“If we had a coordinated effort, which unfortunately only happens when you have a state of emergency, then all of the agencies must work in concert. “The public education issue in terms of this is really disjointed, so because of that there is no logistical plan for the residents. “Our only way of moving this forward is if our governor actually says it’s a state of emergency,” Jordan said. For 18 months, our city was not really moving fast enough,” Jordan said, a reference to the fact that the city’s water first exceeded lead level standards in 2017. “That’s almost comical, and sad at the same time. Jordan was asked about Murphy’s repeated assertions that Baraka was out ahead of Newark’s lead water problem. Murphy publicly responded on Wednesday that he would not do so, while Baraka wrote Holley a letter, saying the measure was unnecessary. State Assemblyman Jamel Holley, a Democrat from neighboring Union County, sent a letter to Murphy and Baraka on Tuesday asking the governor to declare a state of emergency. Jordan’s most dramatic divergence with Murphy regarded whether a state of emergency should be declared to deal with Newark’s lead water crisis. Jordan went on to state that the 48 bottles she received in one week were not enough, and that while she can afford to buy around $30 worth of bottled water a week, many of her neighbors cannot. Other residents and their neighbors are helping them out.” I know of several cases where they’re asking for it and nothing is coming. “The governor said that the mayor has arranged for our elderly and home-bound receiving water.
“When I was on line, I saw several elderly there who said ‘I don’t know how I’ll carry it.’ That has happened at several drop-off centers,” Jordan said. “There is a lot of apathy, ignorance, and unfortunately naiveté in terms of what is happening in our community,” said Jordan, who is part of a lawsuit filed last year by environmental and education groups against the city and state officials, charging that their violations of federal law have resulted in dangerous lead levels in Newark’s drinking water. Jordan said that initially she had seen only 15 to 20 people standing on line for water in the South Ward last week, a number she found disturbing, as she responded to Murphy’s remarks. The water at Jordan’s home has tested almost three times higher than the federal action level of 15 parts per billion. We’re going to continue to work with the city until we get this right.”Ĭhakrabati then shifted to an interview with Yvette Jordan, a social studies teacher at Newark’s Central High School who lives in the city’s South Ward. “The city is delivering for folks who don’t have the wherewithal to come get the water. “I have enormous sympathy with folks, particularly the most affected, the very young, the pregnant, the nursing and the very elderly,” Murphy said.
“You hear about long lines for bottled water – there is no evidence of that,” Murphy said, noting that state troopers are posted at each of the city’s bottled water distribution locations to help in delivering what he said was about 1,400 cases of water a day to the affected areas. That’s the x-factor that I don’t think any amount of effort by the city or state can replace.”Ĭhakrabati then pressed Murphy, saying residents of Newark who are now relying on bottled water “would totally disagree” with the notion that the City of Newark is ahead of the problem. “This is far beyond Newark or any other community in New Jersey. “There is no amount of effort or energy that any state or city can put into this that can match what the federal government can do,” Murphy said. I think Newark is getting ahead of the problem,” Murphy said, noting the city’s chemical corrosion control program and its 10-year plan to remove the lead service lines in affected areas. Phil Murphy and a Newark resident disagreed over the effectiveness of official relief efforts for the city’s lead water crisis in a national radio broadcast today, including the need for a state of emergency to deal with the deepening crisis.ĭuring an interview taped Wednesday for the On Point program broadcast on WBUR, Boston’s National Public Radio affiliate, host Meghna Chakrabati asked Murphy if Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s administration was being proactive enough in addressing the situation. Murphy, Local Teacher Differ Over Newark Lead Water Crisis State of Emergency
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