Last week I visited my favorite Superfund site in the state of New Jersey only to find that after all the efforts (questionable) to clean it and restore it– as mandated by law–it has become a harbor wasteland. The site is located between three residential developments constructed on a piers along the Hudson River. Upon my visit, there was an undeniable stench of what I guessed was garbage and rotten fish–not like a fish market; it was something worse and I hadn’t even made it half a mile in. As I approached I noticed that a third residential development was being constructed adjacent to this quagmire. It was a little shocking because these residential developments are geared towards the upper middle class/upper class, and yet, nothing has been done in the efforts to clean this site. I guess if you can afford to live on the Hudson you don’t mind the stench or the swarm of insects that will invade the area some time soon.
Admittedly, I have occasionally enjoyed walking along the promenade on the Hudson, but recently it has become a dilapidated area for developers to slap developments on while they dispose of their waste along with their responsibility. Now it belongs to no one, everyone has to live with it and wildlife suffers.
The pictures I took convey only a small part of the story.
