Passaic River: America's Most Endangered River and Its Comeback

The Passaic River's Endangered Designation

• 📌 The Passaic River has been designated as one of America's most endangered rivers.
• 🏞️ This river flows approximately 80 miles through New Jersey, passing significant landmarks like the Patterson Great Falls and emptying into Newark Bay.

Historical Pollution and Decline

• 🏭 For decades, the river suffered from industrial pollution, notably from the Diamond Alkali site in Newark, where Agent Orange was manufactured.
• ☣️ The lower 17 miles were devastated, leading the EPA to declare it a Superfund site in 1984, remaining one of the largest in the country.
• 📉 By the 1890s, reports noted the river's foul smell and pollution, causing rowing clubs and wildlife to disappear.

Recent Comeback and Cleanup Efforts

• ✅ In recent years, the river has seen a comeback, with fish returning where they hadn't been seen for 40 years.
• 💧 Cleanup efforts began in the early 2000s, thanks to the EPA and local organizations, addressing the worst polluting sites, including the Diamond Alkali site, which is now safely encapsulated.
• 🚧 Future work includes dredging and capping the Superfund site to further isolate pollutants.

Community Involvement and Future Threats

• 🤝 Community members and organizations like Amma Earth Group are actively involved in detoxing the river through cleanups and replacing invasive plants with natives that help remove toxins.
• ⚠️ The designation as an endangered river aims to call on the EPA to reaffirm its commitment, as the biggest threat to a cleaner future is funding and staffing cuts at the EPA.
• ✨ There is a vision for a Passaic River with pristine banks and swimmable water, no longer considered one of America's most endangered.