In 2020, Governor Murphy signed New Jersey’s landmark Environmental Justice bill into law. It is designed to finally give communities of color and low-income communities that have repeatedly been dumped on and polluted by dirty facilities a tool to fight back against future proposed pollution. But passing a law is just the first step.

Whether or not this law will truly be a tool to fight back against environmental racism depends on the exact wording of the rule that is ultimately adopted by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). There are critical parts of the rules that need to be stronger in order to truly protect vulnerable communities from harm.

We've included a sample letter, but we also encourage you to personalize your comment as much as possible to let DEP know how important it is that people shouldn't have to choose between a healthy environment and jobs. All residents - no matter their zip code - deserve a seat and a voice at the table in decisions that will impact the health of their water, air and neighborhoods