Tour of Newark, 2003 & 2005

Affordable housing is always an issue in urban communities. New Jersey has a law often criticized by environmental groups which makes it possible for developers to build on contaminated sites after only partially cleaning up the toxic health threats. Dubbed “Pave and Waive,” this law requires that every square inch of land on these contaminated building sites be paved over to prevent residents from being exposed to the toxic land. Those individuals purchasing these homes must sign a statement waiving their rights to sue for any future health problems related to the contamination underneath their homes. This photo shows one such home where the residents, unaware of what lay below their home, actually used a pickaxe to break through the concrete ground cover so that they could plant a garden and grow fresh vegetables.
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