More Subway cars dumped. Reef site 11

[Fish Biz]

I thought I had heard they were scapping the use of the rail cars cause they did not hold up well. I could be mistaken. I usualy am.


NEWS OF THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL

September 14, 2009
Vol. 39, No. 373

For more information contact Jeffrey Tinsman, Fisheries Section, Division of Fish and Wildlife, 302-739-4782 or 302-258-5247; or Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Latest “train” of NYC subway cars pulls in and
is pushed onto Del-Jersey-Land artificial reef

Another “train” of retired New York City subway cars made their way onto the Del-Jersey-Land Reef today, the latest deployment of cars that are making more marine habitat for Delaware’s artificial reef program.

As with the first subway car sinking last month over the state’s newest reef, 44 more cars by way of New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) were barged down the coast and dropped over the Del-Jersey-Land site—26 miles southeast of Indian River Inlet, and equidistant from the three states comprising the reef’s name.

The reef is a cooperative venture between Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland for enhancing fisheries habitat through decommissioned and retired ships.

As with the earlier sinking on the Del-Jersey-Land reef, this deployment will test the stainless steel subway cars’ durability in 120-150 feet of water by placing them singly on the ocean floor. Earlier sinkings at artificial reefs along the East Coast were made with one subway car piled atop another on bottom, for a two-tiered reef habitat.

The subway cars are sunk to expand reef capacity that bolsters fisheries habitat, in turn increasing fishing and diving opportunities for the thousands of recreational anglers and divers who visit Delaware’s network of artificial reefs each year. “The cars provide protection for reef fish like black sea bass and hard substrate for the attachment of a diverse invertebrate community, giving reef fish more feeding opportunities,” said Jeffrey Tinsman, reef program manager with DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife.

This is the fifth sinking of retired NYC subway cars in recent months in Delaware waters and brings the number of subway cars that help comprise the state’s artificial reef sites to 1,085 since the reef project began in 2001.

The great majority of the cars make up the state’s most popular artificial reef, the Redbird Reef (the name a variation of the nickname for the subway cars deployed onto the reef). With the subway cars accounting for a total surface area of more than 2.5 million square feet, Redbird Reef supports a marine life community up to 400 times richer than the natural bottom. Subway cars make ideal reef material, because voids and cavities in the cars’ structure provide the perfect sanctuary for reef fish.

As with much of Delaware’s reefing, today’s operation was carried out by the marine transportation division of Weeks Marine, Inc., a worldwide towing and barge operator contracted by the MTA/New York City Transit, which also completed the car cleanup to remove all greases and buoyant materials that might be harmful to the marine environment. The operation was funded by MTA New York City Transit. DNREC’s role was to oversee the placement of the subway cars at the reef.

For more information, visit http://www.fw.delaware.gov/Fisheries...efProgram.aspx

[eppefour]

March 13, 2008
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) has reinstated subway cars as an approved reef material following a limited revision to the 2005 Artificial Reef Management Plan (pdf, 1.6mb) for New Jersey. These changes follow an announcement in the DEP Bulletin and subsequent public comment period.

The reinstatement of subway cars as approved reef material follows extensive studies performed by the NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife's Artificial Reef Program, Delaware's Reef Program, South Carolina's Reef Program and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) regarding the environmental impact, durability, stability and productivity of subway cars deployed as artificial reefs. In addition to these studies, a literature review performed by NJ DEP Division of Science and Research was utilized in the assessment. All findings showed unequivocally that subway cars are a safe, stable and durable reef habitat that provides trophic support to fish by supporting invertebrate communities.

In light of these findings, NJ DEP Policy Directive 2003-02 (April 2, 2003) was rescinded by Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson. The former Policy Directive identified monitoring programs for deployed subway cars and outlined general standards for the structural integrity of other reef materials. The decisive issues that were the impetus for the Policy Directive were addressed in the aforementioned studies and literature review.

Among the decisive issues are the fact that Coastal Zone Management Rules, which address issues of contaminants, stability and density of reef materials exist in the 2005 Artificial Reef Management Plan for New Jersey (pages 3-6). In addition to these rules, the Philadelphia District, US Army Corps of Engineers (US ACOE), the administrating agency that issued the NJDEP a 404 Reef Construction permit, sets rigorous standards for structural integrity and density of reef materials. All reef materials currently listed in the 2005 Artificial Reef Management Plan for New Jersey, including subway cars, have been evaluated and approved by the US ACOE.

The NJDEP acknowledges all comments received related to the limited revisions to the 2005 Artificial Reef Management Plan for New Jersey and subsequent reinstatement of subway cars as approved reef material. Of the comments received, a total of 48 were in favor and 10 were opposed to these actions.

Listed below are the general comments received related to the reinstatement of subway cars as reef material:


The State of New Jersey's standards for acceptable reef materials exceed those required by the National Artificial Reef Plan. Policy Directive 2003-02 dealing with subway cars and other construction materials should be removed from the plan.

The inserted language in section 6.2.6 illustrates the benefit of utilizing subway cars that meet standards approved by the NJDEP.

Subway cars have a proven track record as being valued reef material.

Divers report that there are no appreciable signs of deterioration of the cars currently in place. Subway cars should be reinstated as acceptable reef material.

Subway cars add valuable new fishing grounds for anglers who are currently being restricted in other fisheries. The Division should move forward on all efforts to reinstate subway cars as acceptable reef material.

Subway cars are safe, fully functioning reef habitats that provide trophic support for reef fish by supporting invertebrate communities.

Subway cars remain structurally sound and do not deteriorate or move in any way. There are no negative impacts to marine life. The revisions to the reef plan are needed to reinstate subway cars.

The NJDEP should incorporate the requirement that "any material proposed for artificial reefs shall be carefully evaluated to demonstrate that the material is pollution free."

The NJDEP should allow for "other suitable material" in the revised plan and must retain specific standards for such materials.

The Artificial Reef Management Plan itself should incorporate the Rules on Coastal Zone Management requirements for artificial reefs, which state that materials used be non-toxic and pollution free: criteria which were contained within the Policy Directive 2003-02 which will be lost through these changes as proposed.

There are no negative environmental problems with the deployment of subway cars as they have been prepared for deployment to the strictest of US EPA standards.

Subway cars meet durability and stability criteria as required by section 5.3 of the Artificial Reef Management Plan.