The City of Newark, N.J., enacted the first of its kind “Environmental Justice and Cumulative Impacts Ordinance” that requires the city to take into account the impact of developments on residents’ health and the city’s environment.
The ordinance directs the Board of Adjustment and Central Planning Board to receive additional information from development applicants regarding health and sustainability. The aim of the new law is to reduce the amount of pollution impacting health.
Advocates of the ordinance say Newark and other urban communities face higher levels of pollution from multiple sources including toxic waste sites, industrial plants, and heavy city and port traffic. The cumulative impacts of these pollutants make people sick.
In Newark, school age children have double the state and national average rate for asthma. Other pollutants, including diesel fumes and emissions from the largest trash incinerator, also cause health problems, advocates say.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Oct 30, 2017
Top 45 green engineering firms
WSP, AECOM, and Arup top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest green sector engineering and EA firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Oct 30, 2017
Top 130 green architecture firms
Gensler, Stantec, and HOK top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest green sector architecture and AE firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Greenbuild Report | Oct 18, 2017
Rebuild, retreat, or resist
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma expose the necessity—and limitations—of resilient design and construction measures.
Sustainability | Oct 16, 2017
A negative emissions power plant is now operational in Iceland
The geothermal power plant in Hellisheidi, Iceland was outfitted with a Climeworks DAC module.
Sustainability | Oct 9, 2017
New Arizona State University building will reach triple net-zero performance
The science and research complex will include an atrium biome filled with plants and water.
Sustainability | Oct 4, 2017
The solutions to climate change are already at our fingertips
To keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius of warming, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that the global buildings sector will need to decrease its total annual greenhouse gas contribution by 77% by 2050.
Green | Oct 2, 2017
Five strategies to improve energy performance in existing buildings
After performing retro-commissioning and energy audits for more than five million square feet of existing building real estate, we have developed a list of common low/no-cost Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) that are identified on the majority of projects.
Green | Sep 27, 2017
Wellness gains ground with real estate and property management professionals
Structure Tone survey finds LEED is still a selling point, but interest in resilience practices could be waning.
Codes and Standards | Sep 12, 2017
Washington, D.C. is first LEED Platinum city in the world
All city government buildings are powered by renewables.
Green | Sep 12, 2017
Brooklyn’s Windsor Terrace Library gets a living roof
The roof was funded through a process that allows local residents to decide how City capital dollars are spent in their neighborhoods.
