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

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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