Discriminatory Environmental Permitting in Camden, N.J.
Like the City of Chester in Pennsylvania and many other low-income, minority communities, Camden, New Jersey contains a huge number of high-level polluters. The 90%-minority city is home to a regional incinerator, a regional sewage treatment plant, and multiple Superfund sites.
In July 1999, the Law Center began representing community and environmental groups in Camden, challenging the Camden County Municipal Waste Authority for illegal toxic emissions and odor violations emanating from its sewage treatment plan. We reached an agreement on the eve of trial, securing $4 million in plant modifications to achieve significant pollution reductions and a significant fund to benefit the community and alleviate environmental risks.
