Staff Writer
The Jacksonville Port Authority is working to provide a bigger window for bigger ships to pull into Jacksonville’s docks, but history may delay its efforts.
“It’s really a catch-22,” said Rick Ferrin, CEO of the Jacksonville Port Authority. “The (U.S. Army) Corps of Engineers wants historical data to support the Mile Point Remediation project, but there is no historical data available because the bigger ships haven’t been around that long.”
The project focuses on a section of river where the Intracoastal Waterway and St. Johns River intersect. The two waterways move in different directions with the river flowing north and the ICW flowing south which can cause ships to spin depending on the level of the tide. Currently this presents larger ships, particularly the new “Panamax” ships that are the largest that can fit through the Panama Canal, with two four-hour windows in which to pull into port. The Mile Point project aims to reduce the effect of the two waterways and provide more opportunity for vessels to dock in Jacksonville.
“As you can imagine, I’ve got businesses screaming at me to get this fixed,” said Ferrin. “The latest update we received from the Corps was that the study of the project would be completed by the fall of 2012, which would be in the 2013 fiscal year and that is just not acceptable.”
This dilemma was discussed at Tuesday’s Seaport-Airport Special Committee meeting at City Hall. The City Council special committee is charged with helping the Port Authority and Jacksonville Aviation Authority(JAA) “find and secure the resources needed to accommodate the city’s growing seaport business and the economic development opportunities at Cecil Field; identify potential state and federal funding sources for these improvements; and act as the liaison with local, state and federal officials to help prioritize infrastructure projects and assist with funding sources that stimulate economic development.”
“(The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) are saying that, ‘We don’t have enough historical data to give the project a strong benefit-to-cost ratio.’ That data involves large ships and they are not calling on this port right now because of the restriction or they are calling here in limited numbers,” said Ferrin. “I’ve got to get to (Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lt. Gen. Robert) Van Antwerp to get him to reevaluate the criteria for the evaluation (of the project).”
Ferrin is in Washington D.C. for a meeting with Antwerp today and also to discuss a contingency plan if the Army Corps of Engineers is not receptive to the request of the Port Authority.
“If we can’t get the Corps to re-calibrate the way they look at the data to develop the benefit-to-cost ratio, then what we are also planning to do is meet with our members, both of our (U.S.) Senators and (U.S. Representatives) Corrine (Brown) and Ander (Crenshaw),” said Ferrin. “We will ask them to support legislation which would be an add-on to the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill that would direct the Corps of Engineers to authorize and appropriate money and direct them to perform the Mile Point remediation.”
Recently appointed City Council member Art Graham asked about the repercussions of trying to pursue legislation to direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“By forcing the hand of the Corps, how much ill will might be generated by the legislation?” Graham asked.
Ferrin assured the committee, which consists of City Council members Daniel Davis, Stephen Joost and Graham, that the Port’s relationship with the Corps would not be jeopardized by the action.
“The Corps doesn’t actually mind,” said Ferrin. “They don’t mind doing the work, it’s just that they feel they are bound by regulation and guidance to go with this evaluation method of the benefit-to-cost ratio which relies upon historical data. If we can get Congress to direct them, they are happy to do the work.”
Despite not having gone to Washington, D.C. to discuss the matter yet, Ferrin felt confident Tuesday that the Mile Point project would still be completed by 2013.
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