Updated Lower Passaic River Commercial Navigation Analysis [December 2008]

This document presents the current status of commercial navigation use on the Lower Passaic River. The draft of this report (March 2007) was presented in Appendix F in the Draft Source Control Early Action Focused Feasibility Study (June 2007). The updated report incorporated additional information from two data sets obtained from the IWR Waterborne Commerce Statistics including: (1) general trends from 1980 to 2006 and (2) current berth by berth uses of the waterway for the most recent ten years available (1997-2006). The analysis presents a qualitative evaluation of commodities, tonnage, and loaded drafts for all active berths. The August 2008 Conditions Survey was used to present average and controlling depths for each authorized reach of the federal navigation channel. To review this report, please click here.

EPA Signs Agreement with Companies to Remove Major Source of Dioxin from the Lower Passaic River

A momentous agreement between EPA, Occidental Chemical and Tierra Solutions calls for the most significant removal of contaminated material from the Passaic in history. The settlement, announced June 23, 2008 at a park overlooking the river, involves the removal of nearly half of the dioxin that has contaminated sediment in the Passaic. It requires Occidental and Tierra Solutions to remove 200,000 cubic yards of dioxin-laden material from the portion of the river directly in front of the Diamond Alkali Superfund site in downtown Newark.

Click here to view the press release, click here to view the removal agreement, and click here to view the fact sheet.

Sampling Activities to Support the Early Action Evaluation

A sampling event has been planned to gather data to support the Empirical Mass Balance Model in the FFS. Attached are the work plan documents that describe the sampling. Please click here to download the Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)/Field Sampling Plan (FSP) Addendum and Sediment Trap Amendment.

Sampling has been planned in the surface sediments of River Mile 0 - 1 to fill in data gaps for the Early Action evaluation. Attached are the work plan documents that describe the sampling. Please click here to download the QAPP Modification, figure and attachment.

Sampling and lab experiments are being planned to determine Passaic River sediment erosion rates using a device named "Sedflume". Erosion rates will be used in sediment transport modeling to characterize sediment stability or the potential for sediments to move. Click here to download the QAPP Modification.

Focused Feasibility Study (FFS)

The Focused Feasibility Study (FFS) evaluates a range of alternatives that might be implemented to control the sediments of the lower eight miles of the Passaic River. A draft FFS is being reviewed by the Remedial Options Work Group. The files that comprise the draft FFS can be downloaded and reviewed by clicking on the links below:

Draft FFS Executive Summary
Draft FFS Executive Summary and Text
Draft FFS Figures and Tables
Draft FFS Appendix A Conceptual Site Model
Draft FFS Appendix B Sediment TBCs and PRGs
Draft FFS Appendix C Risk Assessment
Draft FFS Appendix D Empirical Mass Balance Model
Draft FFS Appendix E Engineering Memoranda
Draft FFS Appendix F Navigation Studies
Draft FFS Appendix G Cap Erosion and Flood Modeling
Draft FFS Appendix H Dredged Material Management Assessments
Draft FFS Appendix I Dredging Volume Estimates
Draft FFS Appendix J Cost Estimates

On June 27, 2007, the Remedial Options Work Group heard an overview of the draft FFS. The files that comprise the overview can be downloaded and reviewed by clicking on the links below:

Remedial Options Workgroup Presentation - Introduction.pdf
Remedial Options Workgroup Presentation - CSM and EMBM.pdf
Remedial Options Workgroup Presentation - Risk.pdf
Remedial Options Workgroup Presentation - Engineering.pdf

Note that the due date for comments from the work group recently was extended to August 16, 2007 from the date shown in the presentations.

On May 7, 2008, the Remedial Options Work Group met to hear an update on work being done to address comments on the draft FFS. The discussion focused on how the remedial alternatives would be updated (click here for the presentation).

Proposed Plan

The Proposed Plan identifies the partner agencies' proposed cleanup method, based on the alternatives evaluated in the Focused Feasibility Study. The Proposed Plan will be available for public comment after the Focused Feasibility Study is completed.