Community Health Overlay¶
Health Burden in Port-Adjacent Communities¶
Port emissions don't affect all communities equally. The Port of NY/NJ's health impact falls disproportionately on low-income neighborhoods and communities of color located closest to marine terminals, petroleum storage, and highway corridors. The port impact zone spans multiple counties across two states — Essex County (NJ), Hudson County (NJ), Kings County (Brooklyn, NY), and Richmond County (Staten Island, NY) — making this the most jurisdictionally complex health impact footprint of any U.S. port.
This analysis maps health outcomes using CDC PLACES census tract-level data and EPA EJScreen indicators across the full cross-state impact zone.
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Data Sources¶
| Source | Publisher | Data Provided | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| CDC PLACES | CDC | Census-tract-level health estimates: asthma, COPD, heart disease, depression, obesity | cdc.gov/places |
| EJScreen | EPA | Environmental justice screening indicators by census tract | ejscreen.epa.gov |
| Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) | EPA | Facility-level chemical releases | epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program |
| American Community Survey | U.S. Census Bureau | Demographics, income, poverty, housing by census tract | census.gov |
| ICCT Electrifying Ports Study | ICCT | Port-attributable health damage estimates by borough/county (February 2023) | theicct.org |
CDC PLACES Multi-County Health Profile¶
CDC PLACES data for Essex County, NJ (200+ census tracts) and Kings County, NY (Brooklyn, 760+ census tracts) provides tract-level health estimates for the two primary communities impacted by port operations. Newark and port-adjacent Brooklyn neighborhoods show health indicators that exceed their respective county and state averages:
| Health Measure | Newark (Essex Co.) | Brooklyn (Kings Co.) | NJ Statewide | NY Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current asthma among adults | 12.8% | 10.5% | 9.5% | 10.2% |
| COPD among adults | 7.5% | 5.8% | 5.5% | 5.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.2% | 6.0% | 5.5% | 5.8% |
| Depression among adults | 21.0% | 18.5% | 17.5% | 18.0% |
| Obesity among adults | 36.5% | 30.8% | 29.5% | 28.5% |
| Fair or poor self-rated health | 22.5% | 18.2% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| High blood pressure | 38.0% | 32.5% | 30.2% | 31.0% |
Newark — immediately adjacent to the port's busiest marine terminals — shows the most elevated health indicators, with asthma rates (12.8%) and high blood pressure (38.0%) well above state averages.
Data Source
CDC PLACES provides modeled estimates for 40 health measures at census tract level. The NY/NJ port impact zone spans multiple counties across two states — Essex County (NJ), Hudson County (NJ), Kings County (Brooklyn, NY), and Richmond County (Staten Island, NY). This cross-jurisdictional scope makes tract-level data essential for capturing the full health impact footprint.
Port-Adjacent Communities — Population & Health Burden¶
| Community | Population | Key Health Burden |
|---|---|---|
| Newark, NJ | 311,000 | Asthma hospitalization rates among highest in NJ; cumulative industrial exposure |
| Elizabeth, NJ | 137,000 | Adjacent to port marine terminals and NJ Turnpike interchange |
| Bayonne, NJ | 71,000 | Surrounded by port facilities on three sides |
| Brooklyn, NY | 2,500,000+ | ICCT estimates $60M+/year in port-attributable health damages |
| Staten Island, NY | 495,000 | Proximity to container terminals and petroleum facilities |
The Brooklyn Impact¶
ICCT modeling of the full electrification scenario at the Port of NY/NJ found that Brooklyn would receive the largest monetized health benefit of any borough or county — over $60 million per year in avoided health damages. Although the reduced annual PM2.5 concentration in Brooklyn would be below 0.2 ug/m3, the sheer population density (2.5 million+ residents) means even small per-person exposure reductions translate into large aggregate health gains.
Cross-State Environmental Justice Analysis¶
The Port of NY/NJ's impact zone spans four counties across two states — creating a uniquely complex environmental justice landscape.
| County | State | TRI Facilities | Key Environmental Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essex (Newark) | NJ | 80+ | Ironbound industrial corridor; port-adjacent; highest asthma rates |
| Kings (Brooklyn) | NY | 40+ | $60M+/year port-attributable health damages (ICCT); 2.5M+ residents |
| Hudson (Bayonne) | NJ | 30+ | Port facilities on three sides; petroleum terminal operations |
| Richmond (Staten Island) | NY | 20+ | Container terminals; petroleum facilities |
Environmental Justice — NJ Side vs. NY Side
A majority of the population living within 5 km of port container terminals are lower-income populations. Those below the poverty line are concentrated disproportionately on the New Jersey side of the port — closest to the highest-emission berths. Newark's Ironbound neighborhood faces cumulative exposure from port operations, petroleum storage, waste processing, and highway traffic on the NJ Turnpike corridor. The EPA Toxics Release Inventory identifies over 80 TRI-reporting facilities in Essex County (NJ) alone, reflecting the dense industrial history of the port region.
Health Impact Quantification¶
Using BenMAP-CE methodology with Krewski et al. 2009 concentration-response functions and EPA VSL ($11.8M, 2024-adjusted):
Annual Health Outcomes (3.2M below-median-income residents)¶
| Health Outcome | Current Annual Burden | With At-Berth Capture |
|---|---|---|
| Premature deaths from port PM2.5 | Estimated 50–130/year | 35–125 lives saved/year |
| Cardiovascular & respiratory hospitalizations | Estimated 200–500/year | 140–480 avoided/year |
| Childhood asthma ED visits | Estimated 300–700/year | 210–670 avoided/year |
| Monetized public health cost | $150M+/year | $105M–$148M saved/year |
Brooklyn-Specific Health Damages¶
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Population exposed | 2,500,000+ |
| Port-attributable health damages | $60M+/year |
| Source | ICCT Electrifying Ports Study (2023) |
Cumulative Environmental Burden — Newark Ironbound¶
Newark's Ironbound neighborhood — adjacent to port container terminals — faces cumulative exposure from multiple sources:
- Port vessel at-berth emissions (PM2.5, NOx, SOx)
- Petroleum storage and distribution facilities
- Waste processing operations
- NJ Turnpike corridor truck and vehicle traffic
- Over 80 TRI-reporting industrial facilities in Essex County
This cumulative burden is reflected in Newark's health indicators: 12.8% adult asthma prevalence (vs. 9.5% NJ statewide), 38.0% high blood pressure (vs. 30.2% NJ statewide), and 22.5% fair or poor self-rated health (vs. 14.8% NJ statewide).
Last updated: April 2026
Data sources: CDC PLACES (2024), EPA EJScreen, EPA TRI, U.S. Census ACS, ICCT Electrifying Ports Study (2023), NYC Health Department air quality surveillance data