LACKAWANNA COUNTY -- In Old Forge, the pollution in the Lackawanna River is plain to see. The water runs orange in spots, and the rocks are orange, too.
Environmental experts said that is the result of iron oxide from a borehole drilled to release underground mine water.
That borehole was drilled in 1962.
"I kind of grew up with it being like that, you know what I mean? So, it's always been that way. So I wouldn't eat anything out of it or do anything with it really, go in it at all," said Damian Armitage of Pittston, about the river pollution.
Experts said the Lackawanna River is the number one polluter of the Chesapeake Bay.
State lawmakers now say they will invest $1 million to eventually build a facility in Duryea, Luzerne County to treat the polluted water.
"It's nice to see that someone wants to clean it up but again, state, local, there's not a lot of money in the area, but if they have the money to do it, they should," said Joe Marranca of Pittston.
State officials said they will soon reveal the details of their plans to fix the Lackawanna River.
"I don't know too much about what they're doing or what they're not doing. I mean it's a problem that probably should be fixed," said John Armitage of Pittston.
"If there is that pollution and it's dirty, then they should do something about it," agreed Joseph DePalma of Duryea.