Challenges
A $7.5 million Brownfield Priority Project was carried out as part of the Fall River Redevelopment Authority’s (FRRA) goal to maintain, repair and replace existing seawalls and bulkheads. Redevelopment of the pier involved repairs and reinforcement of an existing granite block seawall, which in turn is required to support capping of PCB-contaminated soils at the site. In addition, the Pier’s licensing required Chapter 91 licenses and legislative authorizations, which must be considered with other agency reviews and approvals to authorize repairs, remediation and redevelopment of the site.
Solutions
TRC provided environmental permitting and flood hazard analysis to remediate contamination at Fall River’s City Pier and support future public uses of the parcel. To ensure compliance, TRC’s knowledgeable experts in waterfront and Chapter 91 regulations developed a permitting strategy that reduced the complexity of the required permit applications and allowed for joint review and public notice. Engineers then conducted an analysis to verify flood hazard zones and base elevations by using estimated wind-generated wave heights and FEMA-approved models. The FRRA and its structural engineer utilized the information from these assessments to verify proposed steel sheet pile bulkhead cap and site evaluations. Working with the FRRA structural engineer, TRC then merged regulatory and engineering requirements into the overall Project’s design.
Results
Permit applications prepared by TRC successfully demonstrated the project’s minimal environmental impacts to the Taunton River and the environmental benefits of using a new steel sheet pile bulkhead and site capping to contain PCB-contaminated soils. During the review of the permit applications, TRC also worked with the Division of Marine Fisheries to determine the appropriate “Time of Year” restrictions for in-water construction activities.