well there's a long-running controversy playing out in Newark where plans to build a gasf fired backup power plant in the Ironbound section are moving forward the State's Department of Environmental Protection says the power plant is needed to avoid another power outage like we saw during superstorm Sandy where the pic Valley sewage commission lost power and spewed toxic sludge into Newark streets and waterways but residents in New York say the backup power plant will only further burden their already polluted neighborhoods Ted Goldberg has more on a meeting held today by the P Valley sewage commission where they heard public comment pushing back on the project we can't have any more pollution in norc you made promises it was a busy day for environmentalists with many of them accusing the Murphy administration of violating the spirit of New Jersey's environmental justice law by allowing an initial go-ahead for a fourth power plant in the Ironbound you went to Newark to sign the EJ law now you're letting a gas plant come in shame on you Governor you don't want any plant to run any minute of any day I get that with all due respect I don't want sewage and other pollution in the streets of Newark the next time God forbid a superstorm Sandy hits the pque valley sewerage commission is looking to build a backup power plant so that in the event of a blackout Newark streets aren't flooded with sewage which happened during superstorm Sandy your definition of an economic or environmental Calamity and mine I think both have legitimacy and I have nothing but respect for these folks but this on this one I'm going to say with all due respect um there's two sides to the coin D commissioner Sean lerette says the state's EJ law hasn't been broken and the possible plant would only be allowed to run as a backup with monthly tuneups by engaging in that uh dialogue with community members and hearing directly from them about what they'd like to see pbsc did examine other alternatives um typically that wouldn't have been the case the pvsc hosted a public meeting on Zoom today more than 120 people signed on people being nice to you it's literally terrorism you're L coming out of people for money you're going to kill people for money don't do it not everyone used such colorful language but the pvsc heard an earful about plans for the plant fossil fuel power plants are notorious for emitting harmful pollutants that worsen respiratory conditions like asthma which many of us including myself already strugg this is not just an inconvenience it is a direct threat to our health and well-being building this gas plant will constitute another egregious example of the multiple past and current environmental injustices that Newark residents suffer why does the Ironbound have to deal with yet another Power Plant when communities like mine wealthier communities uh um they end up not having to have this burden all the burden is put over there where we we can't see it I mean would such a proposal be considered in a white or affluent Community the answer is likely no and the Ironbound Community has consistently voiced its opposition to this proposal since 2014 the zoom room included Democratic Senate candidate Andy Kim who denounced the D's limited approval when we see here the consequences of another power plant in this community would be profound you know these are people's homes their schools their places of worship all choked with fossil fuel pollution one of those places of worship is St Steven's Church like others in the Ironbound it deals with plenty of pollution we have an incinerator that is here we have the airport nearby we have the port new nearby we have trucks going up and down the turnpike in one in N Pastor moir W says his community is full of immigrants who don't always voice their concerns they are always more on the quiet side when it comes to ra in issues because they are afraid you know so sometimes I think that that's what's happening is that because people might not be as vocal you know if something's happened in their in their backyard there aren't even people that know about this because you know whether it's a language barrier whether it's an educational problem this is exactly why we did the law that we did this goes against 100% the grain of the intent of the Bill Senator Teresa Ruiz was a co-prime sponsor of the environmental justice Bill and says the pvsc should look at green energy and discard their decade old plants there should be all Hands-On deck approach looking at this through a new lens to be sure that we're acquiring the best green technology that's not the expense of of our children's health in the city of norc the D's assessment said green energy would not be feasible for a backup PL plans for a gas- powerered plant haven't gotten final approval and a until they do you can expect opponents to get louder as they protest in Newark I'm Ted Goldberg NJ Spotlight news [Music]