Environmental Justice

Edison Wetlands Association launched the Community Assistance Remediation Program in 2002, due to the overwhelming demand for technical and scientific assistance for contaminated sites in New Jersey.

The Edison Wetlands Association (EWA) launched the Community Assistance Remediation Program (CARP) in 2002, due to the overwhelming demand for technical and scientific assistance for contaminated sites in New Jersey. There are approximately 18,000 contaminated sites in New Jersey altogether, and the state has the unhappy distinction of holding the most Superfund Sites in the nation.

A disproportionate number of these hazardous waste sites are located in underprivileged urban communities. Since many urban areas lack proper recreational opportunities children routinely play on contaminated sites and are often exposed to hazardous material through dermal absorption or consumption.

Environmental justice issues are largely ignored at many of these known contaminated sites. State and federal regulators do not include significant community participation in the cleanup process. Its case managers have no direct contact with communities, and often never visit the site itself. As a result, the community has no involvement in the cleanup process and no way to know how to address environmental and health issues.

EWA has more than 14 years of experience with contaminated sites and their impacts on human health and the environment. Because of our many successes in getting toxic waste sites cleaned up, EWA is frequently contacted to provide assistance to community groups in underprivileged urban areas—at no cost to the communities. Our CARP program has empowered several communities by providing them with the tools they needed to effectively advocate for comprehensive testing and cleanup at sites throughout New Jersey.