NJPIRG knocking on Cranbury doors
By: Casha Caponegro
The New Jersey Public Interest Research Group launched an Environmental Health Campaign in Cranbury this week.
Representatives of the environmental group traveled from door-to-door throughout the township to educate citizens on their organization and encourage membership.
"We just went into Cranbury for the first time yesterday," said Kristen Cevoli, a field manager at NJPIRG, on Tuesday. "We will probably be there the rest of the week."
Ms. Cevoli said the group visited about 100 households in Cranbury on Monday and signed up about 20 new members during the course of the day.
"That’s a very good average," said Ms. Cevoli, who hopes the number of members will increase as the group visits more households over the week. "People were very receptive to us."
NJPIRG is an educational group working to promote public awareness on environmental issues that affect the well-being of people living in the Garden State.
"Our basic gist is that the (Bush) administration is allowing oil companies and other powerful industries to rewrite, and sometimes even change, environmental laws," said Ms. Cevoli. "Our solution is to build up citizen support in favor of strengthening environmental protection laws."
Ms. Cevoli said citizens in Cranbury should be most concerned about the government’s decision to cut back cleanup funding for Superfund sites across America.
"These are sites that have been designated by the government as highly toxic areas," said Ms. Cevoli, pointing out that there are 111 designated Superfund sites in New Jersey. "Every New Jersey citizen lives within four miles of a Superfund site."
The Jones Industrial Services Landfill on Cranbury-South River Road, on the border of Monroe and South Brunswick, is listed on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site, www.epa.gov, as a high priority hazardous waste site.
According to a press release by NJPIRG, 80 percent of Superfund toxic sites in New Jersey have contaminated groundwater from lead, arsenic and mercury.
In their door-to-door campaign, NJPIRG representatives discussed these environmental concerns and encouraged residents to sign up for their cause. According to Ms. Cevoli, each new member is encouraged to give an optional contribution to the organization.
Each new member received a packet of information detailing NJPIRG’s environmental campaign. They also will receive updates and newsletters throughout the year on issues important to the organization.
Residents were also asked to join NJPIRG’s Citizen Network, which encourages residents to contact their congressional representatives and the Environmental Protection Agency to express their environmental concerns.
"Unless citizens express their discontent, corporate polluters will continue to receive tax breaks at the expense of the public heath," said the NJPIRG press release.
For additional information on NJPIRG, call (609) 394-8155 or go to www.njpirg.org.
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