Lower Passaic River Restoration Planning

Transcription

1 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

2 Lower Hudson River Newark Bay, Passaic River, Hackensack River Harlem River, East River, Western Long Island Sound Arthur Kill/ Kill Van Kull Upper Bay Jamaica Bay Lower Raritan River Lower Bay

3 BUILDING STRONG

4 Comprehensive Study of the Lower Passaic River: 17-miles tidal portion of the river from Dundee Dam to Newark Bay Watershed including Tributaries (118 sq miles)

5 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

6 Identified Problems Sediment & Water Contamination PCBs Dioxin Mercury Pesticides PAHs And others Degraded Habitat Lost wetlands Injured bird & fish habitats Continuing Sources Combined sewers

7 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

8 Project Relationships WRDA Hudson Raritan Estuary- Lower Passaic River Restoration Feasibility Study CERCLA Superfund NRD Natural Resource Damage Trustees New Jersey Department of Transportation Potential Responsible Parties Cooperating Parties Group Stakeholders New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

9 Restoration: 3 Primary Initiatives Hudson-Raritan Estuary Restoration

10 Comprehensive Ecosystem Restoration Joint Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study 17-Mile Watershed Focused Feasibility Study- Early Action Lower 8 Miles WRDA LPR Comprehensive Restoration Plan Focused Restoration Plan Lower 8 Miles 17-Mile Watershed Near-term Restoration Projects

11 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

12 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

13 WRDA Restoration Planning Activities Biological Sampling and Characterization 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 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)

14 Future Navigational Use State of NJ Position based on Regional Master Plans and Municipalities Proposed Waterfront Redevelopment

15 Restoration Plan for 17 mile study area including tributaries Completed after biological data collection of upper 11 miles

16 Companion to EPA FFS Lower 8-Miles 17 Restoration Opportunities Mainstem 18 Tributary Sites Conceptual Designs Project Summary Sheets Analysis of Restoration Opportunities

17 Before.

18 After GATEWAY PARK

19 GATEWAY PARK

20 Existing and Future Conditions Lower Passaic River Flyover

21 Stakeholder Coordination

22 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

23 For more Information: Contact information: Lisa A. Baron USACE New York District Programs and Project Management Division 26 Federal Plaza, RM 2119 New York, New York (917)