Lower Hackensack River Named NJ’s 115th Superfund Site

September 7, 2022 | njspotlightnews.org

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.

NJ SEED: Superfund, aka CERCLA - The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, was pushed through Congress by (then) Representative Jim Florio. NJ has the highest number of Superfund sites (115) - deservedly so due to its industrial history. The designation of the lower Hackensack River as a Superfund site will draw needed federal dollars.