Failure to Act documents how New Jersey jobs and communities are still at risk from toxic chemical disaster – five years after the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) under former Governor Jon Corzine adopted rules to implement the NJ Toxic Catastrophe Prevention Act that were supposed to drastically reduce that risk.
These are the conclusions of the NJ Work Environment Council (WEC) following review of 42 publicly available reports submitted to DEP under the regulations. WEC is a nonpartisan advocate for worker and public health and safety and, along with its member organizations, was a leading proponent of the Toxic Catastrophe Prevention Act and the rules issued by DEP to implement the law.
This report was written by Denise Patel, former Project Coordinator, New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC) and Debra McFadden, WEC Assistant Director. Additional research and data analysis was conducted by Paul Orum and Suzanne Marine. Cover design by Judith Rew.
Sponsors of this WEC report are 15 organizations representing chemical facility and oil refinery workers, firefighters and other first responders, emergency room nurses, government environmental protection staff, educators, community members, faith leaders, environmental justice advocates, and environmental leaders:
- United Steelworkers District 4
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 877
- Professional Firefighters Association of NJ
- Health Professionals and Allied Employees
- Communications Workers of America District 1
- American Federation of Teachers New Jersey
- Ironbound Community Corporation
- Paulsboro Action Committee
- Concerned Citizens Coalition of Long Branch
- New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance
- NY/NJ Baykeeper
- GreenFaith
- New Jersey Public Interest Research Group
- Clean Water Action
- Sierra Club – New Jersey Chapter
