5th annual Environmental Justice March in Chester brings out 200 residents (May 3, 2025)
May 3, 2024 – Chester, PA
On Saturday May 3, over 175 residents from the City of Chester, Delaware County and the region joined forces with Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living (CRCQL) to host their 5th annual Environmental Justice (EJ) March from Chester City Hall to Covanta, now Reworld, trash incinerator. The event is to generate awareness of the issues of pollution from the nation’s largest trash incinerator and other industries that have dire impacts on the health of residents in the city and across the county, including those new proposed projects like a liquified natural gas (LNG) export terminal on the Delaware River.
The march was led by Positive Movement drumline from Philadelphia and brought out people of all ages including many members of CRCQL’s youth group CHOICES. Over 8 different organizations attended the march including Good Energy Collaborative, Earthquaker Action Team, Sisters of St. Francis, Climate Action PA, Conservation Voters of PA, Trinity House, and 4 Circles Beyond, There were also students from over 5 different local colleges, including Swarthmore College, Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College and University of Pennsylvania. Several runners from Swarthmore College who ran a 5k in support of the march, starting at North Chester Baptist Church.
Protesters carried signs addressing the issues of pollution over people and called on leaders to prioritize residents’ health. With the closing of Crozer Hospital, Chester residents have little to no local healthcare despite being exposed to the most pollutants in Delaware County.
Children in Chester are 5 times as likely to have asthma, a respiratory condition that makes it difficult to breathe. There is no doubt this is due to the dozens of industries polluting the environment in Chester. The trash incinerator alone burns nearly 3,500 tons of trash and industrial waste every day without the amount of pollution controls that other facilities require. The pollutants released include dioxins, nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, and more – all of which have serious health consequences. Of course, the pollutants emitted from the incinerator don’t stay in one place or one town.
The existing pollution and industries that are already causing unsafe environments for residents of Chester and beyond, more dirty proposals are on the table. Chester is one of the proposed locations for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal; this project would require massive infrastructure that not only would threaten the region with explosive harm and pollution, but it would also disrupt and pollute cities and towns across PA with the pipelines that it would require for LNG transport.
Check out our Facebook or Instagram accounts for more coverage of the march!
Special shout out and thank you to Rachael Warner from EQAT for some amazing photos from the march.
