jersey-based organizations and individuals working together to identify, prevent, and reduce and/or eliminate environmental injustices that exist in communities of color and low-income communities. NJEJA will support community efforts to remediate and rebuild impacted neighborhoods, using the community’s vision of improvement, through education, advocacy, the review and promulgation of public policies, training, and through organizing and technical assistance.

The Center for the Urban Environment (CUE) strives to protect communities Of Color and low-income communities from disproportionately high amounts of pollution by addressing environmental justice (EJ) issues on the local, state and national levels. 

The Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School is a collaborative community of practice that leverages research, policy, and design in accordance with the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing. Our Center brings together research and action to tackle the root causes of climate and environmental injustice and commit to changing higher education practices within and beyond The New School. 

The Ironbound Community Cooperation upholds and builds upon the principles of “Justice and Equality for All.” We strive to practice and build equity, work towards a Just Transition, and organize community on the basis of the Jemez Principles. We envision a safe, healthy, just, and nurturing Ironbound; a welcoming and fully inclusive community that supports equal and accessible opportunity and the quest for a better life. For us, revitalization means uplifting both people and place. Therefore, we aim to lead the transformation of Ironbound into a neighborhood where anyone might choose to live and current residents can remain in their homes and their community without fear of being displaced.

Environmental Justice Advocates Testify in Trenton on the Proposed Clean Energy Standard

On March 11, 2024, the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA) went to Trenton to once again testify on the Clean Energy Standard. 

NJEJA testified in a joint hearing before the Senate Energy and Environment Committee and the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee on the proposed Clean Energy Standard (SB237/AB1480) alongside the Ironbound Community Corporation, Earthjustice, and NJPEEC, all of whom were invited to testify and represent the Environmental Justice perspective.

If passed, the legislation would set a clean energy definition that would require that 100% of the energy purchased in the state must be generated by clean sources by 2035. This bill has the potential to affect New Jersey residents for decades to come and determine whether or not the state can reach Governor Murphy’s clean energy goals. NJEJA previously testified on this bill back in November 2023, but it did not pass during the lame duck session and was reintroduced under new bill numbers at the start of the new legislative session.

Brooke Helmick testified on behalf of NJEJA, highlighting that this definition has the potential to be a nation-leading moment for the state, but only if legislators are intentional and technical with their definition, ensuring that any facilities labeled ‘clean’ produce as close to zero pollution as possible, facilities aren’t allowed to engage in offsets which displace pollution from one community to another, and the definition is intentional to address harmful, dangerous co-pollutants in addition to greenhouse gases. She brought particular attention to the dangers of toxic air pollutants, such as PM 2.5 and NOx, which are harmful to physical health and lead to a number of negative physical health outcomes. 

NJEJA closed their testimony by highlighting that this bill focuses on energy purchased for the state, but not necessarily energy produced in the state. However, given that one bill can’t do everything, NJEJA closed by highlighting for the committees that they looked forward to coming back to Trenton to discuss a complement to this bill which would address pollution at facilities that produce energy in the state.  

Read NJEJA’s press release.

A New Jersey Law Makes a Clean Environment a Right. Other States Should Follow.

On August 27, the New Jersey legislature approved a far-reaching new environmental justice bill intended to reduce the harmful effects of pollution in low-income communities and communities of color. Gov. Phil Murphy has announced he will sign the bill into law on September 18.

The new law establishes a right to a clean environment for all New Jersey residents, stating: “all New Jersey residents, regardless of income, race, ethnicity, color, or national origin have a right to live, work, and recreate in a clean and healthy environment.” Further, the law states that, “no community should bear a disproportionate share of the adverse environmental and public health consequences that accompany the State’s economic growth.”

The law acknowledges that, “historically, New Jersey’s low-income communities and communities of color have been subject to a disproportionately high number of environmental and public health stressors, including pollution from numerous industrial, commercial and governmental facilities located in those communities” resulting in “increased adverse health effects including, but not limited to, asthma, cancer, elevated blood lead levels, cardiovascular disease, and developmental disorders”…

New Jersey, ignore the outsiders. We’ve got our own experts to help us thrive.

Organizers from NJ THRIVES say that as President Joe Biden and our elected leaders plan for investments in industries like solar, wind and green infrastructure, they must expand opportunities to the very families that have borne the brunt of prior, failed policies. Photo Jerry McCrea/The Star-Ledger. SL

By 

By Maria Lopez-Nunez, Melissa Miles and Amanda Devecka-Rinear

No one can truly understand a disaster unless they have lived through it. We’re all living through COVID-19 now, but for many of us, this is only the latest disaster.

President Joe Biden has made economic recovery and responding to the climate crisis key priorities and hopes to roll out trillions of dollars in spending on infrastructure and green energy.

Several members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation will play a critical role in shaping this legislation, particularly Rep. Frank Pallone, D-Monmouth, who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which will be tasked with writing the bill.

While this is promising, there has been no shortage of promises made to our communities. That’s why a ground-breaking new generation of leaders at NJ THRIVES is stepping on the scene. For too long, outsiders have shaped and decided what is best for frontline communities. NJ THRIVES is committed to building a future for New Jersey where all of us matter. It’s a future to heal our lands from a toxic past and restore our communities, where we are ready for flooding and storms, where our kids can count on good jobs, clean air to breathe, and where we protect our air and water for future generations. It’s a future where we thrive…

The videos that are putting race and policing into sharp relief

On July 30, 2015 the New York Times published ten videos, some taken by police cameras, some taken by bystanders, documenting recent interactions between citizens and police.   One has to wonder how much of this kind of violence has not been caught on camera.
Warning to readers: These videos include graphic scenes of violence.
Click on this link to the New York Times and then scroll down slowly to see each of the ten videos: http://goo.gl/JB7HmQ