In Newark, New Jersey, residents of the largely Black and Latinx community of Ironbound are calling on Governor Phil Murphy to stop plans to build a $180 million gas-fired power plant that could worsen the poor local air quality and exacerbate the climate crisis. As the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission holds a vote to begin construction on Thursday, activists are urging the governor to enforce the environmental justice law that he passed last year. “If we don’t set a good precedent for New Jersey, what does that mean for the country and other states that are trying to pass similar laws?” says Maria Lopez-Nuñez, member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council.
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.