The Southeast Queens Residents Environmental Justice Coalition (SQREJC), founded in 2023 and headquartered in Southeast Queens, New York, is a Black-led coalition committed to environmental justice and public safety in historically neglected neighborhoods. For decades, these communities have faced chronic flooding, pollution from waste facilities, and now, the looming threat of hazardous battery energy storage systems placed dangerously close to homes, schools, and medical centers. SQREJC responds through sustained advocacy and public mobilization: organizing rallies, filing lawsuits, and working directly with city and state officials to fight for safer, healthier living conditions. Their work directly impacts thousands of Southeast Queens residents, many of whom suffer from asthma and other health conditions worsened by poor air and water quality. Driven by lived experience and united community strength, the coalition stands as a model of grassroots environmental leadership grounded in deep community ties and bold, informed action.
Members of the Southeast Queens Residents Environmental Justice Coalition protest in St. Albans in June 2025 against planned lithium-ion battery storage facilities, continuing their fight to keep what they consider hazardous sites out of residential neighborhoods. The rally marks part of a broader effort, including legal action alongside Staten Island residents facing similar threats. Source: SQREJC
Led by longtime advocate and former Assemblymember William Scarborough, SQREJC is a powerful alliance of five historic civic organizations with roots dating back to 1906. Though the coalition formally launched in 2023, its leadership has decades of hands-on experience improving Southeast Queens. Since its founding, SQREJC has already blocked legislation that would have increased local waste traffic and won a lawsuit that forced waste transfer stations to limit pollution. The coalition also organized against plans to build battery storage sites near sensitive locations, including a veterans hospital and residential streets, proposing safer alternatives just blocks away in industrial zones. Each of the five member organizations brings a long record of service, from installing murals and hosting neighborhood cleanups to advocating for green space preservation. Their work improves everyday life for residents, many of whom have voiced concerns for decades about safety, property values, and health risks tied to poor environmental planning.
SQREJC meeting with Susan Friedman Diaz, Director of Development at NYC Dept of Parks & Recreation to discuss issues at Roy Wilkins Park”