A coalition of environmentalists and community groups is asking a federal court to order stronger pollution standards for trash incinerators \u2014 which they say would be critical to protecting public health in Newark and communities around New Jersey, the Hudson Valley and Long Island.<\/p>\n
The action focuses on new air pollution standards for municipal solid waste incinerators adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in March. The new rules are more stringent than their predecessors, but fall short of what the EPA had originally proposed under the Biden administration.<\/p>\n
The environmental nonprofits Earthjustice and Environmental Integrity Project, working on behalf of advocacy groups including the Newark-based Ironbound Community Corporation, are asking a federal appeals court to review the EPA\u2019s new incinerator pollution rules. They argue the new rules don\u2019t meet federal Clean Air Act requirements, and they say modern pollution controls can meet tougher standards.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese incinerators are burning garbage and releasing poisons that cause cancer and can harm children\u2019s development,\u201d Jonathan Smith, an Earthjustice attorney, said in a statement. \u201cEvery day that the agency delays strong standards, families in places like Newark, South Baltimore, and across Florida pay the price with their health because corporations want to save some money instead of doing right for the surrounding communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
The groups filed the lawsuit<\/a> on Monday. An EPA spokesperson said the agency does not comment on litigation.<\/p>\n Environmentalists and community activists around the country have long fought incinerators, arguing they are harmful to public health. There are 10 incinerators in New York, including six scattered across the Hudson Valley and Long Island. There are four incinerators currently operating in New Jersey, including the Reworld Essex facility in Newark\u2019s Ironbound neighborhood that has been heavily criticized for contributing to air pollution in a neighborhood already overburdened by heavy industry, power plants and truck traffic.<\/p>\n