Disaster Response

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – E.B. Forsythe NWR – Hurricane Sandy Debris Removal, NJ

COASTAL’s inaugural project involved clearing both hazardous and non-hazardous debris along a 25 nautical mile stretch of the North Jersey Shore, within the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, following Hurricane Sandy. This effort spanned over 50 miles of southern New Jersey’s coastline, aiming to safeguard the COASTAL habitat crucial for migratory birds and other ecologically sensitive regions.

COASTAL deployed a team to conduct initial field reconnaissance and verify actual conditions within the affected area and identify the most heavily impacted Zones. A comprehensive debris removal plan was developed prior to the removal of debris.

We utilized specialized equipment, extensive floating plant equipment and specialty barges and operators for the extraction of the debris. Boats and barges used on the project are all designed to be shallow draft vessels, being able to travel through less than 1 foot of water.

Debris was collected by hand and loaded onto pans which were then pulled across the marsh by a marsh buggy or tracked skid steer where it was then loaded onto shallow draft barges. The barges were towed to a marina by a push boat where the debris was unloaded by a self-loading haul truck and taken to the landfill.