New Jersey has decided to allow construction of a backup power plant at one of the country’s largest sewage treatment facilities. The plan has drawn the ire of the community. The existing plant dumped nearly a billion gallons of raw sewage into waterways when Superstorm Sandy knocked out electricity. Thursday's decision is the first major action under an environmental justice law designed to prevent additional pollution in overburdened communities. Officials say they will require the plant to use solar panels and have battery storage that will mean a net decrease in pollution from the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission facility in Newark. Residents say they already bear more than their fair share of pollution.
