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For Immediate Release: June 21, 2007
Contact: Kimberly Allen, (202) 226-8364; (202) 420-1524 [cell]
Congressman Rothman Secures $500,000 in Federal Funds to Expand Capacity at the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission
(Washington, DC)—Congressman Steve Rothman (D-Fair Lawn) has successfully secured half a million dollars in federal funds for the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC). The PVSC treats sewage in Newark, Jersey City, Bayonne, and 44 municipalities in Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties. Rothman requested this funding in the Fiscal Year 2008 Interior spending bill, which the House Appropriations Committee passed by voice vote earlier today. The full House of Representatives and Senate must next approve Rothman’s request. This money would be used to expand the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant from 368 million gallons per day to 700 million gallons per day.
“I am very pleased to announce progress on this funding, which will reduce the recurring problem of sewage overflow spilling into the Passaic River during and after heavy rains. By treating more wastewater, the Sewage Commission can help clean our precious river, keep filthy water out of homes and businesses when it storms, and reduce the amount of pollutants released, which can harm our environment and our health,” said Rothman.
He added: “The PVSC expansion is a great example of federal funds being earmarked wisely for a project that will have far-reaching benefits for hundreds of thousands of people in our area. Without federal support, the cost of these necessary improvements at the Sewerage Commission would be borne solely by local property taxpayers and the work might never be completed,” said Rothman.
Rep. Rothman joined the House Appropriations Committee in 2001. Since then, he has helped secure over $7.9 million in federal funding for the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission. The money was secured through multiple appropriations bills passed for the years 2002 through 2006. PVSC has strong backing in the New Jersey Congressional delegation and Rothman is especially grateful to Reps. Bill Pascrell, Donald Payne, Albio Sires, and Scott Garrett for their support of his efforts.
PVSC operates one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the nation, treating wastewater from 1.4 million people in 47 municipalities in Northern New Jersey, including Fair Lawn, Elmwood Park, Saddle Brook, Garfield, Lodi, Wallington, Rutherford, Lyndhurst, North Arlington, and Kearny, in Rothman’s Ninth Congressional District.
PVSC plant-wide improvements to increase its wet weather capacity will reduce combined sewer discharges by 332 million gallons per day. They will also enable the plant to decrease the amount of materials flowing into and polluting the Passaic River and Newark Bay. Specifically, PVSC projects that it will remove over 4,000 pounds per year of Organic Compounds, over 87,700 pounds per year of metals and about 11.9 million pounds per year of conventional pollutants discharged to the Passaic River and Newark Bay.
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