by Maria Lopez-Nuñez and Renée Pollard
Maria Lopez-Nuñez is the deputy director of organizing and advocacy at the Ironbound Community Corporation.
Renée Pollard is the environmental and social justice chair at the Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter.
States across the nation have serious problems with pollution, including exhaust from vehicle traffic impacting communities of color more harshly than white communities, and New Jersey is no exception. Most of the people we know have respiratory issues due to poor air quality.
During our annual truck count, we watch thousands of trucks rumble through Newark’s Ironbound, a vibrant multi-ethnic community sandwiched between the airport and the Passaic River. All of this pollution means that neighbors here have trouble breathing, struggle with asthma and other respiratory issues and are at higher risk of heart disease.