ENCAP Mitigation Site

 

EncapWetlandMitigationSiteEnCap Mitigation

B.  EnCap Mitigation Site                     

Category: Existing Restoration/Preservation and/or Mitigation Site

Location: Bounded on the east by the old Rutherford Landfill Haul Road, on the west by Berry’s Creek and on the south by the mouth of Fish Creek, in Rutherford, NJ.

Latitude/Longitude: 40.7975/-74.0941

Current Land Use: Tidal Wetland Mitigation Site

Size:  48 acres

Current Ownership: NJMC

Site Description: Prior to 2004, the EnCap mitigation site was a tidal Phragmites marsh adjacent to Berry’s Creek.  In spring of 2004 construction at the mitigation site began to compensate for wetlands impacts to approximately 9.8 acres of wetlands associated with the now defunct EnCap landfill to golf course project.  Phragmites was eradicated and marsh elevations were lowered by excavating approximately 35 acres of marsh plain at the site.  Planting of Spartina alterniflora occurred between May and August of 2005.  The upland islands were planted between September and December 2006.  As of 2014, substantial portions of the site are sparsely vegetated and are well below the project design goal of 85% vegetative cover.  The majority of the site is open water during high tide and mudflat during low tide.

Existing Site-Specific Data Inventory

A. Survey, Maps, and GIS

HMD regional data exists inclusive of this site. Topographic information collected for a portion of the site in 2001.

B. Real Estate/Ownership

Owned by NJMC.

C. Site History & Land Use

The ACOE completed a cultural resource investigation of this site in 2006.

D. Biological Studies – Fauna

General baseline data collected in 1988, site-specific data collected in 1985, 1992 and 2001.

E. Biological Studies – General Environmental

Baseline data and wetland quality assessments conducted in 1988 and 1992, and in 2001 for a portion of the site.

F. Geotechnical

General baseline data collected in 1988, site-specific data collected in 1985, 1992 and 2001.

G. Hydraulics and Hydrology

Baseline data collected in 1988, site-specific data collected in 1985, 1992 and 2001.

H. Water and Sediments

Site-specific water and sediment contamination data collected in 1980 and 1985.

I. Historical/Cultural Resources

Site-specific baseline data collected in 2001. The ACOE completed a cultural resource investigation of this site in 2006.

J. Restoration/Remediation Design Plans

Final wetland mitigation plan developed in 2001.

 

Site Reports

Site B – EnCap Mitigation Site

Category: Existing Restoration/Preservation and/or Mitigation Site

Location: Bounded on the east by the old Rutherford Landfill Haul Road, on the west by Berry’s Creek and on the south by the mouth of Fish Creek in Rutherford, NJ.

Latitude/Longitude: 40.7975/-74.0941

Current Land Use: Tidal wetland mitigation site

Size:  48 acres

Current Ownership: NJMC

Site Description: Prior to 2004, the EnCap mitigation site was a tidal Phragmites marsh adjacent to Berry’s Creek.  In spring of 2004 construction at the mitigation site began to compensate for wetlands impacts to approximately 9.8 acres of wetlands associated with the now defunct EnCap landfill to golf course project.  Phragmites was eradicated and marsh elevations were lowered by excavating approximately 35 acres of marsh plain at the site.  Planting of Spartina alterniflora occurred between May and August of 2005.  The upland islands were planted between September and December 2006.  As of 2014, substantial portions of the site are sparsely vegetated and are well below the project design goal of 85% vegetative cover.  The majority of the site is open water during high tide and mudflat during low tide.

Existing Site Specific Data Inventory

* – Report repeated under multiple data categories and/or sites.

A. Survey, Maps, and GIS

Relevant survey, mapping, and GIS data for the Meadowlands can be found in the Meadowlands-wide site report under data category A.

  1. *Paulus, Sokolowski, and Sartor, LLC. Final Wetlands Mitigation Plan for EnCap Golf Holdings, LLC and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission: Brownfield Redevelopment Project. June 2001 (Revised May 2002). [1] Outlines the final wetland mitigation plan for Lyndhurst, Avon, and Rutherford Landfills. The mitigation area is located in Berry’s Creek Marsh. The report provides a description of wetlands to be impacted at the three landfills, as well as a description of existing conditions of the mitigation site including topography, soils and surficial geology, hydrology, vegetation, fish and wildlife, and historic resources. The report also contains IVA assessments for both the existing wetlands and the proposed mitigation wetlands, a detailed wetlands mitigation plan, and maintenance and monitoring plan.

B. Real Estate/Ownership

The EnCap tidal mitigation site, a portion of the Berry’s Creek Marsh, is owned by NJMC.

  1. Berry’s Creek Marsh Acquisition Information. September 2003.

Date of Acquisition:    November 22, 1999

Cost of Acquisition:     $1,181,996.84

Acquired from:            Rutherford Land Company

C. Site History & Land Use

The ACOE completed a cultural resource investigation of this site in 2006.  See bibliographic update.

D. Biological Studies – Fauna

  1. *Paulus, Sokolowski, and Sartor, LLC. Final Wetlands Mitigation Plan for EnCap Golf Holdings, LLC and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission: Brownfield Redevelopment Project. June 2001 (Revised May 2002). [1] Outlines the final wetland mitigation plan for Lyndhurst, Avon, and Rutherford Landfills. The mitigation area is located in Berry’s Creek Marsh. The report provides a description of wetlands to be impacted at the three landfills, as well as a description of existing conditions of the mitigation site including topography, soils and surficial geology, hydrology, vegetation, fish and wildlife, and historic resources. The report also contains IVA assessments for both the existing wetlands and the proposed mitigation wetlands, a detailed wetlands mitigation plan, and maintenance and monitoring plan.
  1. *U.S. Coast Guard & USACE. Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Section 404 (b)(1) Evaluation – New Jersey Turnpike Widening Project: Interchange 11 to U.S. Route 46. New Jersey Turnpike Authority. 1988. [1a] States project purpose and need, alternatives, affected environment, and environmental consequences.

E. Biological Studies – General Environmental

  1. Environmental Concern, Inc. A Quantitative Comparison of the Proposed Wetland Mitigation Site and Impacted Site (C & F Realty, Ltd./ Berry Creek Distribution Center). April 1992. [4] The purpose of this report is to evaluate the wetland functions lost through impacts at the Berry Creek Distribution Center Development Site in Carlstadt, NJ and to compare them to the functions that will be gained through the proposed mitigation project located in Lyndhurst, NJ. The three approaches used were: 1) the Habitat Evaluation Procedure; 2) the Wetland Replacement Evaluation Procedure; and 3) literature validation.
  1. *ERM-Southeast, Inc., Task I: Berrys Creek Study Volume I Nature of the Problem. October 1985.[1] This report includes site specific literature search and background investigation, site description, and describes the nature of the problem. Summarized in Volume I are all analytical data specific to the Berrys Creek area and the Wood-Ridge site. This report details, chemical contamination, of the site, surface water, mercury in the air and groundwater.
  1. *Paulus, Sokolowski, and Sartor, LLC. Final Wetlands Mitigation Plan for EnCap Golf Holdings, LLC and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission: Brownfield Redevelopment Project. June 2001 (Revised May 2002). [1] Outlines the final wetland mitigation plan for Lyndhurst, Avon, and Rutherford Landfills. The mitigation area is located in Berry’s Creek Marsh. The report provides a description of wetlands to be impacted at the three landfills, as well as a description of existing conditions of the mitigation site including topography, soils and surficial geology, hydrology, vegetation, fish and wildlife, and historic resources. The report also contains IVA assessments for both the existing wetlands and the proposed mitigation wetlands, a detailed wetlands mitigation plan, and maintenance and monitoring plan.
  1. *S. Coast Guard & USACE. Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Section 404 (b)(1) Evaluation – New Jersey Turnpike Widening Project: Interchange 11 to U.S. Route 46. New Jersey Turnpike Authority. 1988. [1a] States project purpose and need, alternatives, affected environment, and environmental consequences.

F. Geotechnical

  1. *Paulus, Sokolowski, and Sartor, LLC. Final Wetlands Mitigation Plan for EnCap Golf Holdings, LLC and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission: Brownfield Redevelopment Project. June 2001 (Revised May 2002). [1] Outlines the final wetland mitigation plan for Lyndhurst, Avon, and Rutherford Landfills. The mitigation area is located in Berry’s Creek Marsh. The report provides a description of wetlands to be impacted at the three landfills, as well as a description of existing conditions of the mitigation site including topography, soils and surficial geology, hydrology, vegetation, fish and wildlife, and historic resources. The report also contains IVA assessments for both the existing wetlands and the proposed mitigation wetlands, a detailed wetlands mitigation plan, and maintenance and monitoring plan.
  1. *S. Coast Guard & USACE. Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Section 404 (b)(1) Evaluation – New Jersey Turnpike Widening Project: Interchange 11 to U.S. Route 46. New Jersey Turnpike Authority. 1988. [1a] States project purpose and need, alternatives, affected environment, and environmental consequences.

G. Hydraulics and Hydrology

  1. *Paulus, Sokolowski, and Sartor, LLC. Final Wetlands Mitigation Plan for EnCap Golf Holdings, LLC and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission: Brownfield Redevelopment Project. June 2001 (Revised May 2002). [1] Outlines the final wetland mitigation plan for Lyndhurst, Avon, and Rutherford Landfills. The mitigation area is located in Berry’s Creek Marsh. The report provides a description of wetlands to be impacted at the three landfills, as well as a description of existing conditions of the mitigation site including topography, soils and surficial geology, hydrology, vegetation, fish and wildlife, and historic resources. The report also contains IVA assessments for both the existing wetlands and the proposed mitigation wetlands, a detailed wetlands mitigation plan, and maintenance and monitoring plan.
  1. *S. Coast Guard & USACE. Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Section 404 (b)(1) Evaluation – New Jersey Turnpike Widening Project: Interchange 11 to U.S. Route 46. New Jersey Turnpike Authority. 1988. [1a] States project purpose and need, alternatives, affected environment, and environmental consequences.

H. Water and Sediments

  1. *ERM-Southeast, Inc., Task I: Berrys Creek Study Volume I Nature of the Problem. October 1985.[1] This report includes site specific literature search and background investigation, site description, and describes the nature of the problem. Summarized in Volume I are all analytical data specific to the Berrys Creek area and the Wood-Ridge site. This report details, chemical contamination, of the site, surface water, mercury in the air and groundwater.
  1. Galluzzi, Paul. Guidelines for Environmental Assessments of Channel and Marsh Sediment Disturbances in the Berrys Creek Drainage. April 1980. [1] Based on data from the 1977-1978 Mercury Study which indicates the highest mercury contamination exists in these upper Berrys Creek Marshes; the mercury dump site is less than 2000 feet north of the subject inquiries. Also there is a lot of evidence that mercury is only one of several heavy metals present in high concentrations in marsh sediments.
  1. *U.S. Coast Guard & USACE. Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Section 404 (b)(1) Evaluation – New Jersey Turnpike Widening Project: Interchange 11 to U.S. Route 46. New Jersey Turnpike Authority. 1988. [1a] States project purpose and need, alternatives, affected environment, and environmental consequences.

I. Historical/Cultural Resources

  1. *Paulus, Sokolowski, and Sartor, LLC. Final Wetlands Mitigation Plan for EnCap Golf Holdings, LLC and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission: Brownfield Redevelopment Project. June 2001 (Revised May 2002). [1] Outlines the final wetland mitigation plan for Lyndhurst, Avon, and Rutherford Landfills. The mitigation area is located in Berry’s Creek Marsh. The report provides a description of wetlands to be impacted at the three landfills, as well as a description of existing conditions of the mitigation site including topography, soils and surficial geology, hydrology, vegetation, fish and wildlife, and historic resources. The report also contains IVA assessments for both the existing wetlands and the proposed mitigation wetlands, a detailed wetlands mitigation plan, and maintenance and monitoring plan. The ACOE completed a cultural resource investigation of this site in 2006 (see bibliographic update).

J. Restoration/Remediation Design Plans

  1. *Paulus, Sokolowski, and Sartor, LLC. Final Wetlands Mitigation Plan for EnCap Golf Holdings, LLC and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission: Brownfield Redevelopment Project. June 2001 (Revised May 2002). [1] Outlines the final wetland mitigation plan for Lyndhurst, Avon, and Rutherford Landfills. The mitigation area is located in Berry’s Creek Marsh. The report provides a description of wetlands to be impacted at the three landfills, as well as a description of existing conditions of the mitigation site including topography, soils and surficial geology, hydrology, vegetation, fish and wildlife, and historic resources. The report also contains IVA assessments for both the existing wetlands and the proposed mitigation wetlands, a detailed wetlands mitigation plan, and maintenance and monitoring plan.
  1. Bibliographic Updates