NJN Public Television and Radio has put their recent documentary on the environmental problems and industrial history of New Jersey’s Raritan River on the web in it’s entirety to watch for free. Rescuing the River: The Raritan is a 60 minute documentary covering the worst and the best of one of the Garden State’s great resources.
Raritan Riverkeeper Bill Schultz tells stories about the industrial past.
The Raritan River runs through the center of New Jersey, with upper reaches that are incredibly beautiful, providing a valuable source of water for more than a million people. But industry took hold of the lower Raritan early on and left its mark.
This one-hour documentary, narrated by actor Avery Brooks, tells the compelling story of a river that has been profoundly contaminated over 200 years and of the extraordinary efforts to clean it up. It reveals how government agencies, powerful corporations, environmentalists, developers, scientists and lawyers have all clashed in their attempts to deal with the aftermath of extensive pollution and environmental neglect.
Kayaking on the lower Raritan River.
The documentary’s web site also contains some great background information including a page with links and books to learn more about the Raritan, waste, and industry. To learn more about the current status of the river, as well as find info on tours, events or access points check out the Raritan Riverkeeper and NY NJ BayKeeper, featured in the film.
There doesn’t look to be any additional television air dates for the film, but you can watch Rescuing the River: The Raritan online.