The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is doing testing in the Hudson River after a fire at at a waste treatment plant in New York City started discharging untreated wastewater into the river.
The DEP is strongly recommending that individuals refrain from swimming, kayaking, and other recreational uses of the Hudson until the situation is resolved, said New Jersey DEP Commissioner Bob Martin
As a public health safety precaution, DEP scientists recommend that anglers and crabbers avoid contact with the water, clean any gear used in the water, and temporarily avoid consumption of fish and crabs.
The state will provide updates when normal fishing and crabbing may resume.
The DEP is doing scientific modeling to determine whether or when any New Jersey land might be impacted, and is also monitoring water quality to assure there is no threat to public health and safety.
New York City's treatment plant was taken offline on Wednesday following a fire in the engine room. Untreated wastewater has been discharged directly into the Hudson River since 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The City declared the River off limits to swimming and recreational uses.
The North River plant has been in operation since 1986, and treats on average 120 million gallons of wastewater a day from Manhattan's west side above Bank Street and northern Manhattan, according to the DEP.