New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance

Addressing Air Pollution, Climate Change, & Energy Policy

NJEJA’s work on incinerators emphasizes the crucial issue of air pollution in the state, with a particular focus on its disproportionate impact on EJ communities. 

In New Jersey, a significant environmental health challenge is air pollution, posing a grave threat, especially to Environmental Justice (EJ) communities, where evidence shows that pollution levels are alarmingly much higher compared to other areas in the state. Among the culprits of this problem is fine particulate matter air pollution, responsible for an estimated 200,000 premature deaths annually in the United States. This deadly pollutant is linked to cardiovascular disease and a variety of pulmonary disorders, including lung cancer, asthma, and reduced lung function, particularly affecting children. 

EJ communities bear the brunt of exposure to numerous sources of air pollution, experiencing the cumulative impacts of various pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM) that contains diesel particulates, criteria air pollutants like ozone and lead, and hazardous air pollutants. The issue of cumulative impacts focuses on developing ways to address multiple sources of pollution in EJ communities. Of most concern are the detrimental impacts that a combination of pollutants can have on the health of community residents. 

NJEJA’s efforts to address this pressing issue of incinerators and air pollution play a vital role in shedding light on these critical matters and their profound consequences for vulnerable communities in New Jersey.