Designated Port Area Bulletin - June 1997

Through the Four Ports Initiative, Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is working with four major ports outside of Boston Harbor (Gloucester, Salem, New Bedford/Fairhaven, and Fall River) to meet future harbor development and dredging needs through advanced planning. CZM and the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) are also administering the distribution of the Seaport Bond Funds. An update of activities on these major initiatives is given below.

The CZM Port Planning Initiative

Consistent with Weld/Cellucci Seaport Action Plan, Port Plans are being developed for Gloucester, Salem, New Bedford, and Fall River. This Port Planning Initiative is being undertaken by CZM, on behalf of EOEA Secretary Trudy Coxe, and is being coordinated with the Dredged Material Management Initiative (see below).

Port planning is a two-step process, beginning with the development of a Scope, or work program, for the Plan. The second step is the development of the Port Plan based on the Scope. Both the Scope and the Plan are submitted to the Secretary of EOEA for approval. An approved Plan allows a municipality to have greater flexibility in implementing a development strategy tailored to its port's needs and the community's vision. It also identifies fiscal needs for publicly owned infrastructure critical to the Plan's implementation.

Much work has been accomplished by the four ports and state agencies since March. Here's an overview:

New Bedford/Fairhaven - In February, EOEA Secretary Trudy Coxe approved the Scope for the New Bedford/Fairhaven Port Plan. With an approved Scope, New Bedford and Fairhaven recently advertised for a consultant to prepare a Port Plan, funded by the Seaport Bond Bill. The New Bedford/Fairhaven Scope, developed in partnership with the communities, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and CZM, is serving as the model for the other three ports.

Gloucester - Gloucester submitted a draft proposed Scope to Secretary Coxe in March, which triggered a 30-day public comment period. As part of that comment period, Gloucester held a public scoping session on April 16. The Scope was revised in response to public comments. On May 27, the Gloucester Harbor Master Plan Committee unanimously voted to recommend this revised Scope for Secretarial approval.

Salem - Salem submitted a draft proposed Scope to the Secretary at the end of April. A public scoping session was held on May 28. After Salem's public comment period ends on June 9, CZM and representatives of the Harbor Planning Group will take the public comments received into consideration in recommending a final Scope for Secretarial approval.

Fall River - Fall River submitted a draft proposed Scope to the Secretary in April and held a public scoping session at the end of April. CZM and representatives of the Harbor Planning Group reached agreement on a Scope revised in response to public comment. This final Scope will be recommended to the Secretary for approval.

The CZM Dredged Material Management Initiative

Ports seeking to dredge their channels must currently undertake a lengthy and expensive process to identify a disposal site for material that cannot be placed in open water. To solve this problem, CZM is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a statewide Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP). To coordinate with the Four Ports Initiative, the DMMP is focusing on Gloucester, Salem, New Bedford/Fairhaven, and Fall River.

The MaGuire Group, in association with several subconsultants, has been working since December to develop the technical information required to initiate the development of Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs). The EIRs will identify permittable, long-term disposal sites for the disposal of dredged material from the four urban ports. Most of the necessary data have been developed, and the MaGuire Groups is now in the process of assembling the information to create an "existing conditions" profile of the ports, to identify opportunities and constraints regarding disposal sites, and to identify the most practicable disposal sites to be carried forward for formal review.

Data completed or being finalized include:

• Initial volumes of material suitable and unsuitable for ocean disposal (which determines the necessary size of the disposal site).

• Potential alternative disposal technologies (an analysis to determine the cost-effectiveness of high- tech disposal methods, such as making construction aggregate from contaminated sediments).

• A natural resource inventory (to determine potential impacts of disposal sites on significant resources like fisheries or eel grass).

• The initial universe of potential aquatic disposal sites (based on physical capacity only; resource and human use data will be overlayed to screen out inappropriate sites).

  
  

  Seaport Bond Funds

  CZM/EOEA released hundreds of thousands of dollars of Seaport Bond funds over the last few months. The following projects have been funded to date.

  Newburyport Waterfront Planning Initiative - Newburyport received $50,000 in January to develop a preliminary scope for a harbor plan, draft waterfront zoning ordinance, and draft framework for waterfront easements. This initiative will help Newburyport in investigating current issues surrounding development of the waterfront. The city has expressed interest in working with CZM on a developing an approved scope and harbor plan.

  Salem Wharf Feasibility and Engineering Studies - Salem received $110,000 to conduct marketing analysis and engineering feasibility studies regarding the development of a cruise ship terminal. The results of these studies will be used during the development of the city's harbor plan, expected to commence in late June, following the EOEA Secretary's approval of the Scope.

  South Boston Drydock - To improve the safety and efficiency of Drydock #3 in South Boston, Boston Ship Repair, Inc. will receive $235,000. The funds will be used for a new generator, as part of a half-million dollar renovation effort. These renovations will safeguard jobs for hundreds of local residents and reduce the environmental impacts of the facility.

  Kingston Town Landing Docks - Kingston received $32,000 to replace existing old wooden docks at Town Landing on the Jones River. The new docks will be made of aluminum for longer life and modular to allow easy installation and removal every year by the town. The docks will be ideally suited to facilitate boating activities in the municipality.

  Provincetown Pier Management Study - Provincetown received $50,000 from Seaport and $25,000 from Massachusetts Office of Business Development to develop a business plan for creating an authority to manage MacMillan Pier to ensure that it is financially self-supporting and meets the needs of the town. The study will also look into permitting issues for future pier reconstruction.

  Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) Simulator - MMA in Buzzards Bay will receive $300,000 this year to update its port simulator. The simulator is used as a training and planning tool, which simulates the maneuvering of a shipping vessel through advanced computer and visual technology.

  New Bedford/Fairhaven Engineering Studies - New Bedford and Fairhaven were awarded $45,000 to finance harbor engineering studies for municipally-owned wharves. The studies, which will be completed by June 30, include a needs assessment of improvements to the city piers, a feasibility study for a cold storage facility, and cost estimates for fendering improvements to Union Wharf.

  Massachusetts Fishermen's Association - Seaport Bond funds have been made available to the Massachusetts Fishermen's Partnership to match a $2,000,000 federal grant. The $200,000 in Seaport Bond funds will support the construction of an economic development plan for Massachusetts fishermen and to establish a voluntary vessel brokerage system of Massachusetts fishing vessel to international markets.

  Aquaculture - An Inter-Service Agreement has been completed with the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Environmental Law Enforcement to promote the following aquaculture projects: Northeast Aquaculture Center in Salem, Barnstable County Aquaculture, Nantucket Harbor Life, a Fish Auction, and the Westport Scalloping Project.

  
  

  CZM Technical Assistance Staff

  Several CZM staff members are actively involved with providing technical assistance to Gloucester, Salem, New Bedford/Fairhaven, and Fall River to develop their Port Plans and resolve their dredging issues. The following is a list of these staff contacts.

  • Deerin Babb-Brott, Dredge Planning Coordinator, 617-626-1200, ext. 403. Deerin oversees the development of the Dredged Materials Management Plan.

  • Andrea Cooper, North Shore Regional Coordinator, 978-281-3972. Andrea serves as a liaison between CZM and Gloucester, Salem, and the other North Shore communities on port and harbor planning and other issues.

  • Dave Janik, South Coastal Regional Coordinator, 508-946-8990. Dave serves as a liaison between CZM and New Bedford, Fairhaven, Fall River, and the other communities from Scituate to Seekonk (excluding Cape Cod and the islands) on port and harbor planning and other issues.