In our state, people do not often have to worry about having a clean and reliable water supply for themselves and their family. However, it is the continuing work of local organizations like the Passaic River Coalition (“PRC”) that ensures our water supplies remain viable for future generations. The PRC guards the Passaic River Basin; a large part of the group’s mission is to make sure that the watershed is developed to assure a clean and reliable water supply in the future. This undertaking requires flood management, enlargement of recreational and natural areas, enhancement of water supply management, improvement of water quality, and ground water management. As a leader in the environmental community, the PRC also serves on state and federal task forces to offer policy guidance on broader water resource issues.
The PRC was organized by the late Ella Filippone in her basement in 1969. The organization’s original goal was to fight against the building of a multi-billion dollar flood tunnel to ease flooding in the Basin. After its initial success in defeating this plan, the PRC has gone on to make a huge impact by protecting the Passaic River Watershed. The organization’s work includes cleanup and buy-out programs, as well as education and outreach campaigns. In 1993, the PRC created a land trust to acquire properties in order to protect the natural resources within and around ecologically sensitive areas. Currently, the PRC owns 1,563 acres of open space and continues to look for properties that could further protect the watershed.
Lieberman Blecher & Sinkevich is immensely proud to serve as PRC’s general counsel, and we look forward to supporting the future work of the organization.