Dredge, the “Misunderstood Mineral” - 2010 Waterfront Conference*

“. ..think of it as the dirt and dust of far-off lands…”

Charlie Brown referring to “Pig Pen” in a Charlie Brown

Christmas http://bit.ly/gO5ERi

“Sort of makes you want to treat me with more respect doesn’t it?”

Pig-Pen

Like sole supportive Charlie Brown, the panel showed us how to look at mud differently ...

“This is a problem that can be solved…we need to learn from the recycling industry how to better engage people. People don’t realize all dredged material is not contaminated”

Suzanne Mattei, NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation

Did you know the first of four levels of dredge is classified “not dirty”? In the Chesapeake Bay such clean material was used to restore an island!

"People need to lead the process, helping all stakeholders.” Rick Sheckles, ExoLogic Group Inc.

There were 130 stakeholders that worked together to lead the process, identify community benefits and set institutional policy in the Chesapeke Bay. Only when there was a split in the Port of Baltimore, between Seaports and the Corps of Engineers, did the initiative loose control of the rhetoric and momentum.

Grey Hartman explained there are two types of dredging 1) pipeline dredge, 90% of which is water and 2) mechanical to barge. A case study from Tacoma demonstrated the process of treatment of contaminated material (PCBs) within a confined aquatic disposal (CAD). The issues are transportation, maintenance and political - though not in that order.

For the most dreaded dredge - level four, NYNJ now has a plan; that's the good news. The bad - it’s expensive and requires a regional process facility. Most tough, there needs to be a behavioral shift in public and private partnership for it's implementation.

Thinking differently, illuminates opportunity:

“With regard to the containment of sediments, many ports & harbors are at the same place. The bi-state character of the port of New York New Jersey could provide a valuable implementation model to this global challenge.”

Eric Stern, ERM

Historically, a working port has counter cycled Wall Street with 50,000 indirect jobs and 20 million to the region - even more if environmentally friendly valuations are applied.

Funding, we were told, will be there when timing and appropriate needs are met.

"Fast decisions are as often wrong as they are right…we need to identify those issues people can get behind to make progress…for example somebody needs to pay attention to the mix and match of materials. ..no one wants to come back and see the same material in five years.”

Peter Davidson, Empire State Corporation

We can agree we don't want to see the same material in NYNJ Harbor in five years.  And mixing users and matching materials sounds like a job for an aggregator, no?  So... all you developers out there, got a Holiday app for that?

Moderator: Scott Douglas, NJDOT http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/
Peter Davidson, Empire State Development Corp.
 http://www.empire.state.ny.us/
Greg Hartman, MWH Global
http://www.mwhglobal.com/
Suzanne Mattei, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
http://www.dec.ny.gov/
Rick Sheckells, EcoLogix Group Inc.
http://www.ecologixgroup.com/
Eric A. Stern, Environmental Resource Management (ERM)
http://www.erm.com



*About the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance works to transform the New York and New Jersey harbor and waterways to make them clean and accessible, a vibrant place to play, learn and work, with great parks, great jobs and great transportation for all.(www.waterfrontalliance.org) Nearly 400 civic, companies, utilities, union locals and more, united to make the New York and New Jersey Metropolitan Waterfront everthing it deserves to be.

2010 Waterfront Conference presented by the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance

(First in a series on 2010 Waterfront Conference)

"Great news, by way of major re-zoning, we now have new populations living at the water's edge and we will be piloting a new ferry service on the East River" Amanda M. Burden DCP Commissioner

If the energy and excitement of a vibrant port is not motivation enough to learn the key issues with regard to the NY-NJ waterfront, consider this, an MTA study projects over 4 million people from '05-'30 and 3 million jobs, growth rates of 17% and 25%. Those people will need jobs and without water transportation alternatives, they will further burden already aged roads and congested mass transit.

Over the last decade the Port of NYNJ has experienced healthy growth generating thousands of jobs and billions of dollars. Despite the recession, most believe port volume will increase substantially over the next decade. To ensure NYNJ makes the most of this opportunity, changes all along the waterfront are underway. For example, in the past, piers have been built without ballard and cleats! You wouldn’t think something so rudimentary would have to be specified, but experts explain such is the disconnect we have with our port.

Another obstacle, difficulty permitting, for recreational or industrial boats, also deters people from bringing boats to the Big Apple waterfront. Again, “land centric” thinking isn’t going to work so well with the increasing competition from other U.S. and global ports. We have to get with it.

To help us all rewire our brains, the waterfront,“the water trail” or “blue highway” as it has been named, is now being referred to a the 6th borough that's a whole other geography, people and economy - right.

In the time it takes to implement the recently crafted comprehensive plan for the waterfront through the layers of stakeholders, the nearly 400 organisations of the Waterfront Alliance have another strategy underway. Simultaneously, through the masterful dexterity of the WFA, a new generation of kids will all have an experience of New York as a waterfront town.

“Every child on the water” is one of the solutions proposed to ensure all populations understand the city is surrounded by water and we live on islands and peninsulas. As anyone that’s been tutored by a child about recycling and mac apps, this may indeed prove the fastest race to accurate sea level.

With appreciation to the generous conference sponsors who've helped return the port to the public, the public to the water and show us what our waterfront can really be:

Con Edison, New York
New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program,
Entertainment Cruises,
National Parks Conservation Association,
New York Container Terminal,
The Durst Organization,
HDR Engineering,
Hudson River Foundation,
New York City Economic Development Corporation,
New York Shipping Association,
Port Authority of New York – New Jersey,
Statue Cruises,
AKRF,
Bimmy’s Food Made With Love,
Halcrow Group,
McLaren Engineering Group,
MWH Global, and
SF Marina USA.
　
About the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance works to transform the New York and New Jersey harbor and waterways to make them clean and accessible, a vibrant place to play, learn and work, with great parks, great jobs and great transportation for all.(www.waterfrontalliance.org) Nearly 400 civic, companies, utilities, union locals and more, united to make the New York and New Jersey Metropolitan Waterfront everthing it deserves to be.