NEWARK, NJ — A controversial plan to build a power plant in Newark will get a green light, state officials say.
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New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Commissioner Shawn LaTourette called a news conference on Thursday morning to announce the update about the plant, which he said will be issued the necessary permits.
The Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) wants to build a natural gas power plant at its existing wastewater treatment facility at 600 Wilson Avenue. The proposal is part of a resiliency blueprint that sprang up in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
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During the now-infamous storm, the PVSC wastewater facility in Newark was flooded, spilling billions of gallons of raw or partially-treated sewage into the Passaic River. Read More: Superstorm Sandy Caused Flood Of Excrement In New Jersey 10 Years Ago
Since then, the PVSC has rolled out a sweeping series of renovations to avoid future calamities. Part of that plan includes building a plant which would provide backup power to their wastewater treatment plant if the grid goes down.
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The PVSC has maintained that the plant will use state-of-the-art emission controls and will have a “negligible impact to the community,” only being used as a backup when a storm cuts out power. Spokespeople have said the agency continues to explore clean energy alternatives for the facility, and is planning to integrate solar and batteries as part of the project. The agency said it is also working with Siemens – the manufacturer of the turbines that would be used to operate the facility – to transition the fuel used in the turbines from natural gas to a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen and then to 100% hydrogen. Read More: Sewerage Commission Defends Newark Power Plant Proposal, Cites Sandy
But while advocates say they understand the need to build resilience in the face of the climate crisis, they insist that the PVSC should do so with a solution that “prioritizes as much renewable energy as possible and doesn’t involve a new “dirty energy power plant,” especially in a neighborhood that’s been long-plagued with environmental hazards – including several other power plants.
According to LaTourette, the facility will be taking measures to reduce its environmental footprint, including better pollution controls on boilers that treat sewage sludge, replacing older equipment, and installing more solar panels and batteries.
He added that there will be “no disproportionate impact” on minority communities, which is consistent with the state’s landmark environmental justice law, NorthJersey.com reported. See Related: NJ Activists Hope For ‘Turning Point’ With Environmental Justice Law
Under the law, an “overburdened community” must have at least 35 percent of households that are low-income, 40 percent of residents who are minorities or belong to a state-recognized tribal community, or 40 percent of households that have limited English proficiency.
The NJDEP designates the Ironbound section of Newark as an overburdened area because it has a high percentage of low-income and minority residents.
Reached for comment, a PVSC spokesperson gave Patch the following reaction to the NJDEP’s recent announcement:
“The PVSC has received the decision and is reviewing it. We note, however, that the decision specifically ‘does not constitute a permit to construct or operate the proposed SPGF or any activity otherwise regulated by [the NJDEP].'”
Meanwhile, several New Jersey state lawmakers who represent the area criticized the NJDEP’s announcement, including Sens. Teresa Ruiz and Renee Burgess, and Assembly members Eliana Pintor Marin, Shanique Speight, Cleopatra Tucker and Garnet Hall.
“The NJDEP’s approval of the PVSC power plant in the Ironbound neighborhood is an indefensible and hypocritical decision that blatantly violates New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law,” Ruiz said.
According to the senator, the new plant “disregards the well-being of Newark residents who have long borne the brunt of toxic air pollution and negative health outcomes from nearby power plants built in their communities to shield more affluent areas from its harmful effects.”
“The people most affected by this act will bear the health and psychological brunt, particularly the children who reside in these neighborhoods, unlike the decision-makers who remain comfortably detached from the consequences of their shocking and reprehensible actions,” Ruiz said.
Pintor Marin called the decision “deplorable.”
“Newark, designated as an overburdened community by the DEP, faces numerous environmental and public health challenges,” the assemblywoman said. “The East Ward, in particular, bears the brunt of these issues, with some of the highest asthma rates in children nationwide.”
“Newark deserves better,” she urged.
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