NE New Jersey
Raritan River
Water QualityThere are several efforts to promote cleanup of the Raritan.
Rutgers:
The Sustainable Raritan River Initiative will be led by the faculty and students of Rutgers' Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS). The schools will enlist the cooperation of Raritan River Collaborative stakeholders from the public and private sectors.
Sustainable Raritan River (Raritan.Rutgers.edu)
NWNL (No Water No Life) Video: Raritan River Basin: A Sustainable Perspective, Judy Shaw, Rutgers
Edison Wetlands Association
According to the Edison Wetlands Assn, "The Lower Raritan Watershed has a disproportionate amount of New Jersey's 25,000 toxic waste sites draining into its watershed.
Most of these are not remediated to levels that are protective of human health or the environment. Federal and State regulatory agencies responsible for cleaning up these sites have abdicated their responsibilities and the pollution remains unchecked. Over-development threatens the remaining natural areas along the Raritan and her tributaries."
The Raritan River Project at Wikipedia says, "Over 200 contaminated sites are adjacent or drain into the lower Raritan River, including abandoned industrial sites, Superfund sites, old landfills, dredge dumping areas and old army arsenals. Residents continue to be exposed to toxic waste through recreational use of the river and eating contaminated fish despite warning that it may be hazardous to their health."
The Middlesex County Utilities Authority's (MCUA) storm-damaged (Sandy) sewage treatment system has resulted in polluting effluent now flowing into the Raritan River and Raritan Bay.
See DEP press release "Customers of mcua advised to further reduce water use to limit polluting runoff into raritan river and raritan bay."
In 2004 with help from the Edison Wetlands Association, DEP identified the five sites along the Raritan River with continuing discharges: Edison Township Landfill, Edgeboro Landfill, ILR Landfill, Hatco and Rhône-Poulenc/Bayer CropScience.
Links:
Rescuing the River: The Raritan a 57 minute documentary film.
NY/NJ BayKeeper - The Baykeeper's mission is to protect, preserve, and restore the ecological integrity and productivity of the Hudson-Raritan Estuary
Bob Spiegel (Edison Wetlands Assn.) - YouTube Video
Superfund sites on the Raritan River
South Branch Watershed Association: The South Branch Raritan River Watershed