The past: Flowing 80 miles from Morristown to Newark Bay is the Passaic River. The river is sectioned into three main parts: Upper, Central, and Lower. Before the river was industrialized it was used by Native American groups known as Acquackanonk and Hackensack. They used the river to fish where they overflow dams to create pools where the fish would be trapped.
Industry: As industry rolled in, the river was used by others for different reasons. Paterson (being right on the river) used hydro power at the Great Falls in Paterson. This quickly made Paterson emerge as a center of industrialization. Furthermore in the 19th and 20th century areas around Paterson joined in by placing factories on the river. Newark, Garfield and Passaic all joined in by placing factories on the river that would harm it in the long run.
Factories and Their Waste: Along the river many textile mills were formed. These mills produce much waste such as solvents, dyestuffs, and pigments all in water from the finishing process of the fabrics. Other factors like worsted mills, tire factors, paper and chemical plants were also located along the river creating tons of waste, with nowhere to put it. The worst of the waste came from the Diamond Alkali Company which created Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. With all of this waste the factories created the “Out of Sight out of Mind”theory. This was the process of factories along the river dumping waste into it. After decades of this chemical waste being dumped into the river it got consumed by the sediments of the river making it almost impossible to clean: but with the help of one local non-profit they may be able to contain it.
Who are they and what do they Do? The Passaic River Coalition is a non-profit located in Morristown who call themselves “Guardians and Stewards of the Passaic River Watershed.” They have various tasks that they focus on to help the river and the communities around it. They focus on flood management, Enlargement of Recreational and Natural Areas, Enhancement of Water Supply Management, Improvement of Water Quality, and Ground water Management. Currently the Coalition is working on flooding that occurs from the river and cleaning up hazardous waste sites.
Who is involved?
The coalition has a board of trustees which consists of Jeanne Lennon, Chair
John J. Veteri, Esq., Vice Chair, Daniel J. Van Abs, PHD, FAICP/PP, Treasurer, Richard Van Kampen, Secretary, Jay N. Meegoda, PhD., P.E., Zeyuan Qiu, PhD, Nancy C. Wohlleb, PE, CME, EnvSP, and Laurie Howard, Executive Director. Each of these people play a role in the operations that are under the Passaic River Coalition. Each of these people are working to make the river and the communities around it a better place for everyone to enjoy.
For more information on the Passaic River Coalition visit https://passaicriver.org/