Activists Keep Pushing Back On Newark Power Plant Proposal

NEWARK, NJ — Local activists continue to push back against a plan to build a new power plant in Newark.

The Ironbound Community Corporation, a local nonprofit advocacy group, says it plans to hold a news conference outside the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) building in Newark at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 13. The group is also encouraging supporters to attend a virtual meeting of the commissioner board at noon on March 13.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has given the PVSC permission to start construction on a natural gas power plant at its wastewater treatment facility at 600 Wilson Avenue. The matter is now under review from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The proposal is part of a resiliency blueprint that sprang up in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. During the now-infamous storm, the PVSC wastewater facility in Newark was flooded, spilling billions of gallons of raw or partially-treated sewage into the Passaic River. Read More: Superstorm Sandy Caused Flood Of Excrement In New Jersey 10 Years Ago

Since then, the PVSC has rolled out a sweeping series of renovations to avoid future calamities. Part of that plan includes building a plant which would provide backup power to their wastewater treatment plant if the grid goes down.

The PVSC has maintained that the plant will use state-of-the-art emission controls and will have a “negligible impact to the community,” only being used as a backup when a storm cuts out power. Spokespeople have said the agency continues to explore clean energy alternatives for the facility, and is planning to integrate solar and batteries as part of the project. The agency said it is also working with Siemens – the manufacturer of the turbines that would be used to operate the facility – to transition the fuel used in the turbines from natural gas to a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen and then to 100% hydrogen.

But while advocates say they understand the need to build resilience in the face of the climate crisis, they insist that the PVSC should do so with a solution that “prioritizes as much renewable energy as possible and doesn’t involve a new “dirty energy power plant,” especially in a neighborhood that’s been long-plagued with environmental hazards – including several other power plants.

A major rallying point for activists has been New Jersey’s landmark environmental justice law, which they allege that the plant would violate. Read More: NJ Activists Hope For 'Turning Point' With Environmental Justice Law

Catch up on some of our recent coverage below (click headline to read the article).

• Power Plant In Polluted Newark Neighborhood Is ‘Slap In Face,’ Mayor Says
• Sewerage Commission Defends Newark Power Plant Proposal, Cites Sandy
• Controversial Power Plant In Newark Can Move Ahead, Official Says

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