Over the past 70 years, the New Jersey Clean Air Council (CAC) has served to advise the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) on air quality issues impacting New Jersey’s environment and the health of its residents. During the last several decades, the CAC has undertaken the topics of expanding regulations, improving air quality standards, mobile vs. stationary source pollution, environmental justice community impacts, citizen science, air toxics, climate change, and more. Most of the recommendations compiled by the Council and reported to the NJDEP Commissioner have been implemented, improving air quality from mobile and stationary sources of emissions, decreasing hospitalizations and emergency department visits from excess pollutant exposures, and ensuring that best achievable air pollution control technologies are part of permitting requirements. Understanding pollution impacts on overburdened communities and environmental justice neighborhoods has also guided CAC recommendations to ensure that no one group, or region of the state is disproportionately affected by industrial development and/or our transportation infrastructure. While air quality and public health outcomes have shown steady and significant improvement over the years, in part due to the work of the CAC, there is still more to be achieved. Your help is needed to identify air pollution and greenhouse gas pollution priorities for New Jersey to address over the next 5 years.

The 2025 Clean Air Council public hearing will focus on assisting the NJDEP in developing a list of priorities for addressing New Jersey’s most pressing air quality issues over the next 5 years. The Council seeks input from subject matter experts and public participants who represent all relevant stakeholders impacted by air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.