Environmental Justice

Smart Urban Design on the Waterfront

Ron’s journey into environmental advocacy began in his efforts to preserve Hoboken’s waterfront from private development and remain accessible to the public. As a founding member and executive director of Fund for a Better Waterfront, Ron and his colleagues worked with the City of Hoboken on the Maritime Park plans, which resulted in the development of a contiguous public park along the Hudson River—a vision the organization put forth in 1990. The organization has spurred preservation of open spaces and historical structures, created parks, and stabilized Hoboken’s shoreline against severe storms. His leadership has raised Hoboken’s profile as a beacon of smart urban design and inspiration for waterfront renewal worldwide.

Fighting for Cleaner, Healthier Communities

Kim knows firsthand the hazards of pollution on people. Her three children’s chronic asthma and her brother-in-law’s fatal asthma attack motivated her to research the dangerous effects of pollution and toxins on communities.  This led to the creation of the South Ward Environmental Alliance to raise awareness of and fight for cleaner air and ports, and to empower Newark residents to advocate for environmental justice.

Kim was instrumental in passing legislation to evaluate the environmental and public health impacts of certain facilities on overburdened communities when reviewing certain permit applications and worked with city leaders to fix the lead pipe issue. Thanks to her vision and perseverance, New Jersey now has the strongest environmental justice legislation in the U.S. She is also the national environmental justice director for Clean Water Action and is a noted expert on urban environmental issues.

Righting the Wrongs of Toxic Waste Dumping

Chief Mann’s tireless work on environmental justice focused on the harms caused to his Turtle Clan of the Ramapough Lenape Nation, from decades of toxic sludge being dumped in Upper Ringwood. His community was plagued by severe illnesses and premature death for years and he rallied his tribe members and the local press to bring the story to light. He fought the Ford Motor Company and the EPA to clean up the Superfund site and when illnesses persisted after the EPA declared the project completed, Chief Mann and his people got the site reopened for additional cleanup work.

His advocacy for a cleaner, safer environment includes ensuring that his clan’s sacred land is protected against gas companies seeking to introduce fracking and pipelines through the area. He also worked with faculty at NYU and Ramapo College, and state and federal health and disease control agencies to study the health effects from waste sites on Ringwood tribal residents. In addition, Chief Mann launched Three Sisters Medicinal Farm in Sussex County; its goal is to help improve the health of Ramapough members affected by pollution through food sovereignty and food justice for BIPOC communities.

Developing the Next Generation of Environmental Stewards

Eric founded the Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Organization (MEVO) in 2008 while in high school, after hiking with friends in the Ramapo Mountains in Mahwah and seeing all the garbage dumped along the trails. He began organizing a volunteer “Earth Crew” in 2008 to clean up the trash and much more: trail building, distributing compact fluorescent light bulbs to residents, painting and distributing recycling bins, conducting electronic recycling drives, pruning and gardening at the New Jersey botanical gardens, invasive species removal in parks, and planting trees and native shrubs.

Over the years, MEVO grew in scope and impact, and Eric and the organization won multiple awards for their work. Its 10,000 volunteers (including 245 environmental youth stewards) have removed 650,000 pounds of illegally dumped garbage. MEVO has evolved into a multifaceted, youth-led organization focused on environmental education; engaging volunteers in cleanup and trail maintenance; and regenerative farming at two eco-farm sites in Mahwah. Today, Eric is a sustainable agriculture specialist with the National Center for Appropriate Technology and is a speaker and presenter on farm to table, urban farms, farm volunteer management, infrastructure design, no-till / minimal tillage practices, and beekeeping.

Preserving and Revitalizing Open Spaces

Jose—who we have also recognized for his work impacting food security—founded the Northeast Earth Coalition to support community and environmental activists. His organization provides public education about the environment, green spaces in NJ communities, and creating sustainable food sources through community gardening. NEEC presents free community workshops and training about environmental issues that promote the protection of the environment and create community-level projects. These include transforming parks into pollinator pathways and introducing residents to the benefits of composting, with volunteer-led composting initiatives.