An Alternative to CERCLA:

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An Alternative to CERCLA The Urban River
Restoration Initiative Presented to the ACC
Waste Network Meeting by Jonathan P. Deason,
Ph.D., P.E. Environmental and Energy Management
Program The George Washington University March
14, 2001
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Outline

• National Contaminated Sediment
  Problem
• Overview of Urban River Restoration Initiative
• Passaic River Restoration Initiative
• Explanation of Passaic River Problem
• Implementation of PRRI

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National Contaminated Sediment Problem
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National Contaminted Sediment Problem

• 1997 EPA National Sediment Quality Study
• 1,372 watersheds studied
• 96 watersheds have Areas of Probable Concern
• 1,200,000,000 CY contaminated sediment
• 0.6 dredged each year
• 160 years to clean up at current pace if all
  discharges stopped
• Some sites CERCLA some other authorities most
  ignored

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The Urban River Restoration Initiative
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Overview of URRI

• Urban industrial river restoration program for
  COE
• Partnership with EPA and other federal, state
  and local agencies
• Comprehensive planning for environmental
  restoration and economic revitalization of
  distressed waterways
• Appropriate levels of cost sharing

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Consistent With Recent Recommendations

• 1997 National Research Council report
  Contaminated Marine Sediments in Ports and
  Waterways Cleanup Strategies and
  Technologies
• EPA 1998 Contaminated Sediment Management
  Strategy
• 1998 IWR report on COE role in urban waterfront
  development and restoration

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Synergistic With Other Programs

• Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative
• TMDL Initiative
• Environmental Justice Initiative
• NRD Watershed Initiative

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Utilizes Existing COE Authorities

• Planning Assistance to States
• Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration
• Ecosystem Restoration and Protection
• Streambank and Shore Protection
• Interagency Support
• Environmental Dredging

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Capitalizes on Recent Corps Guidance

• ER 1165-2-501, Civil Works Ecosystem
  Restoration Policy (30 Sep 99) Ecosystem
  Restoration is one of the primary missions of
  the Civil Works Program
• EP 1165-2-502, Ecosystem Restoration -
  Supporting Policy Information (30 Sep 99)
  Projects may be formulated to address only
  ecosystem restoration objectives (or) may
  address both ecosystem objectives plus other
  purposes.

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Recent Corps Guidance

• ER 1105-2-100, Civil Works Planning Guidance
  Notebook (22 Apr 00)
• The Corps of Engineers incorporated ecosystem
  restoration as a project purpose within the
  Civil Works program in response to the
  increasing national emphasis on environmental
  restoration and preservation.
• The Corps objective is ecosystem restoration
  planning is to contribute to national ecosystem
  restoration (NER).

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CERCLA - URRI Comparison
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CERCLA - URRI Comparison (2)
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The Passaic River Environmental Restoration
Project
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Passaic River Problems

• 935 square miles in NE NJ and SE NY
• Lower 23 miles very urbanized, highly
  industrial, tidally influenced
• Lower 6 miles designated as an NPL site
• Hundreds of chemical manufacturing plants,
  petroleum refineries, and other large industrial
  facilities along banks of lower Passaic
• High concentrations of dioxins, PCBs, PAHs,
  mercury, lead and other chemicals

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Passaic River Problems (2)

• Loss of tidal and freshwater wetland habitat
• Extensive impacts to birds and mammals
• Tributaries converted to storm sewers or filled
• Pathogenic microbial contamination, excessive
  waterborne nutrients, non-point source
  discharges
• Large number of stakeholder groups including
  municipalities, environmental organizations,
  industries and other

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Passaic River Environmental Restoration
Initiative

• Dual-track COE public works EPA CERCLA
  processes
• Public works reconnaissance, feasibility, ROD,
  PED, construction
• CERCLA PA/SI, RI/FS, ROD, RD/RA

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Passaic River Environmental Restoration
Initiative (2)

• Melding of processes at ROD stages
• Disposition of CERCLA liability IAW
  recommendations in Chiefs report (project
  authorization)
• Benefits URRI will work, CERCLA will not

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Congressional Actions to Date

• House Resolution 2628 (April 11, 2000)
  Passaic River, New Jersey Environmental
  Restoration
• FY 2001 Senate Energy and Water Development
  Appropriations Report
• FY 2001 Energy and Water Development
  Appropriations Act

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Passaic River Environmental Restoration
Initiative
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Passaic River Environmental Restoration
Initiative
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Questions and Discussion