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Kirk
Barrett, director of the Passaic River Institute
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by DIANA ST. LIFER
The Passaic River is best known for being afflicted by myriad environmental problems, particularly a legacy of industrial pollution, but that's only part of the story.
"The Passaic River Basin, which covers about 935 square miles, shows
a remarkable diversity of environmental issues for its size," said
Dr. Kirk Barrett, director of the Passaic River Institute (PRI) at Montclair
State. "It contains some near pristine and environmentally important
lands, namely drinking water watersheds and reservoirs of the Highlands
fed by the Pequannock and Wanaque rivers, as well as several large wetland
complexes in southern Morris County and along the Essex, Morris and Passaic
county boundaries.
"It is also true that, below the Great Falls in Paterson, the Passaic
flows through some of the most heavily industrialized and densely populated
land in the nation, and the river suffers from severe environmental contamination."
Recognizing the need for a university-based institute to undertake long-term
scientific studies of the wide variety of issues in the basin, Montclair
State established the Passaic River Institute (PRI) for Environmental
Research and Education. More than 25 scientists from the University's
College of Science and Mathematics are involved in researching the complex
environmental issues within the Passaic River Basin. Some faculty members
have been active in research related to the Passaic River for the past
several years--from using computerized mapping systems to study pollutant
sources to developing a method for rapid detection of organic contaminants
in sediments. Students at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels
also are involved, as well as scientists from outside the University who
have joined the PRI as research associates.
"The PRI will serve as a clearinghouse of scientific reports and
data, as well as a neutral forum for examining and discussing controversial
environmental questions, particularly regarding cleanup of the heavily
polluted lower portions of the river," said Barrett, who served five
years as the research director of the Meadowlands Environmental Research
Institute of Rutgers University in collaboration with the New Jersey Meadowlands
Commission.
The Institute is working on establishing an environmental center on the
river for field research and education, complete with boat docks, laboratories
and educational programs. The concept has strong support from industry,
community groups and government.
"A scientific field station on the river is desperately needed to
support biological, geological and chemical sampling," Barrett explained.
"Extended research initiatives already are underway, organized by
federal and state agencies, and a field station would greatly facilitate
these and an array of other significant research efforts. Now, without
a field station, samples must be transported great distances for processing
and analysis at off-site laboratories."
The station also would be used as an educational facility for K-12 field
experiences.
Dr. Robert Prezant, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics, said
the PRI is an example of the University's commitment to conducting research
that impacts the community. "The PRI's outreach and education efforts
will raise awareness in the community of the river ecosystem. These efforts
will be closely coordinated with the University's programs in environmental
science, including its new doctoral program in environmental management,"
he said.
The PRI also will collaborate with nonprofit and governmental organizations
that have been working on Passaic River issues for several years. For
example, the tidal portion of the River, the 17-mile stretch between Dundee
Dam at Garfield and the Newark Bay, is the site of an extensive, multi-agency
effort to improve water quality, remediate contaminated sediments and
restore ecological health. "We need to learn what these experienced
players believe are the most important issues, and how a university-based
research institute can best help in their efforts," Barrett said.
The PRI held its first major environmental conference in June, "Passaic
River Symposium: Who's Doing What." Co-sponsored with the New Jersey
Department of Transportation Maritime Division and NJ WaterWatch, the
symposium brought together more than 200 distinguished representatives
from government, business, higher education, nonprofit agencies and volunteer
organizations, and included a keynote address by state Department of Environmental
Protection Commissioner Bradley Campbell.
More information on the PRI is available online at www.csam.montclair.edu/pri.
Click here to read how researchers studying the Passaic River go with the flow.