Duke Farms may benefit from American Cyanamid Superfund work. Here's how

The federal government is asking for public input on a proposal to restore floodplain areas along the Raritan River in Duke Farms in Hillsborough, to compensate for hazardous substance releases from the American Cyanamid Superfund site downstream in Bridgewater.

The proposal is the latest action in the continued remediation of contamination at the former chemical plant site near TD Bank Ballpark and compensation plans for damage to the floodplain along the Raritan River and its tributary, the Millstone River. Previous actions have included the removal of the Weston Mill dam on the Millstone River and the design for fish passage at the Island Farm Weir.

What's proposed?

The plan calls for the restoration of floodplains and wetlands on 112 acres owned by Duke Farms along the Raritan River, mostly between Route 206 and River Road about 2.8 miles upstream of the American Cyanamid site. Included in the proposal are the creation of seasonal wet areas and the removal of invasive species, replaced with trees and shrubs. An 8-foot deer fence will be installed around the planting areas.

Also included is a possible trail improvement project by Duke Farms.

Why?

The plan is designed to improve the function of the floodplains and wetlands by restoring the capacity of the water table and water retention. The work will also improve flood resiliency.

What is Duke Farms?

Duke Farms is a private 2,740-acre preserve that was the estate of electric power and tobacco tycoon James Buchanan Duke who willed the property to his daughter, Doris Duke, upon his death in 1925. When Doris Duke died in 1993, the property came under control of the Duke Farms Foundation as a wildlife sanctuary and to be used for agriculture, horticulture and environmental research.

Duke Farms, with 18 miles of trails, hosts about 150,000 visitors per year.

What was American Cyanamid?

From 1915 to 1999, the factory on 575 acres on the Raritan River across the railroad tracks from TD Bank Ballpark produced dyes, resins, acids, rubber chemicals and pharmaceuticals. It was one of the nation’s largest dye and organic chemical plants. An estimated 800,000 tons of waste materials, including chemical waste, were deposited within impoundments on the site. Unlined impoundments were used for treatment and storage of waste and wastewater. Some of the impoundments may have released contaminants into the Raritan River during floods. The property was declared a Superfund site in 1983.

Pfizer owns the property and is still undertaking remediation efforts.

Who is in charge?

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service on behalf of the federal Department of Interior; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, on behalf of the federal Department of Commerce; and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

How to comment

Comments can be mailed to Jillian Stark, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, 4 E. Jimmie Leeds Road, Suite 4, Galloway, NJ 08205 or emailed to jillian_r_stark@fws.gov(link. Deadline for comments is June 22.

Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com

Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Duke Farms may benefit from American Cyanamid Superfund work