N.J. troopers to go car-fishing with help of robots

[March 06, 2009]  HACKENSACK, N.J. (AP) -- New Jersey State Police plan to go fishing next month -- car fishing.

Environmentalists say dozens of cars and trucks have been shoved into the lower Hackensack River over the years, polluting the northern New Jersey waterway with gasoline, oil and antifreeze.

Members of the Hackensack Riverkeeper organization have been working with police to locate the submerged vehicles.

State police scanned the river bottom with sonar devices this week to pinpoint the cars' exact locations. Next month, divers and underwater robots will attach air bags to lift them to the surface so they can be hauled off.

Authorities hope to identify owners and prosecute them for abandoning their vehicles.

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Information from: The Record of Bergen County, http://www.northjersey.com/

[Associated Press]

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