The NJWEC and the Teamsters claim that Linden Mayor Derek Armstead has failed to provide the public with a current Emergency Response Plan in the event of a chemical fire, explosion, or toxic emergency. The NJWEC and the union said in a statement that Armstead is violating federal law that requires public access to local emergency response plan in Linden.
John Pajak, president of Teamsters Local 877 and WEC Board member told LocalSource in an email that Linden officials are simply ignoring the public’s right to safety information. “City officials obviously believe that they can just ignore the public’s legal right to information about our own safety, Pajak said. “It is egregious that the workers at these facilities can’t access the ERP. The town and the facility are woefully unprepared with man and machine to deal with a catastrophic event.”