By Scott Fallon NorthJersey.com
Gov. Phil Murphy stopped a commission from voting on a controversial power plant proposal in Newark on Thursday, saying it needed a more thorough review after opponents said it went against his clean energy goals and environmental justice initiatives to develop fewer polluting facilities in communities of color.
Murphy’s move came less than an hour before the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission was to vote on a key contract to build a $180 million backup generating plant for its massive sewage treatment facility along the Passaic River.
“While the proposed backup generation put forth by the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission is meant to provide a critical climate resilience solution, it is imperative that the project adheres to the administration’s core values on environmental justice,” Alexandra Altman, a Murphy spokeswoman, said in a statement.
The commission has said the plant is needed as a backup during emergencies such as when its treatment plant lost all power for three days during Superstorm Sandy in 2012, which caused 840 million gallons of raw sewage to pour into Newark Bay and surrounding waterways.
Opponents said the plant would pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and exacerbate the intensity and frequency of storms like Sandy by slowly warming the planet. It would also release other pollutants that would add to the poor air quality and high asthma rates in the area that is surrounded by highways, industrial facilities and the Port of Newark.
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