Rescuing the River: The Raritan

Documentary and Discussion
Thursday, September 13, 2012, 6:30 pm

Raritan River
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. One hour. Introduced by guest speaker Chris Rasmussen, Associate Professor of History at Fairleigh Dickinson University with a discussion. Sponsored by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.