COA at 40: Celebrating One Campaign Memory at a Time

Mayday is an internationally recognized radio signal for distress. On May 1, 1984, Clean Ocean Action (COA) organized its first press conference located at the Belford Seafood Cooperative, NJ. At the helm was Captain Ed “Moli” Maliszewski who, surrounded by other Co-op members, courageously highlighted the plight of the ocean and marine life from sewage sludge dumping and the impact it was having on the dock’s commercial fishermen.

COA's first press conference in 1984. Captain Ed "Moli"
Maliszewski (not pictured) and Belford Seafood Co-op fishermen
called attention to the disgusting conditions caused by sewage.

Capt. Moli showed the sludge coated nets and shared stories of bringing the nets home for his children to use wire brushes to clean. The fishermen understood exposing such gruesome conditions could mean people would not buy their fish, but Capt. Moli said the risk was worth raising attention to bring an end to and help close the 12-mile sewage sludge site, where over 8 million gallons of sludge was dumped annually from northern NJ and NY City sewage treatment plants. In Ed's own words "Sludge dumping is destroying our livelihoods. We are an endangered species; we must speak up or all will be lost." 

COA rallied and launched campaigns. Within about a year, Chris Daggett, then US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator for Region 2, announced the 12-mile sewage sludge dumpsite would be phased-out by the end of 1987. Sludge dumping moved to the 106-mile site, which was closed after COA rallied more. The site accepted the last sludge barge in June 1992. 

 Ever onward, together, for the ocean, 

 Cindy