Nashua, New Hampshire City Hall
JULY 09, 2024 (NASHUA, NH) – Newport Construction Corporation on Tuesday dropped its challenge of Nashua’s rejection of its proposal to build a polluting asphalt plant in the city. Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) and Granite State Organizing Project (GSOP) released the following statements in response.
“Nashua residents can now breathe a sigh of relief that this polluting plant will not be coming to their community,” said Heidi Trimarco, staff attorney for CLF. “This is a victory for those in Nashua who stood up to demand safe air to breathe and to protect the health, safety, and quality of life of the neighborhood. Today’s outcome is proof that the collective will of a community can prevail when all voices are given the chance to be heard.”
Following fierce community opposition, Nashua’s Planning Board in 2023 unanimously rejected Newport’s proposal for the asphalt plant. The Planning Board meetings were well-attended by community members, and CLF and GSOP provided language interpretation services at public hearings.
The asphalt plant would have been built in an environmental justice community that is home to many immigrants and people of color. The proposed plant would have been dirty, noisy, worsened air quality, and brought hundreds of heavy diesel trucks to the neighborhood every day.
“The Nashua faith and immigrant communities came together to stand in solidarity against the environmental injustice the asphalt plant proposal represents,” said GSOP’s Executive Director Sarah Jane Knoy. “We hope this is just the start of addressing historic patterns of health disparities caused by environmental racism.”
During the public hearings, CLF argued the legal reasons why the proposed plant should be denied and when Newport appealed its rejection in court, CLF moved to continue fighting against the plant.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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