Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Part II

Silt: What is it, and Why do we care?

A three-part series

Preface

Hello, Fellow Friends of Robinson Park!

A major part of our mission is to educate neighbors and interested parties on subject matter that is of specific concern to Robinson Park and the proposed “Wetland Enhancement Project.”  We are committed to providing you with independent, expert third-party guidance from reputable sources, and we share these resources along with our interpretation to support your self-education in determining how these matters will impact your lifestyle, property values, children, and pets as you enjoy the Park.

We hope that you will feel free to forward this message, and all of our correspondence, to your friends and neighbors who may similarly benefit from this information and invite them to join our mailing list.

This is Part 2 of 3; to read the other articles, please use the links below.  In this episode, we’re going to talk about silt, and we’ve selected AC/DC’s 1976 hit, “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” as the theme song to underscore this series.

Part II: Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap)

So, now that we can better visualize the magnitude of what will be coming our direction from the proposed Township project, it’s time to dig a bit deeper to understand the potential health risks posed by unregulated silt.  The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a very interesting pamphlet on this topic, which we’ve linked below.

For your convenience, we’ve created a Reader’s Digest version.

On June 11 at the Curtis meeting, the Township indicated that they are obligated to address the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (aka MS4) requirements.  As proposed, this means that local water runoff will be redirected and filtered through Robinson Park.  This runoff inevitably contains contaminants such as sediments, toxic chemicals, nutrients, and pathogens.

Specifically, this includes (but is not limited to): Gas, oil, antifreeze, asbestos, fertilizer, pool chemicals, and weed killer, along with decaying organic matter from leaves, sticks, and human and animal waste.

• Sediment affects the water and air quality, along with what species (such as mosquitos and ticks) thrive and multiply in sediment-laden runoff.  Additionally, it can be a carrier for other pollutants that attach to the sediment itself, causing a double threat of contamination of both increased sediment and pollutant load.  As discussed in our prior article, Representative Nelson estimates (and the Township reiterates) that 13 tons of sediment will be carried to and deposited in the Park per annum.  While some of this will be carried further downstream – thus enhancing the probability of an enlarged area of contamination – by design, the majority will remain in the Park.  On a year-over-year basis, this is an extraordinary amount of additional unmitigated risk in the form of toxin load to the residents who use the Park on a regular basis, along with those whose properties are nearby.

• Toxic chemicals are a second type of non-point source pollution.  Some examples of these are oils, pesticides, herbicides, cleaners, paint thinners, gasoline, and antifreeze.  Any of these that find their way onto the roadway will be channeled directly to Robinson Park and deposited, which poses a risk to residents, including small children who play in the Park, along with its waterway, to say nothing of the implications for patrons of the Community Garden and their organic plots.

• Nutrients also cause problems whether the source is natural or artificially derived.  In our suburban setting, primary sources of added nutrients come from lawn fertilizers washed onto roadways in a rainstorm and decomposing leaves.  Additional nitrogen and phosphorous loads promote plant growth in water, much as they do on land.  However, in water, it results in unwanted algae bloom growth, which uses the available oxygen in water and decreases the bioavailability of oxygen that fish and plants living in the water need.  (Regular Robinson Park patrons may have noticed that since the aerator fountain was removed two years ago, algae blooms in the pond have skyrocketed; many have also noted an increase of dead creatures floating at the surface of the pond, along with an unpleasant smell.  This is a direct result of the imbalance of added nutrients without an oxygen source, in the form of the fountain, to offset the nutrient byproducts.)

• Pathogens are disease-causing bacteria and viruses.  They come from human and animal waste.  With an increase of animal life expected with additional wetland areas, there is the potential for increased pathogens.

Water and soil quality are not the only resources at risk – there is a body of work being conducted by numerous Health Departments across the US studying the airborne contaminants (crystalline silica, mold, etc.) and the short-term implications for those already suffering from asthma, COPD, emphysema, etc., as well as long-term implications including silicosis, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and several autoimmune diseases.

For those interested in a longer read, just Google “silt” and “health implications.”  We’ve curated several reputable links below.

So, what are the implications for Robinson Park?

We’re glad you asked.  Robinson Park is the primary recipient of these non-point source pollutants, and if the Wetland Enhancement Project is allowed to move forward in its current state, it will be expected to act as the kidney for the downstream watershed.

When asked at the June 11 Curtis meeting about their plans for regular maintenance on this site, the response was that this wetland is to be self-sustaining, and maintenance would therefore not be required.  This creates an ongoing and potentially hazardous situation for any Park users and surrounding properties in perpetuity (more on this tomorrow).  When officials were further pressed about this on several other occasions, it became evident that there currently is no disclosed plan to regularly monitor the sediment and water quality in the wetland.  In short, there is no mitigation plan at this point in the Township’s planning process because Robinson Park becoming the depository for toxic runoff *is* the mitigation plan. 

This, in our opinion, is unsustainable and unacceptable.

Please read on as we continue Part 3 of the discussion: “Done Dirt Cheap.”  This is where things really start to get hinky.