More than 40 years after the Passaic River was declared a Superfund site, cancer-causing toxins still line its bottom. While residents drink from its waters, cleanup stalls under corporate resistance and potential federal budget cuts.By Anna MattsonIsiah Cruz is alone on the banks of the Passaic River—in North Ironbound, just east of Newark, New Jersey—hacking away at a bundle of tall, leafy plants. It is a hot, muggy Sunday afternoon, hazy from Canadian wildfires.
Observations from the Little Bunker
Last updated: August 18, 2025 04:13 PM
Atmospheric CO₂
425.4 ppm
+18.4
ppm/year
Atmospheric CH₄
1934.91 ppb
+9.11
ppb/year
Global Temperature
+1.48 °C
Peak: +1.73°C
World Population
8.1 billion
+67
million/year