Teterboro Airport expansion could have 'unacceptable impact' on Meadowlands, EPA says

The Environmental Protection Agency claims that a project to fill in 11 acres of wetlands and add three hangars to Teterboro Airport could have an unacceptable impact on the Meadowlands.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Signature Flight Support, one of the airport's tenants, want to fill in acres of wetlands to make way for hangars and ramp space. The project would eliminate most of the wetlands at the 827-acre airport.

"EPA has concluded that the proposed discharge of fill material will have a substantial

and unacceptable impact on wetlands associated with the Hackensack Meadowlands," Peter Lopez, the regional administrator for the EPA, wrote in a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers.

The corps will decide if the project is approved.

The area surrounding the airport and next to the proposed projects is prone to severe flooding. In 2012, towns such as Little Ferry, Moonachie, South Hackensack, Hasbrouck Heights and Teterboro were devastated by Superstorm Sandy. In the time since, officials have pushed for projects that address and mitigate flooding, rather than exacerbate it.

Residents, environmentalists and local officials are afraid that, if approved, the project would eliminate swaths of wetlands, which act as a sort of natural sponge for rainwater.

Much like area residents, the EPA is concerned that the project area is an important guard against flooding and that its destruction would be detrimental to the environment and the area as a whole.

"These coastal wetlands are also important in reducing flood risks, thus increasing the resiliency of the local communities and ecosystems while protecting infrastructure, residences, businesses, and ecological resources from flood events," Lopez wrote.

The Port Authority and Signature Flight Support have said the expansion project is necessary to accommodate larger planes, ease delays and reduce air and noise pollution. Representatives from each organization have said they are willing to address concerns, but they have not committed to any changes to the project.

"Signature Flight Support is a good steward to all the communities we serve and shares the same concerns for the environment and the threat of flooding," said Jim Hopkins, a spokesman for Signature Flight Support. "We are confident that our project will be sound and will not have an unacceptable impact on the surrounding community."

Officials with the Port Authority have said it has already made efforts to reduce the threat of long-term flooding vulnerability for the airport. In recent years, there have been pump station upgrades and the installation of systems to prevent back-flow to airport water supply lines, the Port Authority said.

It is not clear if the Port Authority made these improvements to address flooding that could be caused by the project. But the Port Authority said it has made improvements to the airfield's drainage to handle increased runoff from additional paving work, which has been a concern for surrounding towns.

Although the EPA does not say it opposes the project, much of Lopez's letter takes issue with the wetlands being removed and plans by the Port Authority and Signature to replace them.

To compensate for the loss in wetlands, the Port Authority plans to use "mitigation credits," which are points accumulated when a developer preserves established wetlands that are similar to those that would be affected by construction, such as the development at the airport.

The Port Authority has already purchased 6.66 mitigation credits from the Richard P. Kane Wetland Mitigation Bank in the Hackensack Meadowlands District. The rest of the proposed mitigation would come from a plan to enhance 45.5 acres of forested wetlands along the Oradell Reservoir in Closter, according to the application.

The EPA does not think that enhancing wetlands in Closter would help the Meadowlands in Teterboro.

"We are not convinced that the relatively high value claimed for most of the freshwater wetlands enhancement work at the mitigation site is justified and thus fully compensate for the permanent loss of wetlands at Teterboro," Lopez wrote.

The EPA and environmental organizations, like Hackensack Riverkeeper, have also called for the project to include more green infrastructure. Projects incorporating green infrastructure use natural materials such as vegetation and soil to mitigate flooding and mimic the natural water cycle, instead of using conventional stormwater drains and pipes.

Meanwhile, Hasbrouck Heights has taken the lead in setting up a meeting with the Port Authority. Borough officials hope to address their concerns about the perpetual flooding and the potential for more if the airport expands.

Evan Jacobs, the Hasbrouck Heights borough engineer, said the Port Authority is willing to meet with town officials, and Jacobs hopes other mayors join the effort.

"It's a step in a positive direction to now be dealing with them directly," Jacobs said.

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