For Immediate Release
January 16, 2013 Contact Jeff Tittel, 609-558-9100
NJ TRI Data Released This year's EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data showed a 14% drop in air emissions in New Jersey.The air pollution reductions are important but overall we still have some of the worst air quality in the nation.Some of the reductions are due to regulations and using cleaner sources of power.Some reductions are also due to economic downturn, the usage of less power, and drop in manufacturing.We will have to see if these drops will be long term. We need to keep making that progress to continue to see air pollution reductions.In urban areas in particular air toxins are many times above health standards.We are making progress but still have a long way to go before we can breathe easier.The two PSE&G coal plants and oil refineries are still the major sources of pollution in our state.We also get pollution from other upwind states.
"The purpose of the TRI is to educate the public on what chemicals are impacting their families and communities so that they would demand changes in policies and regulations to clean up our air.That is why the Bush administration tried to eliminate TRI reporting because they understood knowledge is power.TRI data has helped EPA put in regulations to reduce air pollution and informed people why energy conservation is important when it comes to air pollution," *said Jeff Tittel, Director, NJ Sierra Club*. Every county in New Jersey has an area that is impaired for air quality.Central New Jersey still ranks in the top twenty in the most polluted areas in the country. New Jersey has some of the worst air quality in the nation and Governor Christie's policies are just making it worse. Improving our air quality would not only help protect our health, but it will save lives because every year people die from asthma and heart attacks from air pollution. Governor Christie is trying to rollback important air quality standards instead of implementing policies to clean up our air.The DEP has requested to redesignate areas that do not meet particulate matter, or soot, standards under the State Implementation Plan (SIP) under the Clean Air Act, even though there has been no overall improvement in New Jersey's air quality.DEP is requesting that the EPA certify these areas meet the 15 micrograms per cubic meter of air (ug/m3) standard.The Sierra Club has requested the EPA reject the redesignation and is prepared to litigate if the redesignation is accepted. Some of the top polluters is our state's coal plants including the Hudson Generation Station and Mercer Generation state. According to the report Toll from Coal, 531 people in New Jersey die each year from coal related deaths. We need to work to protect our environment and our health by getting New Jersey back into RGGI and pass legislation that will promote renewable energy growing our clean energy economy.
-- Kate Millsaps Conservation Program Coordinator NJ Chapter of the Sierra Club 609-656-7612