Edison Wetlands Association Cleans-Up The Lower Raritan Watershed  

As the leading nonprofit working to get contaminated sites cleaned up in central New Jersey, Edison Wetlands Association (EWA) developed the Raritan River Project in 1990 to clean up the heavily polluted Lower Raritan River watershed.

While the more picturesque upper Raritan River receives far more attention, EWA is devoted to working at the region’s most challenging sites.  The contamination generated from past and present industrial operations in the Lower Raritan – formerly known as the “Chemical Belt” – impacts the entire watershed, as hazardous waste sites directly affect every township in the region.  These sites contain a wide range of toxic contaminants, including PCBs, dioxins, arsenic, radiologicals, heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, VOCs and many other hazards.

EWA works to ensure that the worst of these sites are cleaned up in a timely and comprehensive manner.  Without the Raritan River Project, the cleanups of many of these sites will languish for decades due to delays by the responsible parties and bureaucratic red tape, remaining dangerous to public health and the environment.  Yet EWA’s high-profile involvement ensures the accountability of regulators such as NJDEP and USEPA.  In fact, NJDEP partnered with EWA last fall to announce the Raritan River Initiative, which will expedite the cleanup of some of the lower Raritan’s most contaminated sites.

As more and more sites are remediated, we see dramatic improvements in the quality of life for residents in Middlesex County and heavily polluted Edison—“probably the most diverse town in New Jersey,” according to H2O: Highlands to Ocean, a 2004 Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation book by Tony Hiss and Christopher Meier.  We see first-hand how cleaning up contaminated sites helps create sustainable urban areas by revitalizing neighborhoods, improving environmental quality, and promoting community development.

EWA’s Brownfields-to-Greenfields Initiative is particularly vital.  Our visionary Raritan Riverfront Restoration Project in Edison will transform two neighboring landfills—Kin-Buc Landfill Superfund Site and Edison Landfill—into a kiosk, canoe launches, butterfly gardens, gazebos, scenic walking trails, passive recreational areas and rich wildlife habitat.  A model for creating safe and healthy greenfields with public access, the first phase is slated to open this fall.  This project is just a snapshot of EWA’s long-standing dedication to the Lower Raritan Watershed, as we are working on other nearby sites to create a regional greenway along the Lower Raritan River.

“The Lower Raritan River was treated like an open sewer for more than a century, but its recovery is well underway,” said Executive Director Robert Spiegel.  “Wildlife like bald eagle, osprey and sea turtles are again thriving here, and the hundreds of thousands of people who live in the lower watershed will soon be able to enjoy this long-hidden natural treasure.”

Founded by Spiegel in 1989, EWA’s funding for this work comes entirely from private foundations and member support, without any financial support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

by David Wheeler & Jennifer Van Skiver

For more information, please visit EWA’s website at www.edisonwetlands.org.

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