USEPA, along with its partner agencies on the Lower Passaic River Restoration Project, is currently applying a modeling framework consisting of hydrodynamic, wind-wave, sediment transport, organic carbon, contaminant fate and transport, and bioaccumulation model components for the Newark Bay Study Area RI/FS. The existing Harbor-wide model was originally developed by the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary Program for use in its Contaminant Assessment and Reduction Project (CARP). The current model framework includes enhancements introduced as part of the application and calibration performed by the Cooperating Parties Group, as part of the Lower Passaic River (LPR) Remedial Investigation, as well as a bioaccumulation model developed and calibrated by EPA’s contractor team. The model is being used by USEPA to predict how contaminants are moving within the Lower Passaic River and Newark Bay and how they impact fish tissue contaminant concentrations, both under current baseline conditions and in response to potential remedial alternatives.

Final Newark Bay Study Area Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Model Documentation [November 2021]: This report provides an abbreviated description of elements of the hydrodynamic, sediment transport, organic carbon, and contaminant fate and transport model components; identifies sections of existing reports with more detailed descriptions of the evolution of the model framework; and summarizes development of model inputs and calibration approaches and performance of the current framework. This report also documents the progression of the application of the NBSA RI model from the end of the calibration in September 2013 through September 2019, and development of FS model inputs and simulation of future remedial alternatives. Please click here to download the model documentation and attachments.

Newark Bay Study Area Bioaccumulation Model Calibration Report [February 2022]: This document presents the bioaccumulation model developed for the Newark Bay Study Area. The model is an extension of the bioaccumulation model developed by Arnot and Gobas (2004). Differences from that model include use of an alternative bioenergetics model and implementation of an explicit migration routine to account for species that are on site (in the Newark Bay Study Area) for only a portion of their life history. Please click here to download the bioaccumulation model documentation.