April 2014 - NOAA welcomes an EPA plan to clean up the entire lower 8.3 miles of the Passaic River in New Jersey as an early component of the larger program to restore and revitalize the Lower Passaic River and Newark Bay. The proposed cleanup includes bank to bank dredging of approximately 4.3 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment to allow for placement of a cap to cover the contaminated sediment that will remain in place. The dredged sediment would be transported off-site for disposal.

The section of the Lower Passaic River proposed for cleanup is part of the larger Diamond Alkali Superfund Site which includes the entire 17.4 miles of the Lower Passaic River and Newark Bay. These areas are contaminated with dioxins resulting from releases from the former Diamond Alkali pesticide plant in Newark, NJ, as well as other contaminants. Early in the joint federal-state partnership to cleanup and restore the site, this portion of the Lower Passaic River was found to be a major source of contamination.

The Lower Passaic River and Newark Bay provide substantial important resources for wildlife and communities in the New York-New Jersey Harbor. NOAA is among the trustees who are assessing injuries to natural resources caused by the releases of hazardous substances into the Lower Passaic River and Newark Bay. Addressing contaminated sediments in the Lower Eight Miles of the Passaic River is a critical step toward the larger goal of cleaning up and restoring the New York - New Jersey Harbor Estuary.

For further information, contact Reyhan.Mehran@noaa.gov, or see the plan at ourpassaic.org.

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