Title
Dept/ Agency: Offices of Municipal Council/City Clerk
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Opposing construction of the NJ Transit Gas-Fired Power Plant in Kearny, New Jersey
Purpose: To support renewable energy and a storage alternative for public transit resiliency.
Sponsor(s): Council Member, LaMonica R. McIver
Additional Information:
body
WHEREAS, NJ Transit has proposed to build a megawatt gas fired power plant (the "NJ TRANSIT GRID Traction Power System") along the Hackensack River in Kearny, New Jersey; and
WHEREAS, this gas-fired power plant would be paid for using $546 Million of taxpayer provided Federal and State funding, including a $410 Million Federal grant for Hurricane Sandy Recovery and Resiliency; and
WHEREAS, Hurricane Sandy Recovery and Resiliency funding would be used to pay for gas-fired power plant that would increase greenhouse gas emissions, thus increasing the likelihood of more Sandy-like hurricanes; and
WHEREAS, the proposed NJ TRANSIT GRID gas-fired power plant would be another long-term source of harmful air pollution directly impacting North Jersey residents especially developing fetuses, children, older adults and those with cardiovascular, lung or respiratory problems; and
WHEREAS, the air pollution from the power plant would disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities in Newark, Jersey City and Kearny, in direct contradiction with Governor Murphy's Executive Order 23 to promote environmental justice for all; and
WHEREAS, gas infrastructure facilities can annually emit into the air hundreds of tons of pollutants, including toxic particulate matter and chemicals such as sulfur dioxide, mercury and other harmful criteria pollutants known to increase the severity of asthma, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases exposing those with compromised h...
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