Lower Passaic River
Restoration Planning
8 July 2010
Community Advisory Group
Lisa Baron
Peter Weppler
Diana Kohtio
Jeff Cusano
Kate Mulvey
Heather Morgan
Tricia Aspinwall
Amanda Switzer
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Lower
Hudson River
Newark Bay, Passaic
River, Hackensack
River
Arthur Kill/
Kill Van Kull
Harlem River,
East River,
Western Long
Island Sound
Upper
Bay
Jamaica Bay
Lower
Lower Bay
Raritan River
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 Comprehensive Study
of the Lower Passaic
River:
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
17-miles tidal portion
of the river from
Dundee Dam to
Newark Bay
Watershed including
Tributaries (118 sq
miles)
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Restoration Goals: Target Ecosystem Characteristics
Image source: Diamond Alkali Superfund Site Draft Natural Resource Damage Assessment Plan (November 2007), Federal
Natural Resource Trustees: NOAA and USFWS
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Identified Problems
Sediment & Water
Contamination


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
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
PCBs
Dioxin
Mercury
Pesticides
PAHs
And others…
Degraded Habitat
 Lost wetlands
 Injured bird &
fish habitats
Continuing Sources
 Combined sewers
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Project Goals
(Why important to Corps?)
 Remediate contamination to reduce
Human and Eco risks
 Improve water quality
 Restore degraded shorelines
 Create new habitats
 Improve human uses
 Reduce contaminant loading
to harbor
 Reduce USACE Dredged Material
Management Costs
 Address navigational needs
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Project Relationships
WRDA
CERCLA
Hudson Raritan EstuaryLower Passaic River
Restoration Feasibility
Study
Superfund
NRD
Natural Resource Damage
Trustees
Potential
Responsible
Parties
New Jersey Department
of Transportation
Cooperating
Parties Group
Stakeholders
New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection
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Restoration:
3 Primary
Initiatives
Hudson-Raritan Estuary
Restoration
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Comprehensive Ecosystem
Restoration
Joint Remedial
Investigation/
Feasibility Study
17-Mile Watershed
WRDA LPR
Comprehensive
Restoration Plan
17-Mile Watershed
Focused Feasibility
StudyEarly Action
Lower 8 Miles
Focused
Restoration
Plan
Lower 8 Miles
Near-term
Restoration
Projects
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WRDA Activities in Support of
Joint Study
 Site Characterization
► GIS
Analysis
► Bathymetric Surveys
► Side Scan Sonar
► Sediment Analysis (chemical and physical)
 Environmental Dredging Pilot
 Decontamination Technology
Demonstrations (NJDOT Sponsor/EPA)
 Commercial Navigation Analysis
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Environmental Dredging Pilot
Using mechanical dredge, removed approximately 4,000 cubic yards
of dredged material from an area covering 1.2 acres
Purpose to collect data:
 Resuspension of sediment
 Equipment Performance
► Productivity
► Accuracy
 Decontamination
Technologies
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WRDA Restoration Planning
Activities
 Biological Sampling and Characterization
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Reconnaissance survey of Mainstem and Tributaries
Benthic community habitat survey
River bottom survey
Vegetation Sampling, Wetland Delineation and Bio-Benchmarking
Plant Resource Guide
Kingfisher Survey
 Restoration Opportunities Identification in Mainstem and
Tributaries
►
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Conceptual designs
Municipality Master Plans
Visioning – Renderings and 3-D flyover
 Focused Ecosystem Restoration Plan (Compliment
USEPA potential early action within the Lower 8 miles)
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Future Navigational Use
State of NJ Position based on Regional Master Plans and
Municipalities Proposed Waterfront Redevelopment
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 Restoration Plan for
17 mile study area
including tributaries
 Completed after
biological data
collection of upper 11
miles
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 Companion to EPA FFS
 Lower 8-Miles
 17 Restoration
Opportunities Mainstem
 18 Tributary Sites
 Conceptual Designs
 Project Summary Sheets
 Analysis of Restoration Opportunities
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Before….
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After…
GATEWAY PARK
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GATEWAY PARK
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Existing and Future
Conditions
Lower Passaic River
Flyover
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Stakeholder
Coordination
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Summary/Next Steps
Restoration:
• Completion of Focused Ecosystem Restoration Plan to
compliment USEPA’s Potential Early Action on lower 8 miles of
the river.
• Identify opportunities independent of remedial action
•Implement as early restoration activities with Trustee
(NRDA) and potential/or existing Corps’ (WRDA)
authorities.
•Conduct biological sampling in the 17 mile stretch in
coordination with USEPA and Cooperating Parties Group
•Preparation of Comprehensive Restoration Plan for the entire
17-mile study area.
•Coordination with overall HRE Ecosystem Restoration Study
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For more Information:
www.ourpassaic.org
www.nan.usace.army.mil
www.watersweshare.org
Contact information:
Lisa A. Baron
USACE New York District
Programs and Project Management Division
26 Federal Plaza, RM 2119
New York, New York 10278-0090
(917) 790-8306
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