Newark Bay Study - Passaic River Public Digital Library

SECTION 1
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 OVERVIEW OF ISSUES RELATED TO NEWARK BAY
Newark Bay is a major commercial harbor facility that is bounded by the cities of Newark and
Elizabeth, NJ, along its western shoreline, Jersey City and the city of Bayonne to the east, and Staten
Island to the South (Figure 1-1). The Bay is a tidal system, with salt water moving in and out at its
southern end, via the Kill van Kull and the Arthur Kill. Fresh water also enters the Bay from the
North, mainly via the Passaic River and to a much lesser extent, the Hackensack River. These
freshwater inputs result in a net transport of material in a southerly direction, through the Bay and
on to New York – New Jersey (NYNJ) Harbor. The connection of the Bay with NYNJ Harbor
takes place via the Kill van Kull and Arthur Kill water bodies that are connected to Newark Bay at
its southernmost point. The interaction between these water bodies occurs as a result of net
freshwater flow that passes through the system as well as tidal action.
The Newark Bay region has become very industrialized over the previous century as a result
of its proximity to a number of major metropolitan areas, including Newark, NJ and New York City,
and also because it has natural features that made it an ideal location to serve as a harbor facility.
This industrial development has in turn led to its being impacted by a variety of contaminants that
have generally degraded water quality and sediment quality in the system, including both Newark
Bay and nearby contiguous waters. In addition, this development has also been associated with
physical changes to the system (e.g., buildings and port facilities), and these changes have also had an
influence on the use of Newark Bay as a habitat for aquatic and terrestrial life in the region.
Studies conducted by Federal, State and other agencies have established that the levels of
contaminants in Newark Bay sediments exceed applicable sediment standards (NOAA, 1998). The
contaminants that are likely contributors to the exceedances include dioxin/furans
(PCDDs/PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),
pesticides and herbicides residues, and metals. Although the list of contaminants of potential
concern (COPCs) and contaminants of potential ecological concern (COPECs) is not finalized, it is
likely to include a sub-set or all of the above listed chemicals.
As a result of these studies, the Newark Bay Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study
(RI/FS) is being conducted under a February 2004 CERCLA Administrative Order on Consent
(AOC) between USEPA and Occidental Chemical to assess the potential threat of harm to human
health or welfare or the environment that may result from the release or threatened release of
hazardous substances from the Newark Bay study area. Under the terms of the AOC, the
potentially responsible party (PRP) is responsible for conducting the RI/FS, while the USEPA will
be responsible for conducting the Human and Ecological Risk Assessments. In addition, the
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