Posted on October 22, 2017
By Steve Urbon, SouthCoastTODAY
With a green light from the EPA, the city is poised to win a $15 million federal TIGER grant to at last begin bulkhead construction and dredging at the harbor’s under-used North Terminal, to expand its uses and take some off the pressure off of the rest of the harbor, which is straining at capacity.
Port Director Edward Anthes-Washburn told The Standard-Times that a TIGER grant — which stands for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery — ought to be winnable this year now that uncertainties about environmental permitting have been eliminated in an official EPA ruling. The grant application last year was denied because of those unresolved concerns about the permitting. He said that the EPA notified the city only a week and a half ago that the project is officially permitted, dredging and bulkhead included.
That EPA judgment opened the door of opportunity for this year’s application for a project that will have far-reaching implications for the fishing industry and freight — possibly including both international shipping and freight service to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. The latter was a serious bone of contention several years ago, and never fully resolved. Truck traffic congestion is unabated on Woods Hole Road, where for years some residents have sought relief in the form of diverting freight to New Bedford to ease the pressure on Cape Cod.
In a news release, Mayor Jon Mitchell’s spokesman Jon Carvalho said, “The port is seeking funds to build 800 feet of additional bulkhead in the North Terminal and complete Phase V dredging. This project will finalize the cleanup of the harbor, create more dockage space for vessels, create at least 900 new jobs, and unlock millions in additional private investment.”
The mayor stated, “The purpose of this project is to promote growth in the Port of New Bedford across multiple industries: fishing, offshore wind, cargo, and island freight. With the EPA’s recent approval, we are now in a position to seek funding for construction, and I am grateful to our federal and state legislative delegations for their support.”
Backing up the application was a volume of material on various aspects of the harbor and North Terminal opportunities for various industries that are already well established.
First among them is the fishing industry and New Bedford’s status as the No. 1 dollar value fishing port in America. “The Port of New Bedford plays a significant role in the global seafood supply chain and commercial fishing economies from Maine to Florida. The terminal will afford the fishing and fish processing industry space to grow,” said the TIGER application.
Wind energy technology is at the city’s doorstep. The mayor wrote that “It has become clearer that the port will need additional space to stage components a service that a new terminal could readily provide.
“Barges and break-bulk shipping will also be enhanced and finally, freight to the islands will be viable.”
“We feel we submitted a strong application, clearly demonstrating how this project will increase efficiencies for a number of water-dependent businesses and will spur immense economic development and private investment for the long-term,” said Anthes-Washburn.
Anthes-Washburn said that construction of the terminal expansion could begin by June 2018.
Source: SouthCoastTODAY
