The Port to Nowhere

[Rob68]

Port leader could care less about the environment. The same way they could care less about anyone but themselves...with all that cash to be had...these people will lie cheat and steal to make this happen...the st johns is screwed.

[mtraininjax]

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2014/05/28/jacksonville-based-rayonier-makes-list-of-top.html

Further proof we don't need a 50-foot river to become a premier port. Aggregates are the key and having leadership willing to look at what we have available to ourselves right now.

[IrvAdams]

Interestingly, the article says that paper and pulp exports are growing; I thought this was the Electronic Information Age? Paper plates and napkins, maybe? Cardboard boxes?

[spuwho]

Interestingly, the article says that paper and pulp exports are growing; I thought this was the Electronic Information Age? Paper plates and napkins, maybe? Cardboard boxes?

Everyone orders online now in this "electronic" age. Got to ship it in something before the drones drop it in your front porch.

[Ocklawaha]

New York has a worse problem yet, with the Bayonne Bridge, whose air draft is 151 feet. Their solution? Demolish the old bridge and raise it to 215' as soon as they can afford to do so. But wait...the Bayonne Bridge is a historic landmark. Ouch.

Simple fix? Go for 60 feet and have the ships take on ballast to slide under the bridge. BTW, some already do that.

[TheCat]

http://www.youtube.com/v/lgeh66I8Mas

Federal, state and local leaders today joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and JAXPORT leadership along the St. Johns River in downtown Jacksonville to mark the start of the Pre-Construction, Engineering and Design (PED) phase of the Jacksonville Harbor Deepening Project.

The initial engineering and design work is expected to take 18 months. Deepening construction could begin as early as 2016.

"During the course of the next year and a half, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will design a project with both the economics and the environment as dual priorities," said JAXPORT Board of Directors Chairman Joe York. "Our attention as a region must turn to ensuring that this project is funded stays on track so we can return every bit of benefit back to our citizens as soon as possible."

On June 10, President Obama signed bipartisan legislation authorizing the Jacksonville Harbor Deepening Project, saying this project and others like it will strengthen our national infrastructure and put more Americans to work.
Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown also proclaimed June 17, 2014 as "Harbor Deepening Launch Day."
"This is a historic day," said Mayor Brown. "The harbor deepening project will modernize and expand our port to strengthen our competitive position in the global economy. As chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Task Force on Ports and Exports, I know that international trade and ports will play an ever-larger role in the American economy."
What Jacksonville leaders are saying:

U.S. Congresswoman Corrine Brown: "I have been working for several years now to ensure Jacksonville's Harbor Deepening project continues to move forward, and today, I am seeing that hard work pay off in a big way for the people of Northeast Florida. The ships of tomorrow are here, and with projects like the Harbor Deepening, I can say with great pride that Jacksonville is ready to welcome them and the opportunities they bring to our region's economy and the nation's competitive position."

U.S. Congressman Ander Crenshaw: "Plain and simple; Dredging the St. Johns will bring job creation, increased trade, and economic growth to the Northeast Florida  We move that vision forward today – a winning vision I've stood behind from day one and will back 100 percent on the road ahead."   

Florida Senator Aaron Bean: "It's an exciting day for Jacksonville!  The jobs and business this project will bring to the area will help to make Jacksonville and the surrounding areas an even better place to live and work.  We've worked towards this for years, and it's wonderful to see it getting underway."

Florida Representative Mia Jones: "I am excited about  the first phase of the Jacksonville Harbor Deepening Project. This project will enhance Jacksonville's economy in bringing jobs and development for substantial growth in the Jacksonville area. It is well deserved and has been well worth the wait."

Col. Alan M. Dodd, Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District: "This commitment signifies yet another milestone toward building port infrastructure that will support the region and nation for decades to come. It allows the Corps of Engineers to begin the next phase of work needed for the Port of Jacksonville to stay on track for potential construction in 2016.

- See more at: http://www.jaxport.com/about-jaxport/newsroom/news/design-jacksonville-harbor-deepening-project-begins#sthash.jg6fdDwc.dpuf

[IrvAdams]

^^Woo-hoo! Dredge, baby, dredge! I sincerely believe any potential environmental and engineering obstacles can be foreseen, forestalled and overcome with the proper funding, planning and execution, which it seems this project has.

Super ships are the future and we must be ready.

Jax is being proactive and it feels good.

[tufsu1]

^^Woo-hoo! Dredge, baby, dredge! I sincerely believe any potential environmental and engineering obstacles can be foreseen, forestalled and overcome with the proper funding, planning and execution, which it seems this project has.

They can and have been projected...unfortunately, some have chosen to downplay the impacts and therefore the needed mitigation

[thelakelander]

Where's the actual dredging money coming from?

[riverkeepered]

The money is coming from us - the taxpayers. 

And, no, you can't foresee all of the potential impacts.  The models used by the Army Corps don't have the capacity to identify how extensive the damage will be. 

The Corps acknowledges the limitations of its models: "Actual conditions will deviate from those used to drive the models. These deviations introduce additional uncertainty in the models' ability to predict future conditions and impacts."

The models actually estimate the exact same impact to wetlands (394.57 acres) and submerged aquatic vegetation (180.5 acres) for every depth analyzed (44, 45, 46, 47, and 50-ft deep channel).

The Corps has actually responded by slashing the mitigation to less than $4 million and has offered no guarantee that any corrective action will be taken if they determine additional impacts occurred from the dredging.

In addition, you simply can't mitigate for the damage or reverse it once it happens.  Once the damage is done, it's done.

[tufsu1]

Where's the actual dredging money coming from?

I saw something the other day where Governor Scott is committed to giving the Florida ports $4 Billion over the next 5 years...and that Jax. is expected to get more than 25% of the total