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Dredging Connecticut’s
Ports and Harbors:
A
Case Study, Issues, and Recommendations
Norwalk
Harbor
Maintenance Dredging Project
A
case study of complexities, problems, and impacts
Norwalk
Harbor
View North
Norwalk
Harbor
View from Head of Harbor
looking South
Norwalk Harbor
“A Working Harbor”
•
Barge deliveries
–
Fuel oil
–
Sand
–
Rock
–
Gravel
•
Boat works
•
Marine contractors
•
Shellfish industry
“Timely maintenance
dredging is necessary to keep Norwalk Harbor a vital center of water dependent
commerce and recreation on Long Island Sound.”
Norwalk
Harbor
Shoaling affects commercial
navigation
Federal Maintenance
Dredging:
A complex and uncertain process
The need to dredge
Norwalk Harbor has reached a point of critical concern.
Planning for maintenance
dredging has been ongoing for 8 years.
Norwalk Harbor Dredging
“Bogged down in
Bureaucracy”
Milestones of the
Norwalk project
1980/81 Most
recent
maintenance dredging of Harbor
1996
USACE conducts hydrographic survey of FNP (2/24/97)
1997
NHMC initiates
dredge planning with USACE
1997/98 NHMC assembles data required by USACE to dredge
1998
NHMC transmits report; makes formal request to dredge
April USACE/US
EPA agree to prepare
EIS for disposal site designation
June/July USACE
prepares sampling/test plan of sediment
August Collects
samples for physical and chemical tests
1999
USACE issues report on tests of dredged material
August USACE
prepares plan for biological testing
2000
USACE collects samples for biological testing
May Issues
draft report of biological results
Sept Issues
final report (determines unsuitability of some material; extra cost
of handling material within CAD cell shared by City)
Sept USACE conducts hydrographic survey of FNP (11/29/01)
Milestones of the
Norwalk project
2001
NHMC notifies City of need to cost sharing requirement
June NHMC
convenes 1st meeting of NH Dredging Team in Hartford
July
USACE/EPA co-sign testing memo for CAD excavation
July USACE
prepares 2nd sampling plan for biological testing
August NHMC meets
with Congressman Shays to discuss funding
Aug/Sept USACE
prepares design of CAD cell
September USACE
collects addition samples (8) for biological tests
November USACE
conducts biological tests
December NHMC
convenes 2nd meeting of NH Dredging Team in Hartford
2002
USACE notifies NHMC of $200,000 cost share amount
January Mayor
requests Congressional support for funding
March NHMC
submits funding request to Congress for FY03
April USACE issues report on proposed CAD cell
April USACE
submits application for DEP approval
August USACE
issues press release and public notice about dredging
August EPA
requests additional data to support CAD cell excavation
Milestones of the
Norwalk project
2003
NHMC convenes 3rd meeting of the NH Dredging Team
March
NHMC submits funding request to Congress for FY04
April
NHMC and USACE physically tour dredging sites in Harbor
May
USACE shifts location of planned CAD cell and conducts additional testing
May
USACE conducts hydrographic survey of FNP
August
NHMC meets with USACE in Concord, Massachusetts
August
USACE issues revised public notice of CAD cells
October
NHMC attends EPA public hearing on LIS disposal sites
December
NHMC attends 2nd EPA public hearing on disposal sites
Milestones of the
Norwalk project
2004 January
DEP approves USACE dredging project and includes
requirement of “cap”
January NHMC
meets with USACE to discuss “cap” requirements
February CLIS
disposal site closed to all Federal dredging projects
February NHMC
convenes 4th meeting of NH Dredging Team
March NHMC
submits funding request to Congress for FY05
March NHMC
submits report on harbor economic value to USACE
May NHMC
attends EPA public meeting on LIS disposal sites
June NY objects to
EPA designation of dredged material disposal sites
Aug/Nov NHMC and
USACE request DEP clarification of capping requirement; DEP determines “cap”
volume
December NHMC
convenes 5th meeting of NH Dredging Team
December
Connecticut Congressional delegation urges EPA to
designate LIS disposal sites
Milestones of the
Norwalk project
Norwalk
Harbor
Navigation Project
Outstanding issues
affecting the Norwalk project
•
Uncertainties regarding Federal funding.
•
Uncertainties regarding availability of CLIS disposal site.
•
Difficulties in meeting DEP’s “capping” requirements.
Impacts of Dredging
Inaction
•
Economic
–
Increased cost transferred to consumers caused by
•
Switch from waterborne to highway transportation
•
Inefficiency of water-dependent terminal operations
•
Shippers forced to light load.
–
Continued shoaling causes mounting operational impacts to water-dependent
industry
–
Increased
highway maintenance costs (increased truck
use)
•
Environmental
–
Reduced
under-keel clearance (hull damage and
spillage)
–
Increased
dependence on highway transportation (Diesel emissions)
•
Public
Safety
–
Increased
vehicle congestion on roads and highways
Quantities of Barged Material
Annual Number of Barges
1999 Data
2004 Data
42 Sand 50 Sand
44 Crushed Stone 53 Crushed Stone
25 Fuel Oil Suspended
Annual number of Truck
Loads
Materials Shipped
Truck vs. Barge
Shipment
Barge
Truck
42
5,300 trips Sand
44
4,986 trips
Crushed
Stone
25
4,000 trips Fuel Oil
111
14,306 Total trips
2.13 275 trips per week
Comparison of diesel
fuel consumption
barge vs truck shipment
85,300 gallons consumed by tugs for barge transport
vs
208,293 gallons consumed by trucks
Critical Issues
•
Lack of
timely maintenance dredging of FNPs.
•
Urgent need
to dredge Norwalk and Bridgeport Harbors.
•
Unreasonably
complex planning process.
•
Lack of State
involvement in advancing planning process.
Critical Issues
•
Disputes
between CT and NY concerning dredged material disposal.
•
CLIS
currently “closed”.
•
Lack of
coastal management coordination between CT and NY.
•
No DMMP.
Priority Recommendations
•
Assign State agency and official
to advance dredging process.
•
Designate LIS disposal sites in
coordination with DMMP.
•
Complete DMMP for Port of
Bridgeport.
•
Convene meeting of LIS
Congressional Caucus.
Priority Recommendations
•
Identify feasible alternatives
for disposal of dredged material.
•
Utilize CT Coastal Management
Program to advance dredging process.
•
Coordinate CT and NY coastal
management initiatives.
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