A New Year The Same Shadow Remains Over Harrison: A Toxic Sludge Plant

Dear Residents of Harrison, NJ, and Our Neighbors,

As we move forward into another year, Your Harrison again extends its sincere wishes for health, peace, and resilience to our readers. Yet, as we did one year ago, we must acknowledge an uncomfortable reality: very little has changed regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s plans to locate a toxic sludge processing and staging facility in Harrison.

Despite the passage of time, the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal remains substantially the same—placing a facility intended to handle toxic dredged material adjacent to an active PATH station, across from the Riverbend District and its modern luxury apartment community, and near the Urby residential buildings, in the heart of what has become a densely populated, transit-oriented residential community.

Health, Peace, and Community Well-Being Still at Stake

Our wishes for good health, happiness, and peace are not offered lightly. They are underscored by ongoing concerns raised by residents who fear the potential environmental, public health, and quality-of-life impacts of the project. The proximity of the proposed site to homes and mass transit remains a central issue—one that EPA is ignoring, making it seem as if the Town of Harrison is still a contaminated industrial wasteland rather than its current, redeveloped self as a modern residential community.

A Redevelopment Vision at Risk

More than two decades ago, under the late Mayor Raymond McDonough, Harrison committed itself to transforming contaminated industrial land into a modern residential community. That vision reshaped the southern end of town into what it is today: a vibrant, walkable neighborhood anchored by housing, transit, and public spaces.

Many residents now question whether the EPA’s plan is fundamentally incompatible with that long-standing redevelopment strategy.

Political Divisions and Ongoing Disputes

Equally unchanged is the deep political divide surrounding the project.

Mayor James Fife and Councilman James Doran, who also serves as a commissioner of the Passaic Valley Sewerage Authority, continue to support or defend aspects of the EPA’s approach. Critics argue that their public statements have minimized risks and mischaracterized opposition.

Supporters of the project dispute that claim.

What remains unresolved—and deeply troubling to many residents—are allegations that dissenting voices, including Councilman Anselmo Millan and local attorney John M. Pinho, were unfairly attacked and publicly discredited for raising concerns about the plan. Those accusations have been denied by town leadership, but they continue to fuel mistrust and calls for greater transparency. Mayo Fife & Councilman James Doran LIED to the residents.  They stated that, despite a public recorded statement that the EPA Toxic Sludge was coming to Harrison, they said that Councilman Millan and Attorney John M. Pinho were lying.  The persons lying were Mayor Fife and Councilman Doran.  Both former educators are lying and setting a fine example for the town’s youth – Lie if it is going to fool residents and hide the truth for your political gain.

A Call for Engagement, Not Silence

As we did last year, Your Harrison urges residents to remain engaged, informed, and vocal. The stakes are not abstract. They involve where toxic material is handled, who bears the risk, and whether a residential community is being asked to accept a burden no other community has been asked to shoulder—a Toxic Sludge Plant in a residential community.

The central question remains unanswered:
Why should a modern residential neighborhood—next to a major regional transit hub—be asked to host a toxic sludge facility at all?

Looking Ahead, Still Waiting for Answers

We again wish our readers strength, clarity, and unity in the year ahead. But optimism must be paired with vigilance. Until there is full transparency, meaningful community input, and a reconsideration of alternatives, the cloud hanging over Harrison has not lifted. EPA’s Alice Yeh, the Harrison Project Manager, promised a 2nd EPA Meeting in Harrison, but that meeting has not materialized despite continued promises that it will be held.

Together, informed and united, the community can continue to demand answers—and better choices—for Harrison’s future.

With respect and resolve,
Your Harrison

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