For Immediate Release
Contact: Jeff Tittel, NJ Sierra Club, 609-588-9100
B.L. England, the last coal powered plant in New Jersey, is set to stop operations on Wednesday after more than 50 years of burning fossil fuels. Employees are still working to dismantle the plant. The New Jersey Sierra Club has been trying to close B.L. England for over two decades. The plant is responsible for emitting thousands of tons of sulfur dioxide and other emissions each year. They have violated the Clean Air Act and polluted New Jersey by continuing to use dirty coal.
“This is the first day without pollution from the B.L England plant. Finally, the air is going to be a lot cleaner and we will be able to breathe easier. B.L England had closed at last and not being re powered for natural gas. This is a victory for the environment. Re-powering the natural gas also would have made it the largest GHG emitter in the state. We have been fighting the B.L England Plant since for 20 years to close and it is a relief that it will finally close. Without this plant, there is no need for the SJG pipeline in the Pinelands,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Now that the B.L England plant will not be re powered as a natural gas plant, the Pinelands Commission and BPU needs to step up and block the SJ Gas pipeline.”
The Pinelands Commission will vote to rescind their approval of the SJ Gas pipeline. The Pinelands Commission and BPU approved the pipeline because its gas would go to the B.L England plant, however now that the plant is closing, it the pipeline would not serve or benefit people living in the Pinelands.
“It’s important that the Pinelands Commission and BPU move forward to rescind their approval of the SJ Gas pipeline and withdraw and end our court cases against those agencies. The proposed SJG pipeline would cut a 22-mile long scar through the Pinelands for a powerplant that is not needed. It would impact critical drinking water for millions of people and block New Jersey’s efforts for a clean future. It would cause serious damage in middle of the Pinelands and would increase climate impacts. The pipeline would also block Governor Murphy’s 100% renewable energy goals,” Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “
New Jersey has already received several applications for offshore wind in the same area as the B.L England Plant. Companies like Orsted for instance, has the potential to build 1100MW offshore off the Atlantic Coast and has interest in using the B.L England site for the that project.
“We have seen a clean energy revolution when it comes to this plant. The B.L England plant transitioned from coal to oil to proposed natural gas and now possibly wind. Orsted, a major wind company, has already been in discussion with the town and others for using the B.L England site as part of its offshore wind project. We have said all along that this area would be a perfect location for offshore wind. It is important that we bring that potential offshore wind to our shore. We do not need any more fossil fuel pipelines. Instead, we need to use renewable energy to create green jobs and a green economy,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.