By Brenda Flanigan, NJ Spotlight News
“Today is truly a win for the communities along the Lower Hackensack — and we deserve to take a moment to celebrate!” said the Environmental Protection Agency’s Walter Mugdan, Wednesday. Environmental officials triumphantly added the Lower Hackensack River — 19 miles of waterway — as Jersey’s newest federal Superfund site, number 115.
Making it onto the EPA’s Superfund National Priorities List unlocks the federal toolbox and funding required to clean up the thick gumbo of toxic sediment that’s befouled the river bottom. “I was convinced that the only way this river was ever gonna get cleaned up was to unleash the almighty power of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They know how to do this work,” noted Riverkeeper Captain Billy Sheehan.
But rehabbing the Hackensack won’t be easy. It could cost $2 billion to $3 billion and take 20 years. For decades no fewer than six Superfund sites along the waterway dumped or leached arsenic, lead, mercury, and cancer-causing chemicals like PCBs into the river, and landfills dotted the landscape. Particles get eaten by wildlife — like crabs and fish. Signs warn folks not to eat their catch — but many ignore the advisory. “We counsel them not to do it — because it is dangerous. But we know that they do it anyhow. So that makes it even more urgent that we clean up these rivers,” Mugdan said.
If you liked this post you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Don’t take our word for it, try it free for an entire month. No obligation.
