Ray Proffitt is known to some people as “the river vigilante,” a man worth his weight in gold. To others, he’s a royal pain in the profit margin.

A former test pilot and stock-broker, Proffitt has appointed himself protector of the Delaware River and its tributaries. His flamboyant modus operandi begins with regular cruises along the waterways in a small plane or in an amphibious vehicle that looks as if he's driven his car into the river. His eyes are alert for any sign of trouble— the appearance of asphalt and concrete dumps in a marshland, untreated sewage outfall from a town, a new drain pipe pouring out industrial waste.

He traces the pollution to the source and confronts the offender with his log notes and photographs. If they don’t cease and desist and clean up the mess they’ve made, Proffitt takes them to court under the Clean Water Act.

Proffitt has sued land developers, corporations, and towns. He’s taken the EPA administrator and the U.S. Attorney General to court, charging them with failure to enforce environmental regulations. No attorney was willing to represent him against the nation’s chief attorney, so Proffitt filed suit himself.