EPA Unveils New Cleanup Plan for Passaic River in N.J.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on March 4 finalized its plan to clean up a heavily polluted section of the Passaic River in New Jersey. The plan calls for the removal of 3.5 million cu yd of sediment from the lower eight miles of the river, followed by capping of that entire stretch of the river bottom. The site of intense industrial activity for more than a century and part of the Diamond Alkali Superfund site—where Agent Orange was produced during the Vietnam War—the river is contaminated with dioxin, polychlorinated biphenyl, heavy metals, pesticides and other toxic materials. The new plan reduces the cost of the cleanup to $1.38 billion from $1.7 billion.
