River Cleanup Season Kicks Off at Overpeck County Park By Hugh M. Carola 
Winter storms and spring
rains were unkind to Overpeck County Park this year. Before April 18, anyone
jogging or walking their dog along Overpeck Creek could not help but notice the
enormous amounts of trash and debris the winds, rains and melting snow had
deposited along its banks. That was the day a dedicated group of 45 volunteers
(including Girl Scouts from Rochelle Park’s Troop 745) went to work picking up
the mess and restoring the natural beauty of the place. “This was a perfect way to
begin our season of cleanups,” said Riverkeeper’s Operations Director Lisa G.
Ryan. “We had great weather, a terrific response from our volunteer corps and
more than enough trash to fill up two dumpster-loads.” Riverkeeper volunteers and
staff spent six hours pulling trash from along the banks of Overpeck Creek as
well as from the creek itself, impressing a fleet of Riverkeeper canoes into
service as garbage scows. Some of the stranger items picked up were three
refrigerators, three purses (with personal effects still inside) and a block of
Styrofoam with grass growing out of it (!). More ominously, volunteers
Kelly Palazzi and Steve Royka discovered a 55-gallon drum leaking what
appeared to be used motor oil into the creek. The Haz Mat team from the Bergen
County Department of Health Services was immediately summoned to the site and
took custody of the drum after stopping the flow of the suspicious material. Overpeck Creek is a major
tributary of the Hackensack River and is steeped in both natural and human
history. During the early 20th century however, its banks were steeped in
garbage when local municipalities turned its wetlands into dumps. The dumps are
long gone now and while the wetlands are gone too, much of the area has been
restored and turned into southern Bergen County’s largest park. Tens of thousands of people use the park
each year for both active and passive recreation. Unfortunately however, the
old dumps were never properly remediated and as a result, large amounts of
trash leak out into the water as the creek banks erode over time. That, in
addition to littering, illegal dumping and stormwater runoff makes for a
challenging cleanup. In addition to being the
first cleanup of 2005, the day marked the debut of Hackensack Riverkeeper’s
Mobile Cleanup Unit – a fully-enclosed,
eight-foot travel trailer that was purchased through a generous grant from the
Bergen County Utilities Authority (BCUA). The unit now contains all the
supplies and equipment necessary to conduct scheduled cleanups or assist with
emergencies anywhere in the watershed. “Partnering with the BCUA to
clean up the Hackensack River is a ‘natural’ for us,” said Captain Bill
Sheehan, executive director, Hackensack Riverkeeper. “The agency has really
stepped up its efforts in recent years to assist and educate the people of
Bergen County to their responsibilities as citizens of their watershed.” Also this spring, we
conducted our annual River Cleanup at Kenneth B. George Park in River Edge on
May 7th with our partners from the River Edge Environmental Commission. As
always, Commission Chair Jim Miller enlisted a large group of residents who
joined Riverkeeper volunteers to scour the riverbank and haul out an impressive
amount of debris.
Special Thanks To These
Business Supporters of Hackensack Riverkeeper: Clean-Ups Cool Beans, River Edge Dante’s Place, Leonia McDonalds, River Edge Natoli’s Pizzeria, Secaucus Sanducci’s, River Edge United Water, Harrington
Park RIVER CLEAN-UPSWe provide the tools,
gloves, trash bags, water, refreshments and lunch; all you need to bring is the
sunscreen, bug juice and yourself! Individuals, families and groups are
welcome. (If you plan to bring a large group, please let us know so we can be
sure to have enough supplies on hand.) River-Clean-Up schedule: Saturday, June 18 from 9:00
AM - 2:00 PM at Laurel Hill County Park, Secaucus Saturday, July 16 from 9:00
AM - 1:00 PM at Staib Park, Hackensack Sunday, August 21 from 9:00
AM - 2:00 PM at Foschini Park, Hackensack Sunday, September 11 from
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM at Laurel Hill County Park, Secaucus Saturday, October 15 from
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at Overpeck County Park, Leonia For more information,
contact Lisa Ryan at 201-968-0808 or
LisaRyan@HackensackRiverkeeper.org |
