Jersey City, NJ – Today, dozens of concerned residents and environmental advocates rallied outside Senator Andy Kim’s district offices in Jersey City and Barrington to urge the senator to oppose the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA), a so-called “permitting reform” bill that would weaken bedrock environmental rules, and fast-track the permitting and construction of AI data centers and the polluting fossil fuel infrastructure necessary to support these massive facilities. 

This legislation represents the largest deregulatory attack on federal environmental laws since their passage in the 1970s. The rally comes after Sen. Kim voted on Monday to advance the permitting reform bill. Final Senate votes on the bill are expected in the coming days. 

If it becomes law, BAAJA would gut key aspects of foundational environmental laws like the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act. In doing so, it would all but ensure AI data centers and fossil fuel projects will be approved regardless of community opposition.

“This pro-polluter bill is directly linked to Big Tech’s goal of ramping up data center construction in New Jersey. Many data centers are already breaking state and federal laws and keeping the public in the dark about the impacts. Permitting reform will only make this crisis worse, silencing community voices for the overwhelming benefit of the fossil fuel industry, data center developers, and Big Tech billionaires,” said Matt Smith, NJ State Director at Food & Water Watch.

“Senator Kim has an obligation to protect the public’s health and natural resources. Passing permitting reform legislation would facilitate more Big Tech billionaires operating un-permitted data centers like Data One in Vineland, which continues to illegally pollute our air with deadly nitrogen oxide pollution. Kim must vote for the people, not corporations,” said Jason Howell of the Pinelands Alliance.

Photos and interviews are available upon request.

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