Who are we?

The South Ward Environmental Alliance (SWEA) was founded in 2015, by Kim Gaddy, a mother of three asthmatic children with 20 years experience as an Environmental Justice Organizer fighting against air and water pollution in her frontline community of Newark. The South Ward neighborhood is disproportionately burdened with cumulative impacts of pollution impacting the health and quality of life of the residents.

Air Pollution

The South Ward of Newark is negatively impacted by the diesel pollution from the Port of NY/NJ. The South Ward is the backyard of the third largest port with 20,000 trucks trips per day and 4,500 of them stay on the local roads of the South Ward, this is an environmental health injustice. 

Water Equity

SWEA's goal is to engage and inform community members, government staff, researchers, community organizations, developers and property owners throughout Newark to make Green Infrastructure the first line of defense in managing stormwater.

Leadership Training

SWEA will build greater awareness, lift up the voices and involvement of residents and businesses (who might not identify themselves as “environmentalists”) to create the next generation of environmental leaders in the South Ward.