The
Passaic River ( ) is a
mature surface river, approximately 80 mi (129 km) long, in northern
New Jersey in the
United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the
swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey, called the Great Swamp, draining much of the northern portion of the state through its
tributaries. In its lower portion, it flows through the most
urbanized and
industrialized areas of the state, including along downtown
Newark. The lower river suffered from severe
pollution and industrial abandonment in the 20th century. In April 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $1.7 billion plan to remove 4.3 million cubic yards of toxic mud from the bottom of lower eight miles of the river. As part of the settlement, the successor company of one of the largest polluters of the Passaic River agreed to pay the state $190 million. It is considered one of the most polluted stretches of water in the nation and the project one of the largest clean-ups ever undertaken.