POSTPONED – Venue selected by Van Keuren is not ADA accessible.
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POSTPONED — EJ Law Hearing: Second Van Keuren Hearing – Jersey City
EJ Law Hearing: Van Keuren – Jersey City
On April 28, there will be a hearing in Jersey City for the Van Keuren proposed site. Van Keuren would operate as a waste transfer station and materials recovery facility. The facility is arguing that although they will contribute to disproportionate impact and adverse stressors of the surrounding OBC, they have a compelling public interest in regards to their inclusion in the NJSEA, ability to support waste transfer from housing development, and job creation.
NJEJA and Earthjustice have been working closely to review their EJIS and supporting material, and find very little compelling public interest in this situation.
Prep Session for EJ Law Hearing: Proposed Van Keuren Site
On April 28, there will be a hearing in Jersey City for the Van Keuren proposed site. Van Keuren would operate as a waste transfer station and materials recovery facility. The facility is arguing that although they will contribute to disproportionate impact and adverse stressors of the surrounding OBC, they have a compelling public interest in regards to their inclusion in the NJSEA, ability to support waste transfer from housing development, and job creation.
NJEJA and Earthjustice have been working closely to review their EJIS and supporting material, and find very little compelling public interest in this situation.
If you are interested in attending this hearing, you can learn more about the facility, NJEJA’s talking points, and more logistical information about attendance at our prep session on Wednesday, April 22 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom.
Register TODAY: tinyurl.com/EJLaw-VanKeuren
Ironbound Community Waste Justice Listening Session
Hosted by NJEJA and the Ironbound Community Corporation, we invite Ironbound community members to join us for a free event to discuss your experience with the local Covanta/Reworld trash incinerator and its impacts on your neighborhood; resident concerns with bad odors and how to improve air quality; and finally, learn about policies and actions we can take together to protect our environment and fight for healthier communities.
Register TODAY: https://bit.ly/IronboundWJS
Press Release: NJ Passes Strongest Skip the Stuff, Plastics Reduction Legislation in the Nation
We want to thank the prime sponsors in both the NJ Senate and Assembly for their leadership – Prime Senate sponsors Bob Smith and Raj Mukerji as well as Assemblywoman Collazos-Gill. Their leadership has secured a reduction in single-use plastics while providing financial savings to New Jerseyans. This environmental victory is the result of hard work by volunteers, municipal governments, and students working at the local level to advance this policy.
“In a time of over-production and a proliferation of plastic waste, clogging not only our kitchen drawers, but landfills and incinerators in environmental justice communities, Skip the Stuff is a clear, financially feasible, and community-oriented solution. I’m grateful for the many environmental advocates, public health experts, the New Jersey legislature, and Governor Murphy for passing this legislation and supporting a cultural shin towards decreasing single-use plastic consumption. ” said Brooke Helmick with New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance.
“Skip the Stuff is practical legislation that reduces waste and toxics while saving money,” said Marta Young, Zero Waste Specialist, Clean Water AcBon. “By passing Skip the Stuff, New Jersey is a national leader in reducing single-use plastic while respecting customer choice and supporting local businesses. Every fork and ketchup packet adds up. We thank New Jersey’s legislative champions and local advocates for understanding that small things cause big problems and for providing a great model for other states to follow.”
“This legislation is common sense and an excellent education tool. When we know better, we do better. That is exactly what Skip the Stuff does. It informs both the food providers and the consumers on how our every day decisions can have an impact not only on our environment, but also on our finances. With such successes in already Skip the Stuff compliant towns, I am excited to see how we can thrive together as this is made into a state change,” said Molly Cleary, Environmental Advocate for Clean Water AcBon.
Read the full press release below:
Coalition Press Release Governor Murphy signs Skip the Stuff to become strongest of it’s kindDownload
For questions regarding this bill, please reach out to Brooke Helmick, Director of Policy at brooke@njeja.org.
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
A Slap on the Wrist & a Pat on the Back: NJ Incinerators Rewarded for Bad Behavior
Incinerators have gotten nearly $160 million under New Jersey’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) under the guise that they are “clean” energy. They are anything but. New Jersey’s incinerators emit more pollution than any other facility on the state’s grid today. This pollution is concentrated in EJ communities. Incinerators emit lots of pollution even in years with short total permit violation time.
So reducing payments to incinerator by the percentage of permit violation time, as the current version of the Clean Energy Act of 2024 would do, is not the answer. This will barely put a dent in millions of unwarranted “clean” energy money they get. Instead, incinerators should be totally disqualified for any substantive permit violation.
New Jersey’s Dirty Secret
Do you know where your trash goes? Read this new report from NJEJA, Earthjustice, and the Ironbound community corporation to learn more about the injustice of incinerators and trash energy in New Jersey’s frontline communities.
New Jersey is no stranger to the negative impacts of incinerators, many of which are located in the state’s over burdened, environmental justice communities. Residents of these communities are more susceptible to asthma and COVID-19 due to the cumulative impacts from incinerators and other pollution sources. New Jersey’s four currently operating incinerators (Covanta Essex, Covanta Camden, Covanta Union, and Wheelabrator Gloucester) and one recently closed incinerator (Covanta Warren) collectively:
- Emitted over 10,000 tons of air pollution and nearly 7 million tons of greenhouse gases from 2015 to 2018;
- Placed among the state’s top 5 emitters of a dozen distinct air pollutants;
- Violated their air permits over 1,700 times since 2004; and
- Collected nearly $30 million in “clean” energy subsidies from utilities and ratepayers since 2004, despite these emissions and violations.
Read this new report from NJEJA, Earthjustice, and the Ironbound community corporation to learn more about the injustice of incinerators and trash energy in New Jersey’s frontline communities.
Community Listening Session on Waste Issues
Do you have concerns with waste management in your community? We invite you to join our community listening session to share your experiences with waste-related injustices.
Why Attend?
- Make your voice heard and advocate for change
- Share your experiences and concerns
- Learn about waste injustices affecting your community
Event Details:
- Date: Tuesday, July 30
- Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
- Format: Hybrid (In-person & Virtual)
- Location: St. Stephan’s Church, 8 Wilson Ave, Newark, NJ 07105
- Virtual Option: bit.ly/ICCMeet24
Register Here: tinyurl.com/EJListensICC
For more information, please contact Chris Tandazo (they/them) at Chris@njeja.org or (973) 807-6587.
NJEJA and Partners Oppose Chemical Recycling
On April 18, the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance and environmental partners submitted a letter to NJ Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin highlighting our unified opposition to chemical recycling. We do not support any project that employs chemical recycling or similar processes as it does not constitute genuine recycling and, in fact, leads to increased pollution and safety risks for workers and host communities without offering a real solution to the problem of plastic pollution.
In an effort to demonstrate our solidarity on this issue, inform our elected officials regarding the dangers of this technology, and oppose its development in our state, we submitted this letter on the matter. Read our letter below.