See The Problem For Yourselves, Newark Activists Tell Booker, EPA

NEWARK, NJ — It's one thing to learn about the effects of "legacy pollution." But it's another thing entirely to see, hear and smell it.

Last week, Sen. Cory Booker joined Michael Regan, an administrator with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Commissioner Shawn LaTourette for an environmental justice tour in New Jersey’s largest city.

Held with members of the Ironbound Community Corporation and the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, the visit took place in a neighborhood that activists say has long been plagued by industrial facilities and waste processing plants: the Ironbound.

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The visit included a roundtable talk on federal policies currently being rolled out in the name of environmental justice, a discussion that Booker said is urgently needed in order to tackle “stark environmental inequalities and racism” in neighborhoods across the nation – including the Brick City, where he used to work as an attorney before becoming a U.S. senator.

“Since my early days as a tenant rights lawyer in Newark, I’ve seen how underserved communities and communities of color bear the burden of legacy pollution, toxic Superfund sites, and the lack of clean air or water,” Booker said.

According to Booker, a bill he recently reintroduced, the Environmental Justice Act of 2021, would be a big step in the right direction, forcing federal agencies to mitigate environmental injustices and strengthening legal protections for the people in the affected areas.

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Regan said that as an administrator for the EPA, it’s important to get on the ground and hear from the people living on the frontlines of pollution.

“By listening to our communities of color and working hand in hand with our state and local partners, we will ensure that all people in this country realize the full protections of our environmental laws and policies,” Regan said.

LaTourette pointed out that New Jersey is now home to “the most empowering environmental justice law in the country,” which was signed in 2020.

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Advocates thanked Booker, Regan and LaTourette for stopping by the Ironbound to hear their concerns and “see the problem for themselves.”

“This visit comes at a critical moment when the crisis of climate change and environmental injustice is having life and death consequences for communities like Newark,” said Ana Isabel Baptista, assistant professor at The New School University.

“Frontline communities across the country need to be seen, but more importantly, we must be heard,” agreed Maria Lopez-Nunez of the Ironbound Community Corporation.

“Living with the day-to-day failures of our system gives our communities unique expertise that we are offering this administration and our representatives,” Lopez-Nunez said. “We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to both address the climate crisis and the deep inequalities across the country. We hope this is not a stop on a tour but the beginning of a deep relationship towards justice.”

Melissa Miles, executive director of the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, said she hopes the visit will raise more awareness about the need for regulation of railyard emissions, among other air pollution issues caused by the logistics industry.

“I applaud the EPA on tackling air pollution from heavy duty vehicles and hope that we see similar action to address diesel emissions from railyards, which are a major contributor to people's exposure to toxic air pollution in Newark's port-adjacent communities,” Miles said.

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Mayor Ras Baraka also thanked Booker and Regan for taking a tour of Newark.

“As a statewide and regional hub of industry, commerce, innovation and energy, the impact of the legacy of environmental contamination is real and present in our community,” Baraka said.

“Newark has long been recognized as an environmental justice community due to the high number of polluting facilities we host, and related environmental health impacts suffered by our residents,” the mayor said.

“We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with [Regan] and his office to prioritize Newark children and families first, move Newark forward and improve the environmental health and quality of life in all our neighborhoods,” Baraka added.

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