West Orange_Additional Environmental Info_82924

Environmental Impact Memorandum August 29, 2024 Township of West Orange Page 2 2.2 Topography Existing and proposed topographic conditions are shown on the Survey and Site Plan. Generally, the Station is sited on level portions of the property, which slopes downward from Prospect Avenue and partially upwards from Mount Pleasant Avenue. 2.3 Geology According to NJ-GeoWeb, the Township is located within the Piedmont physiographic province of New Jersey, as shown on the New Jersey Geological Survey map. The underlying bedrock of the Piedmont province is sedimentary rocks of Triassic and Jurassic age (240 million to 140 million years) and igneous rocks of Jurassic age. Locally, the NJ-GeoWeb Geology dataset shows that the site is underlain by fine- to medium- grained basalt comprising the Orange Mountain Basalt bedrock geologic formation (Jo). Superimposed on this bedrock foundation are deposits comprised of clayey silt to sandy silt with some to many pebbles and cobbles and few boulders comprising the Rahway Till surficial geologic formation (Qwtr). The site is also located within the mapped Scattered Bedrock Outcrop (sbo) geologic formation. Depth to bedrock conditions are presented in the Subsurface Investigation Report, which can be found in Appendix E of the Stormwater Management Report submitted as part of the initial application. 2.4 Vegetation The current land use for the site, according to the Land Use/Land Cover of New Jersey 2020 dataset is transportation/communication/utilities and other urban or built-up land. A small portion of the site along Prospect Avenue and Mount Pleasant Avenue is mapped as deciduous forest (10-50% crown closure). The majority of the site has been previously developed with various utility uses; areas outside of the existing Station yards consist of maintained landscaping with grass and various tree species. A location map and full listing of all tree species inventoried on the site is provided on the Tree Removal Plan and Notes & Details sheets (TR-01 and -02). A subset of the surveyed trees were noted as in poor health and were subsequently removed to mitigate hazards. Additionally, the former West Orange Township Forester, Mr. Ron Farr, asked for dead ash trees to be removed in a communication to PSE&G dated December 29, 2021.