Month: January 2022

(The Center Square) – Newark, New Jersey, according to a new analysis, is the dirtiest city in the country.

According to the 2022 Dirtiest Cities in America rankings from LawnStarter, the Gateway City edged out Houston and Los Angeles to earn the distinction.

LawnStarter ranked nearly 90 of the largest cities nationwide to compile its list. It examined four key categories: pollution, living conditions, infrastructure and consumer satisfaction.

“City living has its advantages, but with greater population density often comes an assortment of problems like pests, litter, and pollution that can turn any city from sparkling to filthy,” LawnStarter said in its analysis.

Newark ranked No. 13 for pollution and No. 21 for living conditions. Meanwhile, its infrastructure ranking came in at No. 43, while its customer satisfaction was second.

Elsewhere in New Jersey, Jersey City ranked No. 27 on the site’s list. In the region, New York City ranked No. 14, while Philadelphia ranked No. 31.

Earlier this month, Gov. Phil Murphy ordered the Passaic Valley Sewerage Community to nix a vote on a backup power plant in Newark’s Ironbound section, the Associated Press reported. Residents complained it would violate the “environmental justice” law Murphy signed in 2020.

In another project that might improve the city, earlier this month, the NJ Transit board approved a $9.2 million contract as part of a $190 million restoration and renovation of the 86-year-old Newark Penn Station.