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Projects funded by once widespread New Jersey polluter

The removal of the first of three dams from the Raritan River in Somerset County that will open up a 10-mile stretch of the middle and upper portions of the river to fish migration for the first time in more than a century is underway, the state Department of Environmental Protection announced on Wednesday.

The project is being carried out and financed by the El Paso Corp. of Houston under the terms of an agreement secured this year by the DEP that will open up a large segment of the river for fish spawning. El Paso Corp. is paying compensation to the public for harm to natural resources it caused by past pollution at a refinery and three polymer plants that were operated by or affiliated with the company.

The first of the dams being removed is the Calco Dam in Bridgewater. That project should be done in two weeks, and removal of the two remaining dams is expected to be completed by autumn.

"The removal work getting underway this week will result in a significant environmental improvement to the Raritan River, making this a valuable habitat for fish spawning, improving overall environmental conditions in the river system, and expanding recreational opportunities," DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said.

"Removing these dams will make it easier for kayakers and canoeists to use this river, and for outdoors enthusiasts to enjoy a river that is undergoing a steady ecological comeback,'' Assistant Commissioner for Natural and Historic Resources Amy Cradic added. "This is a major win for the environment, allowing the reopening of these spawning areas which will help restore balance to the estuary."

Dam removal will open up 10 miles of migratory fish habitat along a stretch of the river that twists through a diverse residential, commercial and agricultural portion of Somerset that includes Bridgewater, Bound Brook, Somerville and Manville. It also will open up about 17 miles of tributaries, including the Millstone River, to spawning. None of the dams were built for flood control.

The Calco Dam is located at river mile 20.9 and was built by the Calco Chemical Co. in 1938 to disperse chemicals from its facility. The dam is essentially a large concrete pipe spanning the river that now carries and disperses wastewater into the river for the Somerset Raritan Valley Sewerage Authority. The authority has constructed a new outfall that will be operational shortly.

The Nevius Street Dam is located at river mile 27 and was constructed of rocks and mortar in 1901 for aesthetic purposes and later retrofitted to provide water to ponds on the Duke estate in Hillsborough. The DEP and El Paso are working on a plan to ensure the river continues to feed water to the ponds after the dam is removed.

The Robert Street Dam, a 6 ½-foot-high sheet piling and concrete structure, is located at river mile 27.9 and was constructed prior to 1930 for purposes that are no longer known.

Martin said species to benefit most from the removal of the dams include American shad, American eel, herring, and striped bass, which once migrated in great numbers through the gravelly shallows of the Upper Raritan. He said better water flow also will improve flushing of sediments, reduce nutrient loadings and improve conditions for tiny aquatic organisms that are critical to the food web in the river system.

Jeff Tittel, New Jersey Sierra Club director, applauded the dam removal effort.

“The removal of these three dams will improve water quality in the river and open the river up to more recreational uses,” Tittel said. “Dams cause nutrients to be trapped and cause an increase in water temperature this leads to algae growth and the loss of oxygen in the water. By removing the dam it allows the river to run free which lower temperatures and less pollution. This will also improve fisheries and the ecosystem by allowing fish to breed in river bottoms and to travel up stream.

“This will create more recreational opportunities like kayaking, canoeing and fishing,” Tittel said “This being done without bcost to taxpayers by having polluters pay.

The settlement with El Paso resolved Natural Resource Damage claims made by the DEP against the Houston-based company that stemmed from contamination at EPEC Polymers Inc. in Flemington, Nuodex Inc. in Woodbridge, EPEC Polymers Inc. in Burlington City, and the Eagle Point Refinery in West Deptford. Cleanups are under way at those sites.

The DEP uses funds secured from Natural Resource Damage settlements toward ecological restoration projects, typically in the same watershed or general area where resource damages occur.

– TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM