The Alternative Press

PATERSON, NJ - The Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission announced today that the agency removed more than 2000 tires and other debris from the Passaic River near Straight Street in the City of Paterson.  The tires and debris are believed to be the accumulated result of years of littering and illegal dumping activity, according to a statement issued by the agency’sExecutive Director Michael DeFrancisci 

Sewerage commission workers used specialized equipment to remove the obstructions that were impeding the flow of the waterway, which included tires and other debris in the area, the agency’s press release said. The purpose of the project is to eliminate any potential public health or safety concerns regarding  debris that is in the river and the area immediately adjacent to it including the river banks.

“The PVSC is proud to have undertaken this massive river clean-up in an effort to provide a cleaner and safer waterway for members of the community to enjoy,” said DeFrancisci.  “We remain committed to protecting the Passaic River and understand the importance of partnering with the City of Paterson and Community activists to ensure the long-term viability of these restoration efforts,” explained DeFrancisci.

According to, DeFrancisci, PVSC staff was contacted by a community activist who identified the accumulation of tires and other debris as a potential hazard.  Much of the debris, including tree branches, tires and other material blocking the river’s flow, is believed to be from upstream activity and illegal dumping.  PVSC personnel utilized various specialized and heavy equipment to remove the debris.  

Among the city activists involved in the cleanup have been Lydia Robles and David Gilmore.

“I want to commend Bridgestone and its’ affiliates for recycling these tires at no cost to PVSC,” said DeFrancisci. “This new partnership will be beneficial to not only PVSC, but also to its member communities, such as Paterson who will be assisted by this free program.”

Bridgestone Tire, through its’ Spent Tire Recycling Program, provides recycling to entities such as PVSC, free of charge. Bridgestone through, its’ east coast recycler, Lakin Tire East, Inc. of CT.,  provided the services to recycle a major portion of the more than 2,000 tires recovered during this project, according to the press release.  

In order to protect and preserve local streams and rivers from water pollution, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission operates one of the country's oldest and largest treatment plants for the wastewaters of northern New Jersey, serving over 1.4 million people in 48 municipalities in five northeastern New Jersey counties.  With many expansions and upgrades to secondary treatment, the facility has been striving, since its creation in 1902 and its initial operation in 1924, to improve local water quality in accordance with federal and state water quality standards.

 Since the creation of the PVSC’s River Restoration Program in 1998, which is charged with preserving and protecting over 100 miles of area waterways, the PVSC has removed over 10,000 tons of debris from the Newark Bay, the Passaic River and its tributaries, and sponsored over 850 individual clean-ups along shorelines and in communities, along with educating over 200,000 students on how they can help protect the Passaic River and our environment.