New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-06-13
AGAINST JERSEY SEWER
MERCHANTS WILL FIGHT.
Say State Has No Legal Right to
POlIute NezU York Bay.

-CIldITINaU
Hatch, jr., Informed the Passaic Valley Sewerage
Commission yesterday that the building of the
New Jersey trunk sewer which is to discharge the
sewage. of the Passac Valley into New York Bay
Robbins Reef. would be opposed by the asso-
citation in the courts. The New Jersey Legis-
lature has authorized the building OF this sewer
and Governor Stokes has signed the bill. The
is to cost $4,000 0G0. The associations let
ter, signed by Mr.. Hatch, sent to John S
Gibson. the secretary Of the New Jersey commits
sion, and follows:
beg to notify you that this committee will OPP
pose and fight the construction Of the New Jersey
trunk sewer, which as now projected, is designed
drainage area and discharge such raw, untreated
sewage into the waters of New York Bay near
Ii may be that your commission has already CON
tempated the grave nuisance that large body
of filth will create and the menace 10 the nayi-
gable waters and the nayigable, capacity Of the
YOU have given considerable thought to this sub
While It may he premature for this comTmittee
10 announce its intention of active opposition we
involved and the preliminary expenditure attend
s aS a due OF notice. to s
should be given In time for preparation. If you are
ect which we Consider an unlawful proceeding on
the part Of the State of New Jersey.
The New Jersey commission is composed of
julius A I.ebkueCher. William Mckenzie. Peter
Hauck Francis child and William S. Alderman.
In a statement issued by the Merchants Associa-
ton committee attention called to the dangers
attending the influx OF sewage that would follow
completion Of the New Jersey drain. 1t said in
part
This trunk sewer will serve the cities of Newark
and Paterson. Passaic Montclar, the Oranges and
me SS5 Owls IN me ccnrdines 10 he
estimate furnished by the engineer employed by
every twenty four hours
charged into the waters OF New York Bay amounts
to nearly l,0o0ooeH gallons each day, This esti-
by the Ioo0OO0 inhabitants of the Hudson Valley
drainage area, which comprises the MonaYk and ana
River towns and villages.
The committee says that It IS pretty clearly es-
tablished that the tides do take the Upper Bay
sewage out through the Narrows New York sewage
has been found up along the Hudson as far as
/ Tarryjown. If the Bronx sewer. which is
projected TO empty into the Hudson at Yonkers is
built, which will eventually add 100000" gallons
daily. the Hudson River, the committee says, will
certainly become "glorihed sewer"
Continuing the committee says:
York Bay pollution. Governor Odeu induced
to work in eonfncton with the Nw Ter"eI COM
mission, For little over a year II was active IN
in bringing 10 light important information. Suisse
Higgins IN. Metropolitan sewage Commission was
0Igdnlzed to succeed the New York Bay Pollution
the "% %ere named 6S Sago Ia terms Oh
=, hat New Jersey has no legal right TO make this
many professional men qualified Judge who
back as 1888. ia which the State of New Jersey
gave up TO New York state the jurisdiction Of the
New Jersey shore from opposite Spuyten Duyvii
This agreement entered into ly the IegIs-
!atures Of New York and New Jersey and sIhse-
qdently ratified by Congress. other objections %
the construction OF the sewer may be evolved by
the Merchants Association which organization
has made the path Of tho Bronx Valley Sewer
Commission a mighty rocky road
Il was first proposed TO have the outlet for sew
age discharge in Newark Bay. bur the United
states engineer estimated that there would he an
annual deposit of 5000 cubic yards Of solid
, teTlai in the lower End OF Newark Bay. which
would MI up the entire Of tho bay from
bank 70 bank. 10 n depth OF oue-third OF foot
annually. II evenly distributed" The engineer
further states. in mis- report 70 Secretary Tart:
As the existing average depth Of the Mats is
about four feet at mean low water II is easy
the proposed sewer system not only public
nuisance hut serious obstruction 10 the navi-
gable waters adjacent 10 the harhor OF New York
This important deposit Of solid material amount
ing 10 hundreds Of thousands Of tons. u Ia pur-
posed 10 send over 10 help mn up channels
and impede the further development Of foreign
commerce by making II Impossible for - modern
steamer 10 visit our port without grounding I'm tho
upper ana lower bays. II Is OF almost weekly
cuIrcnoe that one the other Of tie large ocean
going steamers runs afoUl 81 these aCCumulatoTls
Cf sewage
Il may be that some method OF publication treat
ipent or sewage disposal. Of which there many.
may be adopted that VIII solve the problem hut In
the mean time Interesting developments may arise,
as determined opposition has been planned