Essex, Hudson towns polluted by storm runoff search for solution
For many years, a series of densely-populated municipalities straddling Essex and Hudson counties have had to deal with contamination from stormwater overflow that has, in some cases, pushed raw sewage into the streets.
The issue is now at a tipping point for residents, local officials, and the nonprofit Open Space Institute, which is already working on other projects in New Jersey like improving the water quality in the Delaware River basin, and enhancing public access along the Jersey City Reservoir.
Now, the group has a deadline of January 2022 to close a purchase agreement with the Norfolk Southern Railway Company for a nine-mile stretch of land through Montclair, Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, Belleville, Newark, Kearny, Secaucus, and Jersey City.