Authorities in New Jersey will have a number of wet cars on their hands in the next month when they begin to pull submerged vehicles from the Hackensack River in an attempt to clean up the waterway.

The Record of Bergen County reports that over the last week New Jersey state police have used sonar and help from environmental advocates to locate cars that have been dumped into the river over the course of decades.

The Hackensack Riverkeeper organization has been working with state troopers to help locate the vehicles and the organization’s head says the plan to remove the cars is good for the community.

“As they deteriorate they add even more pollution to the river,” he told the Record. “It makes a good statement to the community that we’re working with the state police to get these cars out of here. It also shows that we’re not going to tolerate this.”

State police hope to be able to identify the owners of the submerged vehicles and plan to prosecute.

It appears to be an effort throughout much of the region as the Newark Star-Ledger reports that state police also scoured the Passaic River in the past week.

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