Restoration Plan Calls for New Riverfront Park Project along the Lower Passaic River

AUGUST 9, 2021 ─ On July 29, 2021, federal co-trustees, NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released the Final Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment  that calls for building a 5-acre park along the Lower Passaic River in East Newark, New Jersey.

View of a river.
Contamination is found in sediment from the Dundee Dam to the mouth of the river, throughout Newark Bay, and other portions of the New York/New Jersey Harbor. Image credit: NOAA.

The park is anticipated to include forest habitat, pollinator gardens, native grasslands, and wetlands, and public access features. The plan also calls for funding for operations and maintenance for the project for 30 years.

The planned park is in a historically underserved area that was impacted by the hazardous substance releases from various industrial facilities in the area. The trustees are encouraged by the environmental justice benefits that could come from the new park for the local communities where greenspace and public access to the waterfront are lacking.  

For more information visit the NOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program Website.

For more information, contact Reyhan.Mehran@noaa.gov.

Last updated Tuesday, November 8, 2022 1:42pm PST