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NYC SUBWAY CARS TO FORM ARTIFICIAL
REEF SITES
By Erica Hoff
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell announced the state is acquiring 250 obsolete New York subway cars for placement on five offshore artificial reef sites.
The DEP will deposit the subway cars in groups of 50 at each of the sites- Cape May and Deep Water reefs (off Cape May County), Atlantic City reef (off Atlantic County), Garden State North reef (off Ocean County), and Shark River reef (off Monmouth County).
Dr. Richard S. Feldman Chair and Associate Professor of Environmental Science at Marist College said he is ambivalent to the artificial reef sites.
“Subway cars may provide safe homes for fish. However, they may also release contaminants into the waters from cables and other parts of the car.” said Feldman.
The DEP said the cars contain asbestos, embedded in their early 1960s-era asphalt floor tiles, and an epoxy sound- and fire proofing layer sprayed inside the car bodies.
However, the asbestos would not pose an environmental hazard to sea life according to William Muir, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency oceanographer who helped draw up requirements for cleaning old ships and military vehicles used to build fish havens.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority’s New York City Transit plans to position the subway cars at New Jersey’s reef site by this fall.
Since 2001, New York City Transit has made available 1,300 subway cars for use in artificial reef programs. New Jersey joins Delaware, South Carolina and Georgia in obtaining cars for their artificial reef programs.
Commissioner Campbell said the cars will become beneficial for fish as well as the economy.
“These subway cars will provide habitat for as many as 200 species of fish and invertebrates,” said Commissioner Campbell. “Not only will the fish benefit , but so will New Jersey’s economy- by creating more fishing and diving opportunities along our shores.