Lower Passaic River an Overview of EPA’S Proposal for the Lower Eight Miles | May 2014
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Cleaning Up the Lower Passaic River An Overview of EPA’s Proposal for the Lower Eight Miles | May 2014 THE PASSAIC RIVER’S On April 11, 2014, the EPA proposed a cleanup plan for the lower eight miles of the river. The proposed plan was POLLUTED PAST released for public review and comment. Of the cleanup A century of industrialization and development alternatives evaluated, the EPA is proposing “Capping with throughout the Passaic River watershed have left Dredging for Flooding & Navigation” with “Off-Site Disposal behind toxic muck on the bottom and banks of the of Dredged Materials”, described in the Focused Feasibility Passaic River. From Newark Bay to the Dundee Dam Study and Proposed Plan as “Alternative 3 with Dredged in Garfield, New Jersey, a section of the river referred Materials Management Scenario B.” These documents and to as the Lower Passaic River, the sediment is severely the Remedial Investigation report, which details the nature contaminated with dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls and extent of contamination in the lower eight miles, are (PCBs), mercury, lead and other metals, as well as available in the information repositories and on the pesticides and other harmful chemicals. Contaminated project website: http://www.ourpassaic.org/ sediment in the river bottom poses a significant threat to people’s health and the health of wildlife that live in CAPPING WITH DREDGING and along the river. The primary risks are from eating contaminated fish and shellfish from the river. FOR FLOODING & NAVIGATION WITH OFF-SITE DISPOSAL OF The majority of the contamination is located in the lower eight miles of the river, where there is up to 15 feet of DREDGED MATERIALS accumulated sediment Under this cleanup plan: totaling 9.7 million cubic • 4.3 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment A cubic yard yards (a cubic yard is about (enough to fill MetLife Stadium two times) would be the size of a dishwasher) that is about the removed, bank-to-bank, by dredging the river bottom spans bank-to-bank along the size of a from Newark Bay to the Belleville/Newark border. river bottom. The sediment This would result in the permanent removal from the dishwasher. contamination found here environment of nearly 18 pounds of highly toxic and is highly concentrated, persistent dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD), more than 35,000 persistent and continues to move as the river flows, pounds of mercury, more than 15,000 pounds of PCBs adding to the pollution in the rest of the river, Newark Bay and nearly 2,000 pounds of DDT (a pesticide). and beyond. • Sediment would be dewatered locally and prepared for THE PROPOSAL TO CLEAN transport by rail for incineration and/or disposal in landfills. THE PASSAIC • 5.4 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment would The EPA conducted a multi-year study of an eight mile remain in the river bottom protected by an engineered section of the Lower Passaic River. The study, referred to cap, effectively eliminating the movement of sediment as the Focused Feasibility Study, evaluated three cleanup and its availability to contaminate the food chain. options to address contaminated sediment in this area The engineered cap (a physical barrier constructed of the river, as well as a fourth option of taking no action. primarily of sand and stone) would be placed over the A larger study of the entire 17-mile stretch of the Lower dredged areas bank-to-bank to protect against erosion Passaic River is ongoing. or other physical disturbances. The cap would not contribute to additional flooding and would be placed Both the cleanup proposal for the lower eight miles and to accommodate the ongoing and projected future use the comprehensive 17-mile study of the Lower Passaic of the federal navigation channel in the 2.2 miles of the River are part of a federal government cleanup of the river closest to Newark Bay. Diamond Alkali Superfund site located at 80-120 Lister Avenue in Newark, New Jersey. www.ourpassaic.orgEPA REGION 2 1 • Despite fish and shellfish advisories warning against Disposal of Contaminated Sediment eating local fish and shellfish, some people ignore the & Other Dredged Materials advisories or are unaware of them and catch and eat local fish and crab out of cultural practice or to put The approximately 4.3 million cubic yards of dredged food on the table for their families. The EPA’s cleanup sediment would be disposed of in the following way: proposal would significantly decrease cancer risks • Dredged materials would be barged to a land-based and non-cancer health hazards to people who eat sediment processing facility in the vicinity of the fish and shellfish from the lower eight miles by: Lower Passaic River/Newark Bay shorelines for debris (1) reducing the concentrations of the contaminants screening, sand separation and active dewatering in shallow sediment in the lower eight miles that using filter presses. might otherwise be absorbed by worms, which might • Water generated by the sediment dewatering process in turn be eaten by fish, and (2) thereby keeping the would be processed through a water treatment plant contaminants from moving up the food chain where they to meet New Jersey water quality standards and can enter people’s diets. discharged to the Lower Passaic River or Newark Bay. • Risks to wildlife would also be substantially reduced • Non-hazardous sand separated during processing by lowering the concentrations of the contaminants in would be disposed of at a landfill or beneficially used. sediment in the lower eight miles. • Dewatered, contaminated dredged materials would • After project completion, there would be a reduction be transported by rail to incinerators and landfills in in the movement of the contaminated sediment from the U.S. or Canada for disposal. Up to 7% of dredged the lower eight miles to other parts of the river and to sediment may require incineration at out-of-state Newark Bay and beyond. facilities in the U.S. or Canada. The ash generated by incineration would be disposed of in a regulated • Long-term monitoring and maintenance of the remedy landfill. Approximately 93% of the dredged sediment would be conducted to ensure stability and integrity of the may be sent to licensed, permitted landfills in the engineered cap and to determine when cleanup goals are U.S. or Canada that are designed to accept the met for the fish and sediment. contaminated sediment. DREDGING THE LOWER PASSAIC • Incineration of a small portion of the dredged sediment may be necessary if it is characterized under federal The cleanup option preferred by the EPA includes: standards as “hazardous” and contains elevated concentrations of dioxin. At this time, incineration is • In River Mile 2.2 to River Mile 8.3: the only technology known to be able to treat the most » Installing an engineered cap, bank-to-bank. highly concentrated dioxin-contaminated sediment to » Before the cap is installed, dredging enough the applicable federal standards. sediment so that the cap will not cause any Long Term Monitoring & Maintenance additional flooding. During construction, monitoring of water, air and wildlife • In River Mile 0 (where the river meets Newark Bay) would be conducted to evaluate whether the cleanup to River Mile 2.2: activities are being managed most efficiently to reduce » Dredging the 300-foot wide federal navigation potential releases of contaminants to the environment. channel to accommodate the current and In instances in which water or air quality standards are reasonably anticipated future use from River Mile exceeded, the related construction activity would be 0 to River Mile 2.2. evaluated and additional protective measures would be » Filling the dredged area with two feet of sand in the implemented. During and after construction, enhanced navigation channel from Newark Bay (River Mile 0) community outreach would be conducted regarding New to River Mile 1.2. Jersey’s fish and crab consumption advisories to improve awareness and compliance. » Installing an engineered cap bank-to-bank from River Mile 1.2 to River Mile 2.2 and in areas After project completion, frequent monitoring of fish, outside of the navigation channel from River Mile river water quality and sediment would be conducted to 1.2 to Newark Bay. determine progress toward meeting cleanup goals. • Reconstructing dredged mudflats to their original grade with an engineered cap that would consist of Monitoring and maintenance of the engineered cap would one foot of sand covered by one foot of material that be required both on a regular basis and after significant will restore the mudflat habitat, so the water-dwelling storms. Controls prohibiting disturbance of the engineered creatures can return. cap by river users would be necessary to maintain cap integrity. 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