As a lifetime resident of Harrison, NJ, I am deeply concerned about the EPA’s plan to establish a dewatering station for the removal of deadly dioxins on PSE&G property in an OPEN AIR CONTAINER AND IN HEART OF FLOOD ZONE. Thousands of residents live and work just feet away from this proposed site. This project poses an imminent risk to our health and safety, and it threatens to disrupt our lives in a community already plagued by intense congestion and frequent flooding.

Dioxins, known for their toxic and carcinogenic properties, after being dredged from river openly , then dumped into an open pool if you will, mixed with cement , loaded onto trucks and transported by trucks through our densely populated area. The threat of a natural disaster due to open container overflow , pool being breached by flooding, rising river waters or human error, such as mis handling, a truck accident or fire, is unacceptably high. If such an incident were to occur, it could release these hazardous substances into our environment, gravely endangering our community. Beside the obvious health risk there is a real economical risk as the many new housing structures are ALL renters with NO TIES or obligations to remain here.  Many vacancies occurred during COVID. This could be much worse. 

This project could last for months or even years, inflicting a continual nuisance of foul odors and severe traffic disruptions in one of the most congested parts of New Jersey. Our streets, already overwhelmed by traffic, would become even more congested, amplifying the risk of accidents and posing additional safety concerns for pedestrians and children.

Harrison residents deserve to live in a safe environment where industrial operations do not impose health risks. Moving the dewatering station to an industrial area—far from homes and schools—is a viable solution that can mitigate the potential hazards it poses.

The stakes are too high for complacency. We cannot allow our community’s well-being to be compromised. Join me in calling on the USDOJ ,  EPA , Harrison Mayor and Council and PSE&G to reconsider their plans and choose an alternative site that does not threaten the safety and quality of life for Harrison residents.

We ask the USDOJ to pause and reflect on the potential dangers to our community, both residents and the thousands of commuters  that travel this area  daily to utilize the Path train , 280  and the Turnpike in our little one square mile. 

We also ask you to consider, that   by the Mayor and Council having denied the existence of this project in writing in the planning stage, they  kept our voices silent. We were left out of the invitation by the EPA to participate in community input and advisory groups violating  our civil rights to gather and protest because they said it simply wasn’t true. We believed them. 

 To the Public, Your voice counts. Please sign this petition to demand a safer, more responsible solution for dioxin dewatering operations. Together, we can protect our community and ensure a healthier future.