For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Megan Steele, megan.steele@sierraclub.org
Newark, NJ -- Tonight, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) is holding a stakeholder meeting on its proposed 34 MW gas fired power plant in the Ironbound community of Newark. This is part of an expanded stakeholder engagement and public process announced last month to explore the use of renewable energy alternatives. Many local groups have vehemently opposed the gas-fired power plant proposal, including Ironbound Community Corp, and the Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter has been supporting their efforts.
Bill Beren, Chair of the Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter Gateway Group, released the following statement:
“This proposed plant is supposed to provide resiliency against the type of disruptions experienced just about ten years ago from Superstorm Sandy. Sandy is an example of the disruptive weather patterns associated with climate change primarily caused by the burning of fossil fuels for power and transportation. It is the height of, dare I say it, stupidity that the Commission seeks to protect itself against the impact of climate change by investing in a fossil fuel power plant that will itself exacerbate climate change. I believe that you will agree that this meets the oft-quoted definition of insanity popularized by H. Ross Perot.
“No one disagrees with the need to invest in projects that will better protect the Sewage plant against flooding and power outages. We do question the wisdom of investing in a new fossil fuel power plant that will not only add to the pollution burden placed on the residents of the Ironbound, but will add tons of GHG emissions that cause the exact same climate related problems you are trying to protect against. And we question why you need to build a plant with the capacity to run 24/7 when the goal is to provide backup power in the event of a blackout.
“Better alternatives exist in the form of cost-effective solar and wind based power sources. The Commission needs to go back to the drawing board, much as New Jersey Transit is doing regarding their proposed ‘backup’ fracked gas power plant in Kearny, and design a solution based on renewable, non-polluting energy. This is an area that already suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the country. Using renewable energy will help the people living near this site breathe easier.”