Location Updates - Passaic River
2019
Boat Tour on the Lower Passaic River
On September 26, Javier Laureano, Region 2 Water Division Director, was a lead speaker on New Jersey’s Lower Passaic River Urban Waters Federal Partnership (LPR UWFP) boat tour. The tour, provided by the Hackensack Riverkeeper on two pontoon boats, went from the Orange Sticks at Newark’s Riverfront Park Exitup to Lyndhurst and back down into Newark Bay. The tour attended by 25 people representing a variety of federal agencies, state agencies, local government, local NGOs, community groups and environmental advocates highlighted the status of major UWFP projects including Diamond Alkali Superfund site, the Minish and Passaic Tidal Project, the Dundee Island Park Expansions and Recreation project, and the future of Public Housing on the Waterfront.
Newark’s Adopt a Catch Basin Program
The Lower Passaic River Urban Water Federal Partnership (LPR UWFP) supported the City of Newark’s Sustainability Office and Water & Sewer Department by expanding Newark’s Adopt a Catch Basin Program. The adoption process involves a one-year commitment to maintain the adopted catch basin litter free, to report any damages observed, and to raise awareness of pollution prevention activities by creating murals around each adopted catch basin. The LPR UWFP played a role in increasing public participation of this program by establishing new partnerships between the Program and Newark Public Schools and local community groups. The City's Adopt a Catch Basin Program grew by 18 Catch basins and 16 environmental themed murals, allowing for a crossover between the City's live art scene and environmental education. The catch basins were adopted by a mix of school and community groups.
As a culmination to the Adopt a Catch Basin Campaign, the LPR UWFP worked with the City of Newark’s Sustainability Office and Water & Sewer Department once again to schedule a field trip for two of the schools that participated in the Campaign. About 50 students participated in a field trip to the Pequannock Water Treatment Plant in West Milford, NJ to show students where Newark's drinking water comes from. Students had the chance to participate in water quality testing including taking pH and nitrate readings. In addition to visiting the treatment plant students got the chance to visit the Watershed facility, an outdoor education center also in West Milford, where they got the opportunity to participate in different environmental education activities focusing on non-point source pollution, sustainability and watershed stewardship.Students were also encouraged to visit the facility with their families to partake in outdoor activities such as kayaking, fishing and simply relaxing outdoors.
2017
Passaic Projects and Schedule
A new graphic from EPA summarizes Lower Passaic River/Newark Bay Superfund projects and schedule.Exit
Spring Planting
The NJ Tree Foundation Spring Planting was held on May 27, 2017 at locations across the Newark area. Visit the Newark DIG (Doing Infrastructure Green) website to find more projects, events, and resources surrounding green infrastructure in the Newark area.
2016
2016 Governor's Environmental Excellence Award
The United Way of Union County has nominated EPA Urban Waters Grantee, Groundwork Elizabeth for the 2016 Governor's Environmental Excellence Award. Groundwork Elizabeth and its Green Team have implemented several positive changes within the community and EPA's Urban Waters Grants helped them achieve their great success.
River Access Report
The New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program/Hudson River Foudnation and the USDA Forest Service produced a new report which provides, for the first time, a comprehensive account of where and how the public can access the New York - New Jersey Harbor and its tidal waters. The report, Connecting with Our Waterways: Public Access, is available online.
Read the full report here. Exit
Report confirms: More public access to the Harbor and its waters, but not for everyone
The Passaic River is along the stretch of coastline between the New York - New Jersey Harbor. A recent report highlighted that while 37% of that waterfront is accessible to the public. However, access is not distributed evenly along the shoreline and underserved communities live in areas with less access. For example, in the Passaic River between Neward and Paterson, over 96% of the waterfront is inaccessible.
Read the full report here. Exit
EPA plan for sediment removal complete
The US Environmental Protection Agency finalized a plan to remove 3.5 million cubic yards of toxic sediment from the lower eight miles of the Passaic River in New Jersey, followed by capping that entire stretch of river bottom.
Read more about key elements of the cleanup in the EPA News Release.
Notice of Availability of the Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment
The US Army Corps of Engineers has released a draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment. The release notice posted here has information about where to find documents related to this assessment and instructions for how to send in comments.