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The Port of New Bedford. Portfields Initiative: Revitalizing Port & Harbor Communities. New Bedford/Fairhaven Harbor Master Plan. Five-year plan approved in September 2002 “…most progressive harbor plan ever produced in the Commonwealth.” – Secretary Bob Durand, EOEA
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The Port of New Bedford Portfields Initiative: Revitalizing Port & Harbor Communities
New Bedford/FairhavenHarbor Master Plan Five-year plan approved in September 2002 “…most progressive harbor plan ever produced in the Commonwealth.” – Secretary Bob Durand, EOEA Developed with significant public input, including maritime industries, trade professionals, citizens, and local officials Harbor Plan Goals: • Develop Traditional Harbor Industries • Capture New Opportunities in Tourism and Recreational Use • Rebuild Harbor Infrastructure • Enhance the Harbor Environment
The Regal Empress Entering New Bedford Harbor Dredging South Side of State Pier Completed State Pier Dredge Area
Portfields Projects • Navigational Dredging • Pier Expansions • Bulkhead Repairs • Public Access Improvements
Proposed CAD Cells Sampling Location Federal Channel Pope’s Island Dredge Areas Dredging Completed - 2002 New Bedford Navigation Project – Phase II
Project Benefits • Maintain & expand shipping and port commerce (increases jobs) • Improved environment through removal of contaminants • Mutually beneficial for EPA: • Sets precedent for alternative permitting through State Enhanced Remedy (SER) • Cost Sharing • Pilot Capping Project
Portfields Partners (SER Group Participants) Federal Agencies • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) • Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) State Agencies • Seaport Advisory Council • Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) • Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) • Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) • Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) Local Agencies • City of New Bedford • New Bedford Harbor Development Commission (NBHDC) • Town of Fairhaven Coalition for Buzzards Bay Apex Environmental, Inc. (Apex)
New Bedford Harbor Maintenance Dredging • Part 1 – Fish Island (Completed Feb. 2005), Top of CAD Cell #1 (Completed Feb. 2005) & Remainder of CAD (Completed July 2005) • Part 2 – Remainder of North Terminal Areas (Completed 2006) • Part 3 – Fairhaven (Completed 2006) and Leonard’s Wharf (Engineering August 2005) • Part 4 – DMMP CAD Cells (Planned for 2007) • Part 5 – Federal Navigational Channel Dredging (5 miles) - TBA
Use Clean Material from CAD to Cap OU#3 Pilot Area CAD CELL OU #3
Pilot Cap Project Activities SER Project • Collect pre-design information from study area • Additional PCB data (to fill in gaps) • Geotechnical data • Current information • Biotic bioactivity assessment • Design cap with Steering Committee consisting of representatives from EPA, DEP, Army Corps of Engineers and Apex Environmental, Inc. • Prepare plans & specifications • Clean cap placed during excavation of CAD Cell #1 EPA Superfund Project (www.epa.gov/ne/nbh) • Project oversight • Provide long-term monitoring to determine cap effectiveness • Make future decisions concerning this pilot capping
Portfields Benefits Focuses multiple agencies with different missions on selected project: • Secures definitive schedules • Streamlines permitting • Coordinates monitoring programs • Significant cost savings Multi-agency permitting and management coordination can be used as a model.