West Orange WEHI preliminary report

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HEALTH / AGRICULTURE BUILDING CHRIS CHRISTIE PO BOX 330 DOUGLAS H. FISHER Governor TRENTON NJ 08625-0330 Secretary KIM GUADAGNO Lt. Governor April 8, 2014 From: John Showler, P.E., State Erosion Control Engineer To: Soil Conservation District Managers Re: Technical Bulletin for Filter Sock/Tube Products as Sediment Barriers Attached please find Bulletin No. 2014-1.0 which allows the use of filter tube or ‘sock’ products as sediment barriers under the Standard for Sediment Barrier – ‘bale’ barrier section. The bulletin has been developed pursuant to recommendations made by a Task Force commissioned by the State Soil Conservation Committee to re-examine a specific filter sock product which had been previously field tested by several districts. The prior testing had been somewhat inconclusive and so no bulletin was issued at that time. The Task Force examined the previous NJ field test results as well as design specifications from several federal and state governments which have adopted the use of compost-filled filter socks as sediment barriers. In some of those cases, other state agencies were also utilizing the compost sock products to attenuate nutrient or pollutant loading (which is beyond the scope of the Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Act). As a result of its review and examination, the Task Force made a recommendation to the SSCC at its March 2014 meeting that a compost filled filter sock product functioned in a similar manner as a ‘bale barrier’ (as described in that section of the Sediment Barrier Standard), and therefore would be acceptable to use in that capacity. The Task Force presented a draft report to the SSCC which formed the basis for the discussion at that meeting. The report is being finalized and will be distributed to all districts when completed. The filter tube product is being construed as having a similar function to that of a ‘bale’ (typically hay or straw) barrier in that it is constructed as a three-dimension filter that screens out soil particles as water passes through via sheet flow at lower limits of construction. This differs from a sediment or ‘silt’ fence which relies on the settling of soil particles behind a porous fabric while water flows through primarily at the top where it is cleanest. New Jersey Is An Equal Opportunity Employer • www.nj.gov/agriculture