Campaign Launched For A Toxics-free NJ

This summer, NJPIRG will be calling on legislators to adopt a platform to keep New Jersey toxic free. In launching this campaign, we will be adding to an over-thirty year legacy of fighting to clean up toxics in our state.

Unfortunately, New Jersey has a reputation for toxic pollution. What’s often forgotten is that we also have some of the strongest toxic reporting and cleanup laws in the country. NJPIRG was a part of putting many of these laws in place.

In 1991, NJPIRG was instrumental in winning passage of our state’s Pollution Prevention Act—one of the first laws in the nation to require manufacturers to create plans for using less toxic chemicals. This law has led to substantial reductions in toxics use, as businesses realized practical alternatives existed.

In spite of that, we have a lot more to do to make New Jersey safe. We still have the most toxic sites in the country designated for cleanup through the “superfund” laws, and many of those sites have languished for over a decade. In addition to waste sites, industry continues to release toxics to our air and water. In 2004, the most recent data available, New Jersey industry poisoned our air and water with over 12 million pounds of toxics known or suspected to cause cancer, reproductive problems, developmental problems, neurological problems and respiratory problems.

The principle behind our campaign to clean up toxics is a simple one: New Jerseyans have a right to live in clean, safe communities. Right now, we’re exposed to toxic releases from industry, toxins left over from never-cleaned up sites, and toxins hidden in consumer products. We’re also at risk of catastrophic toxic industrial accidents or terrorist attack. We know these hazards can be reduced, and we will be working to make sure that industry takes responsibility for the risks it creates.

Our platform to reduce toxics outlines the type of policies we will be working to pass in the upcoming months. As we work to have candidates commit to a vision for reducing toxics, we pave the way for common-sense policies that will protect the health of all New Jerseyans.

Sincerely,

Allison Cairo
Executive Director