NEWS |
175-00: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE , December 15, 2000
The goal of the $4 million study is to find the most environmentally sensitive and the most effective way to deepen the port's channels to 45 feet, and then to 50 feet. The deeper channels are needed to accommodate a new generation of cargo megaships that can handle over 6,000 truck-size containers and require deep water to operate.
The study will be done in two phases. The first, which will take approximately two years, will examine what the Port Authority can do to help private industry develop new technologies to process dredged material more efficiently and reduce the cost of recycling and reusing it. The second phase will explore long-term methods to improve the entire dredging and disposal process, unchanged for decades.
"The Port is a primary cog for our regional economy, and we want to ensure that it remains the economic engine that continues to create jobs and opportunities for New Yorkers," said New York Governor George E. Pataki. "To sustain this level of activity, it is imperative that we upgrade our port infrastructure to ensure that we meet the demands for growth that will be placed on our maritime transportation system, while protecting and enhancing the environment."
New Jersey Governor Christie Whitman said, "We must continue the positioning of our Port as a hub for maritime activity on the East Coast if we are to sustain the economic benefits that it provides. We also are keenly aware in New Jersey of the environmental sensitivities associated with dredging. This action will address the need to upgrade our port facilities to accommodate modern, larger vessels in an environmentally sound manner."
"The vitality of our Port and the economic prosperity it brings to the region hinges on our ability to provide the infrastructure needed for modern maritime operations, including accommodating a new generation of immense deep-draft ships," said Port Authority Chairman Lewis M. Eisenberg. "We must ensure that we are prepared to handle the projected increases in maritime cargo, which will double in 10 years and could more than quadruple in 40 years, creating 238,000 additional jobs and $65 billion in economic activity. And we must continue to do everything possible to protect the environment."
"Much of the dredging technology we currently use in the Port has been in place for decades and is not as cost-efficient or practical as we believe it can and should be," said Port Authority Executive Director Robert E. Boyle. "Working with the two states and the dredging industry, this study will help identify how we can enhance the performance of dredging operations and control disposal costs to make sure our Port remains economically competitive with others around the country. Any changes that are made must be done in an environmentally sensitive manner."
"An important component of this study will be an extensive effort to educate the public on innovative methods we can use to create various products from dredged materials and use it in beneficial ways," said Richard M. Larrabee, the Port Authority's Director of Port Commerce.
Larrabee said a demonstration project is exploring the possible use of dredged material to build highway embankments. Research also has been conducted on the use of dredged material to make products such as construction aggregate, concrete and bricks. In addition, dredged materials have been used to cover former landfills and to reclaim abandoned industrial land or "brownfields." Several such projects have either been completed or are under way in the region, and others are planned.
During the next 12 years, channel deepening will require the excavation and disposal of approximately 59 million cubic yards of sediment and rock. In addition, annual maintenance dredging results in an additional 2 million cubic yards of sediment in need of disposal.
Dredging in the Port of New York and New Jersey is done with a crane and a bucket, just as it has for decades. Dredged material is then put in an ocean-going scow and transported for disposal or processing. The study will explore whether new, modern equipment can be used to make the process quicker and more efficient.
Regulatory changes also have made dredging and disposal of sediment a major challenge for marine terminal operators. In 1997, the federally mandated ocean disposal site, commonly called the Mud Dump, was closed and redesignated as the Historic Area Remediation Site (HARS). Currently, only clean dredged material - the definition of which has recently been modified and is under further review - can be taken to the site.
"It is essential that the Port Authority do the studies to develop new technologies to improve the dredging process and to use dredged material as a resource," Larrabee said. "These studies will lead to innovative approaches to make the dredging and disposal process more efficient, predictable and cost effective."