Residents of Newark’s Ironbound section say they’re tired of seeing the neighborhood used as a dumping ground for projects that damage the environment and choke their air with pollution. More than 150 attended an online public hearing Tuesday night, condemning the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission’s plan to build a gas-fired power plant at its wastewater treatment facility in the community.
Environmental advocates and neighbors say that area of Newark is already overburdened with pollution. It’s home to three other gas power plants, a trash incinerator and heavy traffic from nearby ports and industry. The Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission says it needs to build a backup plant to keep the facility running during power outages. After Superstorm Sandy in 2012, the plant lost power for three days, causing nearly 900 million gallons of raw sewage to spill into the Passaic River.
Opponents say PVSC isn’t taking renewable alternatives seriously. During the hearing the commission said it plans to reduce other sources of pollution at the plant, adding the facility would be offline most days of the year. The public has until June 3 to comment on PVSC’s plan and efforts to comply with the state’s environmental justice law.
