Passaic River News

In Hurricane SANDY’s roiled aftermath, NJ Port’s dredged materials management method becomes even more important. Summer has come and gone. So has hurricane SANDY. The latter event brought rain, flooding, destruction and misery to the greater NY/NJ waterfront, and beyond. Well before that, however, the Robbins Reef Yacht Club in New Jersey’s Newark Bay within the Port of New York/New Jersey was reporting upbeat conditions. “We saw a significant increase in boating activity this summer because our members were able to access us with ease…

The Coast Guard discovered an estimated 50 gallons of biodiesel that leaked from a spill reported yesterday near East Newark, N.J., along the Passaic River near North Arlington, N.J., at approximately 10 a.m., today. During a follow-up inspection of the shore, Coast Guard pollution investigators noticed the soy based oil spill had leaked out along the shoreline. The clear biodiesel spill reportedly stretches two miles in length and less than a millimeter thick. Ken’s Marine, a commercial pollution recovery company, is currently on scene and has deployed two absorbent booms in the river to catch any product drifting down river. Workers have also placed the absorbent pads along the shore and in the water by boat.

An estimated 1,000 gallons of biodiesel oil is reported to have spilled into a catch basin near East Newark, NJ, on the Passaic River at about 5:30 a.m. March 26. Coast Guard Sector New York received a report from the National Response Center (NRC) that Innovation Fuels Inc. reported the spill had occurred during an internal transfer and that the source of the release had been secured. None of the product was reported to have reached the water. Biodiesel oil is a non-petroleum based diesel fuel similar to vegetable oil or animal fat. Kens Marine has been contracted to clean up the spill and have deployed preventative boom around the area.

Critical channel-deepening and environmental projects at the Port of New York and New Jersey will continue to advance under a funding bill approved this week by Congress. The deeper channels will allow new, larger ships to enter the harbor, maintaining the port’s competitive edge as the leading port on the east coast of North America. The fiscal year 2004 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill, which funds U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, includes $110 million for channel-deepening projects in the port. The funding will allow for the continuation of federal channel-deepening projects under construction in the Kill van Kull-Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill and Port Jersey channels.

Critical channel-deepening and environmental projects at the Port of New York and New Jersey will continue to advance under a funding bill approved this week by Congress. The deeper channels will allow new, larger ships to enter the harbor, maintaining the port's competitive edge as the leading port on the east coast of North America. The fiscal year 2004 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill, which funds U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, includes $110 million for channel-deepening projects in the port. The funding will allow for the continuation of federal channel-deepening projects under construction in the Kill van Kull-Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill and Port Jersey channels.

United Marine International (UMI), Division of Liquid Waste Technology, Inc., USA, has emerged as the world's leading producer of Marine Trash Skimmers. UMI designs and manufactures Water Management Boats to remove from waterways all types and sizes of floating debris, aquatic vegetation and related pollutants...anything and everything that "washes" out of watersheds after snow melts, "spring runoff" and rainstorms...natural debris, street litter, man-make "flotables", and garbage. All this pollution eventually finds it way into our ports and harbors. Today there are over 60 UMI TRASHCAT™ skimmer boats in operation throughout the world. New York, Paris, Washington, DC, Chicago, Ft.

SeaArk Marine, Monticello, Ark., delivered its 27 ft. all-welded aluminum Commander model to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners of Newark, N.J. Named R.V. Passaic River, the vessel will be utilized for water quality sampling and general environmental clean-up work in the Passaic River and in Newark Bay - in addition to utilization for educational purposes. The vessel boasts a deep-vee hull, which provides proven performance and a smooth, dry ride, as well as SeaArk's standard 25 ft. hull stretched to 27 ft., allowing additional room for equipment on the recessed rear deck. A fully enclosed and insulated cabin was also extended to house two bench seats/storage boxes and a worktable, as well as two pilot seats.