New Jersey

In 2016, concerns over lead-contaminated drinking water in Newark began to rise, echoing the Flint, Michigan, water crisis that garnered national attention two years prior. Combining litigation efforts with citywide advocacy, NRDC pushed for local leaders to find a solution. By 2021, Newark had replaced nearly all 23,000 of its lead service lines with copper pipes at no direct cost to residents. Our work on water access continues today, with the NRDC litigation team successfully intervening on a case to expand eligibility for the New Jersey American Water’s low-income discount program. 

On top of environmental health challenges like clean air and affordable drinking water, New Jersey faces a number of climate threats, including rising sea levels and increased flooding, which exacerbates runoff pollution. To boost local climate resilience, we’ve helped update state stormwater rules and made the case for increased funding going to green infrastructure projects. NRDC has simultaneously fought to curb projects that would only exacerbate climate risks for the Garden State, such as the dirty Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline project and Gibbstown liquefied natural gas terminal, and advocated for a permanent ban on hydraulic fracking in the Delaware River Basin. We’re also working to advise the state in sustainably managing the surge in local data center development, one that ensures the industry invests in clean energy, uses water resources responsibly, creates local jobs, and protects communities. Our efforts on this front have led to state legislation that lays out strong guardrails for these major projects. New Jersey has set the bar high for climate action in the next few decades—and NRDC will be here to hold polluters and decision-makers accountable as we monitor the transition underway. 

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