South Ward Environmental Alliance Monthly Newsletter
#SWEAnews | #SWEA | #SouthWardEA | #SouthWardEnvironmentalAlliance
A Message from the Founder and Director of SWEA: Kim Gaddy
"The environment has NO walls and we are all breathing the same air! Whether you live in the Dayton street neighborhood, the Weequahic or Clinton Hill section of the South Ward, pollution travels in the air and affects us all." - Kim Gaddy, Director, SWEA.
The South Ward neighborhood is disproportionately burdened with cumulative impacts of pollution impacting the health and quality of life of all residents. The South Ward is surrounded by the 2nd largest Port in the nation, the Newark Airport, route 1&9, 22, 78, New Jersey Turnpike, railyards, one superfund site, recycling facilities, Sims Metal, the largest metals recycling facility in the world, warehouses to name a few, We can't escape from the pollution, We live in a diesel death zone.
The good news is, there are solutions to reduce the environmental degradation we suffer from. The technology exists to establish Zero Emission Zones, Kids Clean Air Zones, Green Infrastructure projects, Solar farms and green spaces to create a sustainable community. In addition, preparing residents to be employed in the emerging green jobs economy will be prioritized. As we continue to fight for clean air to breathe, safe and affordable drinking water and healthy communities, we have a seat for you at the community table.
SWEA is rooted in the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing adopted in 1996 by the Southeast Network for Environmental and Economic justice. The principles will guide us as we seek common understandings between residents from different cultures, politics and organizations. SWEA will Be Inclusive, Emphasize Bottom-Up Organizing, Let People speak for themselves, Work together in Solidarity and Mutuality, Build Just relationships among ourselves and Commitment to Self-Transformation to change from operating from individualism to community-centeredness.
We will lift and celebrate community victories in the Clinton Hill, Dayton Street and Weequahic neighborhoods that are fighting against the environmental injustices that impact our quality of life.Together we can create vibrant and toxic-free homes, schools and neighborhoods in the South Ward.
Let's go South Ward, Newark Strong!
Peace and Blessings.
Community Leaders Call on Port Authority to
Block Amazon Air Cargo Hub at Newark Airport 
Current Issues
Dayton Street Spotlight
Press conference critiques Port Authority for lack of transparency surrounding the project, calls for pausing deal to allow for more community input.

*Livestream of the press conference can be found here.
Weequahic Section Highlight
Heat Watch and Air Quality Campaign.
Upper & Lower Clinton Hill Spotlight
Upper Clinton Hill Residents Scored A Victory for Rose Terrace & South 10th Street Residents.  [SWEA Blog].
SWEA Ward-Wide
Air Quality Monitoring Project. [SWEA Blog].
Upcoming Events:
Nov. 10th | 6PM
March For Clean Air! Stop Dumping on Newark |

Nov. 10th | 6PM
Beat the Blight Project Team Meeting |
Press conference critiques Port Authority
for lack of transparency surrounding the project, calls for pausing deal to allow for more community input.
Livestream of the press conference can be found here.
"Too often, people of color and low-income communities have been excluded, whether intentionally or unintentionally, from the decision-making process, even when these decisions affect their health and quality of life. We, the City of Newark Environmental Commission, would like to ensure that the process for the Amazon lease agreement plan with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), is a transparent one, involving community input,” said Wynnie-Fred Victor Hinds, Co-Chair of the City of Newark Environmental Commission. “Furthermore, in accordance with PANYNJ’s commitment to supporting diversity and inclusion, we would like PANYNJ to ensure that community members, and the ‘Good Jobs-Clean Air-Safe and Healthy Communities Coalition’ are included in a constructive, and collaborative decision-making process, in order to achieve more positive conditions and equitable outcomes.”
"Our South Ward community is already impacted by the number of diesel trucks contaminating our air daily and destroying our roads. In addition, the air traffic and air pollution from the number of planes shaking our homes and businesses is already bad,” said Malika McCall, a South Ward resident and minority business owner. “With Amazon at the airport and ignorant to our concerns, the aforementioned conditions are certain to become worse. Help us, do not hurt us."

"Port operations and goods movement is not good for everyone. Dirty diesel trucks and equipment make people sick and take our breath away in some cases forever,” said Amy Goldsmith, New Jersey State Director at Clean Water Action. “Amazon has the resources to run 100% electric trucks, power with renewables and keep workers safe and properly cared for. If Amazon can deliver packages every day, it can deliver clean air and good safe jobs too."
SWEA supports N.J. Members of Congress
to call for transformational climate investments:
“The Build Back Better Act represents a once in a generation opportunity to address generations of environmental racism by investing in cities like Newark and addressing looming environmental threats, from climate change to lead pipes,” said Kim Gaddy, Founder and Director of the South Ward Environmental Alliance.
"Two leading members of Congress representing New Jersey joined with 58 of their colleagues to send a letter to President Biden Friday calling on him to ensure strong environmental provisions are included in the final Build Back Better Act currently being negotiated in Congress.

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), who sits on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, and Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-Newark), who serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials for the key Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, wrote that any final legislation must meet the “‘climate test’ by achieving the scientifically-necessary emissions reduction goal while creating good union jobs and advancing environmental, racial, and economic justice.”

The members are aiming to ensure that President Biden enters the international climate summit later this week in Glasgow in a position to demonstrate American leadership on this existential issue.
“Climate catastrophe is no longer some distant threat,” said Rep. Watson Coleman. “It is here and now."

“I am proud to stand with Rep. Payne, our hometown congressman, in advocating for solutions that put communities of color at the forefront.” - Read More
A note from Rutgers University - Newark to SWEA:
"From all of us here in the Office of Student Life and Leadership at Rutgers University-Newark, I would like to extend a huge thank you for acting as a host to our volunteers during Community Engagement Day 2021. 

The students returned on Saturday afternoon and shared wonderful experiences that they had at your site. Many students and staff indicated their intentions to serve again!

Your willingness, openness, communication, and excitement made this a wonderful experience for the students and staff, myself included! Your flexibility and understanding as we dealt with the first CED in 2 years was greatly appreciated. I am so grateful that this was my first time working on Community Engagement Day and that it went so smoothly.

As mentioned in previous emails, this is a biannual event, so we will be planning another one in March/April 2022! I hope you will consider partnering with us again. 

If you have any feedback you'd like to share with me, feel free to let me know. We hope to continue growing this program back to its previous glory. We are so fortunate to have partners like you to continue serving.

Attached, you'll find a certificate to recognize your Outstanding Partnership with us, as a small token of our appreciation.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Enjoy the rest of your week.

Warmly,
Kelsey Dunne"

More on Kelsey Dunne:
Ms. Kelsey Dunne identifies herself by the pronouns she/her/hers and is an M.Ed. College Student Affairs Candidate at Rutgers University Office of Student Life & Leadership Internat Rutgers University - Newark.
Catch Up On SWEA Highlights from this Past Year & See What's Coming Up:
Watch SWEA Webisodes
on Youtube. |
Scheduled for:
· Kim Gaddy:
Nov. 17th 
· Asada Rashidi:
Nov. 22th 
· Khattim Sherrer El:
Nov. 22nd
· Amy Goldsmith:
Dec. 1st
·Michael Archer:
Dec. 13th
· Wynnie-Fred Hinds:
Dec. 27th
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Search: South Ward Environmental Alliance via Youtube or click our YouTube logo in the footer.
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Have a story or featured topic to suggest for our next newsletter or?
This past April (2021), President Joe Biden made economic recovery and responding to the climate crisis, a key priorities. Biden hopes to roll out trillions of dollars in spending on infrastructure and green energy.
"No one can truly understand a disaster unless they have lived through it. We’re all living through COVID-19 now, but for many of us, this is only the latest disaster. President Joe Biden has made economic recovery and responding to the climate crisis key priorities and hopes to roll out trillions of dollars in spending on infrastructure and green energy." According to Maria Lopes, a Deputy Director for the ICC, the "coalition is prepared to work with elected officials at every level to help them realize this future and end the era of insider-driven politics in Trenton. Frontline communities have the solutions, they must lead the way not be on the margins. NJ THRIVES will bring the strength of our communities to the forefront through place-based wisdom of our partners."
"NJ THRIVES will bring the strength of our communities to the forefront through place-based wisdom of SWEA & others."
Who Are President Biden's Local Community's Partners?
South Ward Environmental Alliance [SWEA]