125 official attendees
61 different organizations and agencies
Serious conversation about reducing the health impacts of ports-related emissions
The New York/New Jersey port industry includes the largest seaport on the East Coast, which has been estimated to generate over $80 billion in annual economic activity. This “economic engine” is powered by thousands of diesel engines found in the trucks, trains, cargo handling equipment, and vessels that emit air pollution that has been linked to asthma, heart disease, cancer, and other adverse health effects. While these emissions affect the entire region, the effects are felt disproportionately among the urban poor and people of color living in port-adjacent communities. This conference, hosted by the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, its NIEHS Center for Environmental Exposure and Disease, and the Rutgers School of Public Health, will bring together stakeholders from port-affected communities, environmental health scientists, engineers, regulators, the port industry, and elected officials to seek solutions to resolve this long-standing environmental health issue.
The Center for Environmental Exposures and Disease (CEED) was established in 1987 with a goal of understanding, detecting, preventing and solving environmental health problems through collaborative research. The Center has received generous support from NIEHS for the last 30 years [ES005022], as one of 22 Centers of Excellence. CEED currently has approximately 88 members from 23 Rutgers departments.
Regionally, CEED serves New Jersey, the most densely populated and perhaps the most heavily polluted state in the nation. Nationally, our members serve as advisors to state and local officials, and citizen groups on issues of pollution and consequent disease, environmental health education and disease prevention.