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I & II – Status of
Federal Navigable Channel Project & Status of “Bank-to-Bank”
Project
- Mr. Dick Bunnell recognized
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen’s attendance, and thanked her for the
continued strong support of the Miami River Dredging project.
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen stated she called the Army Corps of
Engineer’s (ACOE) General Strock on
January 18, 2005
, to follow up on their March
2004 conversation, regarding the
Miami River
maintenance- dredging project.
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen stated she again requested the ACOE to
avoid any temporary de-mobilizations during the project, refund the
previously appropriated
Miami River
dredging federal funding back
to its intended project, and approve the June 2004 draft supplement to
the
Miami River
dredging economic analysis.
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen reported General Strock replied that
the ACOE is committed to avoid any temporary demobilizations during the
project, will refund the previously appropriated
Miami River
dredging federal funding back
to the project, and finalize the draft economic analysis, so that the
project may be included in the ACOE’s Fiscal Year 2007 budget request.
The MRC Dredging subcommittee again thanked Congresswoman
Ros-Lehtinen and the Congressional Florida Delegation, for the continued
leadership on the commenced
Miami River
maintenance-dredging project,
which recently lead to the sixth annual federal appropriation for the
project, an additional $2 million, bringing the federal appropriated
total up to $27.85 million.
Mr. Rene Perez,
the ACOE’s project manager for the
Miami River
maintenance-dredging project, stated he was glad to hear about the
positive conversation between General Strock and Congresswoman
Ros-Lehtinen. Mr. Perez
stated at this point in time it is his understanding that the Corps has
sufficient funding to authorize “bank-to-bank” dredging in
acceptance section 2 in late January or early February, and would
authorize dredging within the federal navigable channel portion of
acceptance section 2, after the ACOE refunds a sufficient portion of the
previously appropriated federal funding back to the
Miami River
dredging project. Mr.
Bunnell asked the contractors if it was possible to dredge only within
the “bank-to-bank” portion of acceptance section 2, if the ACOE
authorizes it prior to authorizing dredging of the federal navigable
channel within the same second acceptance area.
Mr. Jeff McWilliams, Bean Environmental, stated they approach the
entire acceptance section as a whole, and it would be extremely
difficult to only dredge the limited “bank to bank” quantity within
the second acceptance section, without dredging the immediately adjacent
federal navigable channel portion of the same area.
Brett Bibeau, MRC Managing Director, stated the dredging
contractors have developed a matrix for the
Miami River
dredging project, including the
amounts all funding sources owe for each of the 15 payable acceptance
sections, through the project's estimated 1 year and 8 month
work schedule. Bibeau stated
when the City and County’s Fiscal Year (FY - October 1 – September
30) is cross referenced with the dredging contractor’s estimated work
schedule, the City would owe $3,684,604 in FY ’05 and $2,308,900 in FY
’06, while the County would owe $5,467,799 in FY ’05 and $3,360,295
in FY ’06.
III.
Update
River
Utility Crossings –
Mr. Bunnell asked the contractors and ACOE for an update on the private
utility companies continued efforts to relocate there perspective
utility crossings to the required depth beneath the
Miami River
’s federal navigable channel. The
dredging subcommittee discussed the fact that after the first acceptance
section was authorized, and thought to be clear of any conflicting
utility crossings, an active Florida City Gas Line was discovered 30
feet downstream from the
Railroad
Bridge
. Rene Perez stated the ACOE
will again request the line to be removed or relocated deeper beneath
the river ASAP. Mr.
McWilliams stated if the line isn’t relocated before the dredgers
leave the first acceptance section, they would be willing to return to
this portion of the completed acceptance area 1 after the gas line is
properly relocated. Mr.
Bunnell recommended all utility companies re-check their original
findings which they submitted to the ACOE, in order to re-confirm future
utility locations. The
dredging subcommittee confirmed the next utility relocation meeting,
February 7, 2005, 10:30 am, United Way Ansin Building, 3250 SW 3 Ave.
IV.
Status of NW 5 ST Bridge Removal Prior to Dredging in that Area
– United States Coast Guard
(USCG) Lieutenant Douglas Tindall, stated he is unaware of the Florida
Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) current estimated timeline to
remove the existing NW 5 ST Bridge, prior to replacing it.
Lieutenant Tindall stated if the NW 5 ST Bridge, which is built
into the federal navigable channel, isn’t removed prior to dredging
the channel in that area, the USCG would consider requiring FDOT to
include dredging of the contaminated sediments which are left behind, as
a part of their pending bridge construction permit.
Congresswoman
Ros-Lehtinen reminded the MRC Dredging subcommittee attendees that they
are invited to join her for a
Miami River
dredging press conference immediately after the meeting, at
3850 NW North River Drive
.
Bibeau
thanked Cliff Berry Inc. and the Miami River Marine Group for hosting
the MRC Dredging subcommittee meeting.
The Dredging Working Group confirmed their next regularly
scheduled third Wednesday of the month meeting for February, 16, 2005,
10 am, UM Rosenstiel School, 4600 Rickenbacker Cswy., Miami, FL.
The
meeting adjourned.
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