Editor’s Note: ‘Hazard NJ’ is an investigative podcast and multimedia project from NJ Spotlight News revealing the dangers climate change poses to the state’s Superfund sites and the health threats that poses to people. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and more. Read stories and watch reports here.
“Am I scared? Yes, I am. Because I would never, ever want to go through that again — never.” Little Ferry resident Joann Libretto said she cringes whenever it rains. Almost 10 years after Superstorm Sandy sent the Hackensack River on a rampage, extreme flooding remains a serious threat in riverside towns like Little Ferry. The mess caused by Sandy has been cleaned up and repairs have been made, but efforts to install flood controls have been downsized due to cost, and delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One note of progress: The lower Hackensack River is now on a waiting list for EPA Superfund status because of the toxic contaminants in its sediments — muck that the raging river spread during Sandy’s storm surge. Cleanup is urgently needed, but will it happen before climate change sends another storm surging up the Hackensack?
