ICC Sends Letter to the Federal Government on the Cleanup of the Passaic River

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 29, 2026

Contact:
Alejandra Torres
Ironbound Community Corporation
Phone: 201-314-7682
Email: atorres@ironboundcc.org
Website: www.ironboundcc.org

Ironbound Community Corporation Sends Letter to the Federal Government on the Cleanup of the Passaic River

Newark, NJ – On June 26, 2026, the Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC) and the Passaic River Community Advisory Group (CAG) sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Justice, and other relevant agencies, following a successful rally to demand the immediate cleanup of the Passaic River’s lower 8 miles on June 20, 2026. ICC circulated a sign-on letter petition to obtain over 150 signatures from community members, allied community-based organizations, and concerned individuals. The rally also drew 50 people, ranging from Ironbound community members to congressional staffers. In our letter, we request that the federal government: (1) provide updates on cleanup negotiations and timelines; (2) confirm that good faith efforts toward implementation are underway; (3) ensure that the OxyChem sale will not affect cleanup responsibility; and (4) ensure that liability for the Passaic River cleanup remains fully enforceable and unchanged. 

“I join with the Ironbound Community Corporation and the Passaic River Community Advisory Group in calling on federal agencies to expedite the commencement of the cleanup of the Passaic River’s lower 8 miles, which is one of the most contaminated stretches of water in our nation,” said New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. “I have been fighting for the cleanup of the Passaic River for nearly two decades, since my time as Mayor of Newark. Corporate polluters dumped toxic waste that severely damaged the river and continues to threaten the health of families in surrounding communities, and the federal government must ensure that Occidental, the company primarily responsible for the cleanup that has engaged in delays for decades, is not able to evade their legal responsibility to fund the cleanup.”

The Environmental Protection Agency designated the Passaic River a Superfund site in 1984, and it remains one of the most contaminated sites in the country. In an op-ed released on June 28, 2026, the Passaic River CAG Co-Chairs, Dr. Ana Baptista and Michele Langa, Esq., explain that “The Superfund law, formally known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, marked a new federal approach to toxic sites and remains one of the clearest examples of the ‘polluter pays’ principle.” Yet, the Passaic River cleanup has stalled for over 40 years as the polluting companies continue to spend millions on lobbying and delay tactics, including sales, to avoid the cleanup costs they owe the public.

Today, as we call on federal agencies to strengthen efforts to ensure polluters pay, we also call on elected officials to do the same at the state level. Now is the time to call New Jersey legislators and Governor Sherrill in favor of The Polluter Pays Act. Imagine how $50 billion over the next 20 years–with at least 51% of the funds for projects in overburdened communities such as those along the Passaic River–could support projects to mitigate the worst of climate change.

“For years, corporate polluters have been allowed to use New Jersey as a dumping ground. Our water, our soil, and our air have all suffered at the hands of people who do not have our communities’ best interests at heart. Our ask and our demand that the New Jersey State legislature make the move to Make Polluters Pay.” – ImaniNia Burton, Environmental Justice Director, Climate Revolution Action Network 

For more information about Ironbound Community Corporation and our upcoming events, please visit www.ironboundcc.org.

About Ironbound Community Corporation

Since 1969, Ironbound Community Corporation has been dedicated to social justice, community development, environmental justice, and empowering Newark’s residents through advocacy, education, and direct services. ICC remains committed to uplifting marginalized voices and fostering sustainable change.

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Photos credited to Tevon Miller