Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association

Recommendations to Evaluate Potential Impacts to the Millstone River, Carnegie Lake, D&R Canal and Little Bear Brook for the Penns Neck EIS
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Impairments to Surface Water from Roadways

Sources of Contaminants
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) summarized numerous studies that explain how stormwater runoff from roadways impairs water quality in a variety of ways. The reports highlights the sources of contamination in stormwater runoff including: vehicle exhaust, tires, brakes, oil, gasoline, automotive fluids, engine coolants, antifreeze, road surfaces, salts, nitrogen, and landscaped medians as contributing sources of metals, fertilizers and pesticides as potential pollutants to local waterways. NRDC Stormwater Strategies

Chemical components include the following substances:
Metals: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, and zinc.
Organic compounds: gasoline, MTBE, oils, volatile organic compounds, poly aromatic
hydrocarbons, and pesticides.
Nutrients: nitrogen and phosphorous
Salts: sodium chloride and calcium chloride

Impact to Local Waterways

These compounds are initially deposited on road surfaces and are washed into local waterways during storm events. The compounds identified above are already contaminating our local waterways from the existing high volume of traffic within the study area and on Route 1. Four waterways impacted by existing and proposed traffic enhancements, include the Millstone River, Carnegie Lake, the Delaware & Raritan Canal, and Little Bear Brook. However, sufficient data has not been collected to evaluate these sources of contaminations, the existing concentrations, and or their potential impacts to water quality and aquatic life. Each of these waterways has unique characteristics, serving various purposes and requires independent assessments. They include small tributary streams, rivers, water supplies, and serve recreational uses that include boating, fishing and swimming.

In the Issue Paper, prepared by the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association in January 2000, we recommended that NJDOT perform the following assessments (Millstone Bypass Issue Paper):

• Evaluate current water quality,
• Analyze contaminants that enter these waterways,
• Determine whether the wetlands and waterways can [tolerate] support additional degradation to water quality, and
• Outline the propose stormwater controls to reduce these impacts.

To date, NJDOT has not conducted an independent sampling program to evaluate these concerns and impacts. Under the current EIS, NJDOT proposed to rely solely upon limited sampling previously conducted by the NJDEP and on modeling results to assess potential impacts. Current sampling conducted by the NJDEP should be referenced for the Penns Neck EIS but it is insufficient for the analyses of impacts for the Penns Neck EIS for the following reasons:

• NJDEP sample stations are located too distant from the study area
• NJDEP sampling is conducted once every few years.
• NJDEP sampling does not include all of the compounds outlined above, and does not include sediment sampling.
  
  Proposed Sampling Program
  Purpose

The Watershed has evaluated the state data and recommends that additional information is necessary. The purpose of the proposed sampling is to provide baseline characteristics; to incorporate more site-specific data into modeling efforts; to provide for multiple sampling events for comparisons; to assess degradation of stream sediments, and to assess existing impairments and potential impacts of further degradation of water quality.

NJDEP has identified that 65% of waterways in the state are impaired, reducing their ability to satisfy their designated uses of drinking, swimming and fishing. Therefore, the NJDEP Commissioner, Brad Campbell stated in September 2002 his intention to prioritize efforts to improve water quality in these impaired streams. The NJDEP has identified impairments to Millstone River and Stony Brook in the 1998 and 2002 (Attachment 3). Water quality at the Millstone River sampling station at Kingston, which is downstream of the study area, was impaired by many of the compounds potentially related to roadway runoff. However, Carnegie Lake, the Delaware & Raritan Canal, and Little Bear Brook were not included in the NJDEP sampling program.

The Watershed evaluated the October 2002 Report for the No Build Alternative Traffic Analyses to:

• identify existing high traffic patterns,
• identify nearby waterways that may be impacted, and
• identify potential sampling locations, which includes multiple stations near areas of potential exposure, and stations upstream and downstream for comparison.

Proposed Sampling Stations
The following 14 sampling stations are recommended below:
Little Bear Brook

• upstream of Alexander Road
• near the intersection with Washington Rd.
• at the scout bridge

Millstone River

• at the Rte 1 bridge
• upstream of Little Bear Brook
• upstream of Big Bear Brook

Carnegie Lake

• on the Stony Book upstream of Alexander Road
• at the Washington Road Bridge
• At Harrison Street Bridge
• on the Stony Book downstream of the dam

Delaware & Raritan Canal

• upstream of Alexander Road
• at the Washington Road Bridge
• at Harrison Street Bridge
• downstream of the dam

Proposed Analytical Program

Many of the contaminants of concern identified earlier are not very water-soluble and therefore, the proposed sampling must include both sediment samples as well as samples of the water column. The following sampling program is recommended:

1. Sediment samples and water samples shall be collected at each of the 14 sampling stations.
2. All Sediment samples should be analyzed for: metals, including mercury, volatile organic compounds, including MTBE, poly aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, and salts.
3. All Water column samples should be analyzed for: volatile organics compounds, including MTBE, nitrogen, phosphorous, salts, and mercury.

Letter to NJDOT Bureau of Environmental Services, October 10, 2002

Millstone Bypass Issue Paper

 

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