Welcome to Clean Water on the Move, your monthly update from Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund. Take a look at what our amazing staff has been up to and what is coming in the month ahead. Thanks for your ongoing support for our work towards a healthy environment for all.
Skip the Stuff
New Jersey is one huge step closer to passing the strongest Skip the Stuff state legislation! We will be the 3rd state to get such a law, following California and Washington, with our law pertaining to both dine-in and take-out orders. On Thursday, October 10, 2024, S3195 moved out of Senate Environment and Energy Committee. As currently written, the bill includes our critical strengthening amendments - making it the best in the nation, without loopholes and greenwashing!
Our work is not done as there are a few minor amendments we are advocating for before reaching the floor vote and governor’s desk, but we are making progress. Earlier this month, Senator Mukherji joined Senator Smith as co-prime sponsor. Senator Greenstein is now co-sponsor with an exciting addition of Assemblywoman Collazos-Gill as prime.
Clean Water Action has been leading a state-wide coalition effort at both the state and municipal levels. There are now 16 municipalities in New Jersey that have passed local ordinances and 1 that adopted a resolution to reduce unnecessary single use cutlery and condiments from going into the waste stream and negatively affecting our environment and bodies. Jersey City and Neptune Township are the latest municipalities to unanimously pass Skip the Stuff ordinances. There are dozens of other towns working to join this growing group. Skip the Stuff benefits businesses, customers, the environment and our health. Many have called it a “no brainer”.
For more information about Skip the Stuff and larger ReThink Disposable initiative, please contact Marta Young.
Election Update
After a grueling Election season, the New Jersey office is pleased to announce that 4 of Clean Water Action’s 6 endorsed federal congressional candidates won their elections! Although some races did not end as we hoped, we must push through and persist to ensure a cleaner, greener future for all. The winning roster includes Andy Kim for U.S. Senate, Congresspeople Frank Pallone Jr., Mikie Sherrill, and Bonnie Watson-Coleman.
Clean Water Action Joins Newark Office of Sustainability at CanoeMobile!
Clean Water Action participated in the Newark Office of Sustainability’s 4th annual canoe event (Oct 9). Our NJ Warehouse Organizer, Tolani Taylor, and Environmental Justice Organizer, X Braithwaite, took the opportunity to host interactive activities that discussed the environmental impact of warehouses with students including a visual experiment on air pollution, illustrating how increased truck traffic to warehouses leads to "dirtier" air and worsened air quality.
The activity concluded with students reflecting on what they had learned about warehouses and sharing what they love about their communities. X Braithwaite, a Newark native, emphasized the strength and resilience of these neighborhoods, saying, "Despite industry functioning as if they have a right to pollute our communities, we are resilient and vibrant. We have families, places, and people we love, and the power to shape our communities in ways that protect our sense of home. Everyone deserves to live, work, and play in a healthy environment."
To learn more about Tolani Taylor’s work on warehouse impacts, visit Clean Water Action’s Fighting for a Better Freight and Goods Movement System in NJ page today!
Community Spotlight: Safe Water, Save Lives!
On October 8th, Clean Water Action alongside the criminal justice advocacy group, Women Who Never Give Up, hosted a critical information session that brought together community members, advocates, and those directly impacted to discuss the urgent health and environmental challenges faced by incarcerated individuals in New Jersey. With over 13,000 people currently in our state’s prisons—many from communities already overburdened by pollution and health disparities—the need for reform is more pressing than ever.
Sydnie Bogan, Program Manager for the Safe Water, Safe Lives campaign facilitated a panel that featured powerful testimonies from individuals with lived experience, shedding light on the poor quality of water in some facilities.
To learn more, watch webinar here: Safe Water, Safe Lives: Tackling the Health Risks for NJ’s Prison Population. These conversations are essential to addressing the systemic issues in our prison system and ensuring that everyone, no matter where they are, has access to basic human rights like clean water and safe living conditions.
Access to Clean Water Is a Right—How You Can Help
You can help by signing our petition to advocate for cleaner water and healthier conditions in New Jersey prisons. Your support amplifies our collective voice and pushes for meaningful reform.
For more information visit our webpage. Together, we can continue the fight for environmental justice and make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.
Autumn Toast Recap
On November 17, we held our 15th annual Autumn Toast fundraising event! We enjoyed wine and beer, hors d’oeuvres, corn hole tournament, listened to great music and won auction prizes! We honored our former Environmental Justice Director Kim Gaddy, who has moved on after 23 years to focus on her own community-based organization, South Ward Environmental Alliance. NJDEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette provided kind words for Kim and encouragement regarding what the state can do despite changes in Washington. If you missed it, be sure to keep an eye out for next year! We would love to see you there.
National Board Update
Our very own NJ Board Member, Colron Chambers has accepted a seat on Clean Water Action’s National Board. Colron started with Clean Water Action as a field canvasser, joined the board in 2017 and recently became the NJ Board’s Vice Chair. We are thrilled to have him be a part of our work in not only New Jersey but nationally!
CLEAN WATER IN THE NEWS
ReThink Disposable Interfaith Neighbors Video
The Turf is Artificial, But the Harm is Very Real
Transforming Lives: Advocating for Environmental Justice in NJ Prisons
