News Channel 4
June 14, 2002

STATION:  NEWS CHANNEL 4

DATE/TIME: 6/14/02       6:OOPM

LENGTH: 2:13

MICHELE MARSH, ANCHOR:  It's been called one of the dirtiest rivers on the face of the planet, and cleaning up the Passaic River is no easy task.

JIM ROSENFIELD, ANCHOR: As New Jersey reporter Brian Thompson tells us, the latest dispute is over who will pay the cleanup costs.

BRIAN THOMPSON, REPORTER: Not so long ago this wan an open sewer running through the heart of Newark and into New York’s Harbor.  To give you and idea of how dangerous this river is, the state last month released a report that says if you eat enough crabs caught here, regularly, you have more than a one in one chance of getting cancer. It’s that dangerous. But who will pay the cost of the cleanup? One of the worst pollutants was a chemical, Agent Orange, used in the Vietnam War to destroy the jungle canopy. That was made here in Newark at this old Diamond Shamrock site, now a superfund site.  The company, long sold to an Argentinean firm, says it’s willing to pay a fair share, but fears a Superfund cleanup of the river means nothing gets done at a big cost.

JONATHAN DEASON, DIAMOND ALKALI SPOKESMAN: Some companies are pursued by EPA and they have to go after other companies for contribution.  And it could lead to massive litigation that will never get to actual cleanup.

THOMPSON: But the Baykeeper is lobbying against the alternative, an Army Corps of Engineers cleanup, using a lot of tax dollars.

DEBBIE MANS, BAYKEEPER: Why should taxpayers be paying for the resource that’s a common resource that’s been taken away from them, and the polluters are very much identifiable.

US REP. BILL PASCRELL: You and I, if we had the capacity to be standing here a century from now and nothing being done…I mean, many of these polluters have gone out of business.

THOMPSON: Congressman Pascrell’s fear is echoed by one river supporter who says all of the industry on this river helped build a nation.

ELLA FILLIPONE, PASSAIC RIVER COALITION: It is the responsibility of the people of this country. They should pay some of it, New Jersey should pitch in because we did get the benefit of the jobs and taxes and such.

THOMPSON: But to return it to its uses of yesteryear, the Baykeeper fears if taypayers foot much of the bill here, they’ll have to do it elsewhere as well.  In Newark, Brian Thompson, NewsChannel 4.