A landmark environmental justice bill stalled for over a decade became law in New Jersey on Friday.

Signed by Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, the legislation seeks to curb new sources of pollution, including sewage treatment plants, landfills and incinerators that have affected certain communities more than others.

Seeing the law enacted was a long-fought dream for Ana Baptista, an assistant professor at The New School in New York City.

"When this bill was finally passed, I had a moment where I just had to shed a tear of disbelief," said Baptista, who grew up in Newark, where the polluted Ironbound neighborhood is located. The Ironbound is home to New Jersey’s largest garbage incinerator and more than 100 sites ironboundcc.org/our-community contaminated by dangerous chemicals, including dioxin and pesticides.