New Jersey AG Filed Additional Enforcement Lawsuits Over Pollution in Environmental Justice Communities

AUGUST 27, 2020

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal filed 12 lawsuits “targeting polluters across New Jersey whose actions threaten the health and safety of residents in minority and lower-income communities in Newark, Orange, South Orange, Paterson, Jersey City, Elizabeth, Hillside, Fairton and Upper Deerfield Township.” The lawsuits are the latest in a series of actions taken as part of the office’s environmental justice initiative, which was announced in 2018. Many of the facilities have emitted or are emitting pollutants “known to contribute to health problems including respiratory tract irritation, chronically reduced lung function, kidney problems, [and] neurological disorders and certain cancers,” all of which compound the threat of COVID-19.