SHORT-lcRM ACTION PLAN
FOR ADDRESSING FLOATABLE DEBRIS
IN THE NEW YORK BIGHT
Contract No. 68-03-3319
0@rk Assignment No. 2-147
March 9f 1989
Submitted to
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Office of Marine and Estuarine Protection
Washington, DC
and
Region II
New York, NY
Prepared by
BATTELLE
Ocean Sciences
397 Washington Street
Duxbury, MA 02332
(617) 934-0571
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FINAL
SHORT-TERN ACTION PLAN
FOR ADDRESSING FLOATABLE DEBRIS
IN THE NEW YORK BIGHT
Contract No. 68-03-3319
Work Assignment No. 2-147
March 9, 1989
Submitted to
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Office of Marine and Estuarine Protection
Washington, DC
and
Region II
New York, NY
Prepared by
BATTELLE
Ocean Sciences
397 Washington Street
Duxbury, MA 02332
(617) 934-0571
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
2.0 SURVEILLANCE PLAN 2
2.1 NEW YORK HARBOR COMPLEX 2
2.2 NEW YORK BI6HT 6
2.3 REPORTING COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK... 9
3.0 CLEANUP PLAN 11
3.1 RESPONSE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK.. 11
3.2 ROUTINE CLEANUP 12
3.3 CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR NON-ROUTINE CLEANUP 15
4.0 ESTIMATED IMPLEMENTATION COSTS 17
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LIST OF TABLES
Page
Table 1. Schedule for Routine Cleanup of Floatable Debris
in the New York Harbor Complex Between Hay 15 and
September 15. 1989 13
Table 2. Additional Costs Associated with Implementing
Short-Term Action Plan 18
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Hap of New York Harbor Complex .. 3
Figure 2. Areas Where Significant Floatable
Debris Slicks Are Known to Occur 5
Figure 3. Approximate Areas of Coverage for Aerial
Surveillance in the New York Bight 8
Figure 4. Communications Network for Reporting and
Responding to Floatable Debris Slicks 10
Figure 5. Areas Assigned to Primary Cleanup Resources 14
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
Marine debris consists of a wide assortment of plastic, paper, glass, metal,
and organic waste materials that float or are suspended in the water column
and may eventually be deposited on shorelines and beaches. In response to
growing public awareness and international and domestic concerns about
floatable debris, Congress recently passed the Marine Plastic Pollution
Research and Control Act of 1987 (P.L. 100-200). Subtitle C of this Act
mandates that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in consultation
with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other
agencies, prepare a New York Bight Restoration Plan. This plan will identify
and assess the impact of marine pollutant inputs affecting water quality and
marine resources of the New York Bight.
Because it was determined that floatable wastes are a priority issue in the
development of the Restoration Plan, a separate floatable debris work group
was formed to address floatable debris. The mission of the floatable debris
work group is to review current studies (a summary report is under
preparation) and to prepare an action plan that details a short-term
implementation strategy for addressing floatable debris in the New York
Harbor Complex and the New York Bight.
This Action Plan has three primary objectives:
• Establish a plan for surveillance of the New York Harbor Complex,
the southern shore of Long Island, and the New Jersey shore for
floatable debris slicks.
• Establish a plan for cleaning up floatable debris slicks detected
in the Harbor Complex and notifying local authorities of impending
debris washups along Long Island and New Jersey beaches.
• Estimate costs associated with the proposed surveillance and clean-
up plans.
Each one of these objectives will be addressed in a separate section of this
Action Plan.
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2.0 SURVEILLANCE PLAN
The surveillance plan that has been developed will be implemented between May
15 and September 15, 1989. The primary objective of the surveillance plan is
to detect floatable debris slicks early enough to permit effective cleanup,
thereby minimizing their impact. The surveillance plan has been developed
based upon the following strategy:
• Focus surveillance efforts on those areas where floatable
debris slicks most often occur.
• Anticipate occurrence of floatable debris slicks following
storm events and tide conditions that have historically been
associated with the appearance of such slicks.
• Establish a communications network that facilitates reporting
observed slicks and notifying the appropriate cleanup
resources with minimal response time.
The following sections describe the surveillance plan developed for the New
York Harbor Complex and the New York Bight (Long Island and New Jersey
shores), and the communications network for reporting observed floatable
debris slicks.
2.1 NEW YORK HARBOR COMPLEX
Within the context of this Action Plan we have defined the New York Harbor
Complex to include Upper and Lower New York Harbor and its tributaries, as
indicated in Figure 1. We have further defined Upper New York Harbor to
include the East River, the Hudson River, the Narrows as far south as the
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the Kill van Kull, Newark Bay, and the entire
length of the Arthur Kill. The Lower New York Harbor has been defined to
include Raritan Bay, Jamaica Bay, and the portion of the Harbor south of the
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, extending southeastward to the transect between
Sandy Hook and Rockaway Point.
Most floatable debris slicks that can impact the shores of New York and New
Jersey are known to originate in the New York Harbor Complex. Thus, in order
to effectively mitigate floatable debris slicks, the surveillance plan
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Upper Harbor
Lower Harbor
FIGURE 1. HAP OF NEW YORK HARBOR COMPLEX
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focuses on the New York Harbor Complex. The rationale for this strategy is
that If debris slicks can be detected close to their point of origin, a
significant amount of floatable marine debris can be retrieved before it
leaves the Harbor Complex. Debris slicks entering the New York Bight are
•ore difficult to mitigate and thus more likely to impact the Long Island
and/or New Jersey shores.
Significant debris slicks have most frequently been observed along the entire
length of the Arthur Kill, and also moving down the Hudson River from the
North River Sewage Treatment Plant, through the Narrows, and exiting the
Harbor Complex near Rockaway Point (Figure 2). Significant slicks have also
been observed, although generally only during very high tides, in Newark Bay
and in Jamaica Bay.
EPA, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), and the
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) will provide aerial surveillance of the New York
Harbor Complex on a daily basis. Aerial surveillance using helicopters is
expected to provide the most efficient detection of debris slicks within the
Harbor Complex. The perspective from a helicopter can also help verify the
occurrence of a "slick,' as opposed to randomly scattered floating debris. A
"slick" is defined herein as an aggregation of floating debris of indefinite
width and a minimum length of approximately 400 m. This definition has been
adopted for practical purposes; it is difficult to detect and maintain a
sighting for a smaller aggregation of floating debris from the air.
EPA will deploy a helicopter from its station at Edison, New Jersey to survey
the New York Harbor Complex and the Long Island and New Jersey shores. The
EPA helicopter will conduct surveillance for floatable debris daily, except
Sundays, between May 15 and September 15 as part of other water quality
monitoring activities. Surveillance within the New York Harbor Complex will
focus on those areas where slicks have historically been observed (Figure 2).
In addition to surveys conducted for the water quality monitoring plan, the
EPA helicopter will survey the Harbor Complex following storms occurring
between May 15 and September 15.
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Hudson .
River
• Hackensack •'
River
NEW
JERSEY
NEW YORK
Jamaica Bay
"
STATEN ISLAND V
Rockaway Point
Raritan Bay
Sandy Hook
Frequent Occurrences
Less Frequent
Occurrences
30
25° —
15
10
00'
55'
50'
FIGURE 2. AREAS WHERE SIGNIFICANT FLOATABLE DEBRIS SLICKS
ARE KNOWN TO OCCUR
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NJDEP will deploy a helicopter to survey the New York Harbor Complex and the
New Jersey shore portion of the Bight. The NJDEP helicopter will provide
surveillance daily, except Wednesdays, between May 15 and September 15.
Within the Harbor Complex, the NJDEP helicopter will focus on locations
where slicks have historically been observed (Figure 2).
The USCG Air Station Brooklyn will conduct air patrols of the New York
Harbor Complex three days per week between May 15 and September 15 as part of
routine operations. The USCG patrol will include both the Upper and Lower
Harbor, providing overlapping surveillance of those areas targeted by EPA and
NJDEP. In addition to aerial surveillance, the USCG will expand the mission
of its daily water patrols in the Harbor Complex to include reporting debris
slicks. Group New York will expand the missions of daily patrols of the
Upper Harbor, including waters north of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the
entire shoreline of Staten Island, the entire shoreline of Manhattan, and
the Brooklyn shoreline north of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Daily patrols
conducted by Group Sandy Hook will include reporting sightings of debris
slicks. The USCG will also instruct pilots guiding vessels into the Harbor
Complex to report any observed debris slicks. The USCG daily water patrols
will include all of those areas where debris slicks are expected to occur.
In addition to daily water patrols by the USCG, the R/V Clean Waters will be
used to survey for floatable debris as part of routine operations twice per
week between May 15 and September 15. Routine operations consist of
monitoring the shoreline, including marine transfer stations, within the New
York Harbor Complex. The R/V Clean Waters will be operated and staffed on a
cooperative basis by EPA and the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation (NYSDEC).
2.2 NEW YORK BI6HT
Although the primary focus of the surveillance plan will be on the Harbor
Complex itself, surveillance will also be conducted in the New York Bight on
a daily basis between May 15 and September 15. The objectives of this
surveillance will be as follows:
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• Detect floatable debris slicks that have exited the Harbor before
they could be mitigated.
• Detect floatable debris slicks that have originated in or outside
the Bight.
• Identify likely impact areas for fugitive slicks in order to notify
the appropriate local authorities of impending debris washups.
Figure 3 indicates the general areas in the New York Bight to be covered by
aerial surveillance. The EPA helicopter will survey the portion of the
Bight along Long Island, from Rockaway to Shinnecock, and along New Jersey,
from Sandy Hook to Cape May, Mondays through Saturdays as part of its water
quality monitoring activities. The NJDEP helicopter will survey the portion
of the Bight along New Jersey, from Sandy Hook to Cape May, daily, except
Wednesdays. The USCG will deploy a helicopter from Air Station Brooklyn to
survey different areas of the Bight as part of routine operations. Routine
operations include helicopter patrols approximately 50 ni out into the New
York Bight three times per week.
For all three helicopters surveying the New York Bight, particular attention
will be directed at the Bight apex (Figure 3). The apex will be targeted by
all three because any floatable debris emanating from the Harbor Complex, the
primary source of floatable debris in the Bight, will most likely be sighted
there. Additionally, the high volume of vessel traffic through the Bight
apex makes it the most likely area for floatable debris resulting from
accidental spillage to occur. Apart from the apex, there will only be
minimal overlap of aerial surveillance in the Bight because of the large
area to be covered.
In addition to providing aerial surveillance, the USCG will expand patrols
in the outer New York Bight to include surveillance for floatable debris.
These patrols may be guided by aerial observation or may identify areas in
which to direct aerial surveillance. Debris slick sightings may also be
reported through regular communications between the USCG and commercial
vessels in transit through the Bight.
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74 -00'
73 '00'
72 *00'
M *30'
4I'3C'
- 41'CO
EPA Helicopter
EPA and NJOEP Helicopters
USCG Helicopter
FIGURE 3. APPROXIMATE AREAS OF COVERAGE FOR AERIAL SURVEILLANCE
IN THE NEW YORK BIGHT
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2.3 REPORTING COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK
A communications network has been established for reporting sightings of
floatable debris. The network will process reports of sightings from
surveillance personnel, federal/state/local agency personnel (e.g., New York
City Department of Sanitation (NYCOOS) personnel), and private citizens.
Figure 4 summarizes the communications network for reporting sightings of
floatable marine debris. EPA will function as the center of the reporting
network. Three EPA representatives will be on call during office hours
(Monday through Friday, 8 AM through 5 PM) on a rotating basis to respond to
sighting reports. At all other times, debris slick sightings will be
reported to EPA through the Spill Response Hotline (201/548-8730). EPA's
Floatable Debris Coordinator will be on duty or on call 24 hours per day
during the period between May 15 and September 15.
EPA and NJDEP helicopter surveillance teams will report sightings directly to
EPA. USCG sightings during helicopter and cutter patrols will be reported to
the Captain of the Port (COTP) New York. The COTP will in turn notify EPA as
indicated in Figure 4. Debris slick sightings reported to the USCG will in
turn be reported to the COTP and then EPA.
NYCDOS personnel working in the vicinity of transfer stations in the Harbor
Complex may have the opportunity to observe floatable debris slicks. U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE) personnel on vessels working in the Harbor
Complex, and EPA and NYSDEC personnel working on the R/V Clean Waters may
have similar opportunities. In order to rapid response to such slicks
occurring within the Harbor, NYCDOS and USACE personnel will report sightings
directly to EPA.
Sightings by all other individuals (e.g., vessel operators, lifeguards) and
Federal/State/local agency representatives will be reported to EPA by the
respective State floatable debris coordinators. The following telephone
numbers should be used by the public for reporting sightings of floatable
debris:
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USCG
Helicopter and
Cutter Patrols
NYCDOS/USACE
Personnel
New Jersey
State, Local, and
Public Sightings
New York
State, Local, and
Public Sightings
State of New Jersey
Floatable Debris
Coordinator
LAI
State of New York
Floatable Debris
Coordinator
EPA
Floatable Debris
Coordinator
USACE Response
Coordinator
NYCDOS Response
Coordinator
I
State Floatable
Debris Coordinators
FIGURE 4. COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK FOR REPORTING AND
RESPONDING TO FLOATABLE DEBRIS SLICKS
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USCG National Response Center 1-800-422-8802
New York State Hotline 1-800-457-7362
New Jersey Trenton Dispatch 609-292-7172
The New York State Hotline should be used for debris observed in New York
waters; the New Jersey Trenton Dispatch number should be used for debris
observed in New Jersey waters. In cases where it is not clear as to whether
the debris has been sighted in New York or New Jersey waters, either number
may be used for reporting the sighting. Mariners sighting debris far
offshore in the New York Bight shuold be report the sighting to the USCG so
that potential impact areas may be determined. The USCG would then report
the sighting to the COTP and subsequently to EPA.
3.0 CLEANUP PLAN
A cleanup plan has been developed to address the problem of floatable marine
debris in New York Harbor and the New York Bight. The cleanup plan has been
formulated based on the following strategy:
• Determine the available response resources and establish a
response communications network to effectively coordinate all
cleanup activities.
• Conduct routine cleanup activities at those times and in those
areas conducive to slick formation.
• Establish a contingency plan for nonroutine, or emergency,
cleanup operations.
The following subsections detail the planned response communications network,
routine cleanup plan, and contingency plan for nonroutine cleanup.
3.1 RESPONSE COWUNICATIONS NETWORK
EPA's Floatable Debris Coordinator, the focal point of the reporting
communications network (Figure 4), will initiate all cleanup activities. The
Floatable Debris Coordinator will have the authority to request mobilization
of all available resources. Upon report of a debris slick, EPA's Floatable
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Debris Coordinator will select the appropriate cleanup resources. The
selection of resources will depend upon the availability of resources, and
the location, magnitude, and nature of the slick. EPA will contact cleanup
vessels and the NYCDOS, which will accept collected debris for disposal.
3.2 ROUTINE CLEANUP
Because of the historical regularity of floatable debris slicks in the New
York Harbor Complex (Figure 2), it is known that cleanup will be needed on a
routine basis between May 15 and September 15. Cleanup activities will be
scheduled regularly on the high tides the day before, day of, and day after
each full moon and each new moon (Table 1). Cleanup activities will also be
regularly scheduled following storms with sufficient rainfall (0.04 in/h) to
trigger combined sewer/storm overflows (CSOs). Rainfall data from Newark
Airport, Central Park, and John F. Kennedy Airport will be used to indicate
general areas where CSOs may be expected to overflow.
Because the vast majority of slicks impacting the New York Bight originate in
the Harbor Complex, routine cleanup will focus on specific areas within the
Harbor Complex. In light of the limitations on cleanup resources, mitigation
efforts are best served by focusing available resources on response as close
to the sources of slicks as possible. Cleanup operations will involve a
cooperative integration of the following distinct response resources:
(1) USACE vessels, (2) privately owned commercial fishing vessels, and (3)
NYCDOS barge/transfer station support for debris disposal.
The primary areas assigned to the different response resources are indicated
in Figure 5. Under this Short-Term Action Plan, most routine cleanup will
be conducted by USACE. USACE resources include three drift vessels, the
Driftmaster, the Hayward, and the Gelberman. Because of routine maintenance
requirements, it is unlikely that all three drift vessels will be available
for cleanup at the same time. Thus, for purposes of routine cleanup, USACE
resources will be deployed, in order of priority, to the Narrows, to where
the Arthur Kill feeds into Raritan Bay, and to Newark Bay.
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TABLE 1. SCHEDULE FOR ROUTINE CLEANUP OF FLOATABLE DEBRIS IN THE NEW YORK
HARBOR COMPLEX BETWEEN MAY 15 AND SEPTEMBER 15, 1989
Date
Day
Moon
May 19
May 20
May 21
June 2
June 3
June 4
June 19
June 20
June 21
July 2
July 3
July 4
July 17
July 18
July 19
July 31
August 1
August 2
August 16
August 17
August 18
August 30
August 31
September 1
September 14
September 15
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Thursday
Friday
Full
New
Full
New
Full
New
Full
New
Full
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30
25* —
15°
FI6URE 5. AREAS ASSIGNED TO PRIMARY CLEANUP RESOURCES
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In accordance with USAGE'S mission, these vessels are currently equipped and
deployed to collect floating driftwood. The physical characteristics of
driftwood are such that nets with a large mesh size are adequate to collect
it. Because much floatable debris is considerably smaller than driftwood,
specially designed nets (approximately 1.75-in mesh) will be used in
combination with the current nets on the USAGE drift vessels to collect
debris slicks containing material other than driftwood.
Privately owned commercial fishing vessels may be available to supplement
USAGE resources, as needed. An example of such an arrangement existed
between the State of New Jersey and the Bel ford Coop. The Bel ford Coop
operates out of Sandy Hook Bay and was available to assist cleanup in
Raritan Bay or at the Jamaica Bay entrance near Rockaway Point. A similar
arrangement with a fishing cooperative will be in place for the period
between May 15 and September 15 to ensure sufficient cleanup resources in
the Lower Harbor. However, for routine cleanup operations, such resources
would primarily be used as backup for USAGE resources.
In addition to maintaining current cleanup operations within the vicinity of
the Fresh Kills Landfill, NYGDOS will provide a garbage barge and/or access
to a marine transfer station for accepting and disposing collected debris.
Depending on availability, a garbage barge will be deployed to a location
near cleanup activities for USAGE'S use. In the event that a barge is not
available, NYCDOS will provide USACE access to a marine transfer station for
debris disposal.
3.3 CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR NON-ROUTINE CLEANUP
Because the conditions that precipitate the formation of floatable debris
slicks are well understood, routine cleanup operations are expected to
address the significant majority of debris slicks. However, the Action Plan
includes a contingency plan for addressing debris resulting from
unpredictable events such as vessel accidents or illegal dumping. These and
all debris slicks sighted in the Bight, beyond the transect between Sandy
Hook and Rockaway Point, will be categorized as nonroutine. The efficiency
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of the reporting and response communications networks will be particularly
important in addressing nonroutine, or emergency, situations.
As with routine cleanup operations, nonroutine operations will also focus on
cleanup within the New York Harbor Complex. The resources described in
Section 3.2 will also be utilized to conduct nonroutine cleanup in the
Harbor. However, the availability of vessels and their ability to get to the
location of the debris will determine the resources deployed for a given
operation. It is expected that the backup resources (e.g., fishing
cooperative) may be used more extensively in nonroutine cleanup operations.
Local authorities (e.g., cities, towns, counties) nay be incorporated into
the response network for slicks sighted in the New York Bight. EPA's
Floatable Debris Coordinator will notify the appropriate State coordinators
following the report of a slick expected to impact the Long Island or New
Jersey shoreline. NYSDEC and NJDEP will be responsible for notifying the
appropriate local authorities, who may in turn organize resources for beach
cleanup. Thus, notification of an impending debris wash-up will proceed from
EPA's Floatable Debris Coordinator to the appropriate State coordinator, and
from the State coordinator to the local authorities.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will provide a
forecasting program that can be used to predict the impact area for a debris
slick based on several input parameters. The input parameters (e.g.. wind
direction, sea conditions) will be included as part of debris sighting
report forms used by EPA, USCG, NYSDEC, and NJDEP. Although not expected to
be a primary application, the forecasting program may also help predict the
origin of debris slicks.
4.0 ESTIMATED IMPLEMENTATION COSTS
The Short-Term Action Plan has attempted to maximize the use of existing
resources and operations to respond to the problem of floatable debris in the
New York Harbor Complex and the New York Bight. In accordance with the
attempt to utilize existing resources, Table 2 lists only additional costs
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associated with implementation of the Short-Term Action Plan. For example,
because the planned surveillance activities involve integrating debris slick
surveillance into routine EPA and USCG operations, the only additional cost
for the surveillance component of the Action Plan will be the cost of the
NJDEP helicopter, which will be entirely devoted to floatable debris
surveillance.
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TABLE 2. ADDITIONAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPLEMENTING SHORT-TERM ACTION PLAN
Resource
Basis for Estioate
Estimated Cost
Surveillance
NJDEP Helicopter
EPA Helicopter
Based on 6 days/week operation
between May 15 and September 15
Based on conducting surveillance for
floatable debris as part of routine
water quality monitoring operations
USCG Helicopter Based on conducting surveillance for
and Cutter Patrols floatable debris as part of routine
operations
$120,000
no additional cost
no additional cost
Routine Cleanup
USACE Vessels
Capital
Modifications
NYCDOS Disposal
Fishing
Cooperative
Utilizing existing drift vessels with
proposed modifications and deploying
them to key locations
Cost to obtain 4 specially designed
nets (1.75-inch mesh)
Based on NYCDOS supplying barge or
offloading privileges to COE
Based on maximum costs for providing
back-up support at $2000/boat/day
no additional cost
$80.000
no additional cost
$160,000
Note: NJDEP = New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection,
EPA = U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region II,
USCG = U.S. Coast Guard,
USACE = U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
NYCDOS = New York City Department of Sanitation
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