12-R120
2012 -- S 2444
Enacted 03/07/12
S E N A T E R E
S O L U T I O N
REQUESTING THAT
THE RHODE ISLAND COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
COUNCIL
UNDERTAKE A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF PERMITTING ADDITIONAL
CONFINED AREA
DISPOSAL CELLS AS PART OF ITS GENERAL MAINTENANCE
DREDGING POLICY
PROGRAM
Introduced By: Senators Bates, Ruggerio, Goodwin, Walaska, and Sosnowski
Date Introduced: February 16, 2012
WHEREAS, Some of Rhode
Island’s greatest resources exist in its ports, marine
businesses, and general maritime economy; and
WHEREAS, The maritime economy in
employs over 6,400 people, and pays wages in excess of $273
million, all of which are critical to
the economic and social well-being of the state; and
WHEREAS, In 2009, the Rhode Island General Assembly established a
Special
Legislative Commission to Study Potential Economic
Opportunities in the Development of Port
Facilities in
WHEREAS, The Port
Commission has been charged with studying
related economy, with the intent of making specific
recommendations to better utilize Rhode
Island’s coastal resources and unique geographic
location, in order to create employment
opportunities for those Rhode Islanders currently unemployed or
underemployed during the worst
economic downturn since the Great Depression; and
WHEREAS, After completing three years of study, including 11
meetings, numerous
visits to each and every commercial port in
from 25 maritime witnesses, the Port Commission has
learned that:
(1) The current confined
area disposal cells (“CAD cells”) utilized for long-term disposal
of materials unsuitable for offshore disposal are filled
to approximately 75 percent of their
capacity; and
(2) There are three
significant maintenance dredging projects pending in the Port of
capacity; and
WHEREAS, It is in the
best interests of the State of
permitting of additional CAD cells, with the ultimate goal of
constructing new CAD cells once
the existing ones are filled; and
WHEREAS, The potential decrease in the number of available slips and
moorings at
marinas, as well as the reduced draft at port facilities
throughout the state due to the potential lack
of active CAD cells, will have significant adverse
environmental and economic effects on the
state; and
WHEREAS, Maintenance
dredging is required to remove natural silt accumulations in
order to continue ongoing commercial and recreational
maritime activity; and
WHEREAS, The “Marine
Waterways and Boating Facilities Act 2001” (RIGL 46-6.1)
designated The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council
(“CRMC”) as the lead
state agency charged with coordinating general maintenance dredging
policy and programs for
ports, port facilities, channels, harbors, public and
private marinas and boating facilities,
recreational facilities, and habitat areas; and
WHEREAS, The CRMC was
directed to develop, prepare, adopt pursuant to section 46-
23-11, implement, and
maintain a comprehensive plan for dredge material management
consistent with the Marine Infrastructure Maintenance Act of
1996; and
WHEREAS, It is in the best interests of the state, its cities and
towns, and its citizens for
CRMC to include in its general maintenance dredging
policy program an in-depth detailed
analysis of the size, scale, scope, and funding needed to
complete the permitting process for and
the future construction of replacement CAD disposal
cells, so as to not jeopardize the long-term
economic health of the state’s maritime industry; now,
therefore be it
RESOLVED,
That this House of Representatives of the State of
Providence Plantations
hereby requests that the Rhode Island CRMC undertakes this detailed
study and report its findings back to the Governor and
House of Representatives no later than
May 1, 2012; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the
Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and
directed to
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the
executive director of the Coastal Resources
Management
Council.
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LC01851
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