I
&EPA
WHAT IS
PROJECT XL?
WHAT IS
ENWEST?
SUMMARY OF
THE NAVAL
STATION
MAYPORT
PROJECT
SUPERIOR
ENVIRONMENTAL
PERFORMANCE
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of the
Administrator
[Mail Code 18021
EPA-100-F-00-014
May 2000
(http://www.epa.gov)
Project XL/ENVVEST:
Naval Station Mayport
i, > >.
REINVENTION
Project XL, which stands for "excellence and Leadership," is a national initiative that
tests innovative ways of achieving better and more cost-effective public health and
environmental protection. The information and lessons learned from Project XL are
being used to assist the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in redesigning
its current regulatory and policy-setting approaches. Project XL encourages testing of
cleaner, cheaper, and smarter ways to attain environmental results superior to those
achieved under current regulations and policies, in conjunction with greater
accountability to stakeholders. It is vital that each project tests new ideas with the
potential for wide application and broad environmental benefits. As of May 2000,
twenty-five pilot experiments are being implemented and approximately thirty
additional projects are in various stages of development.
In 1995, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between EPA and the Department of
Defense (DoD) was initiated to provide a framework for the development of regulatory
reinvention pilot projects at DoD facilities. This program is commonly known as
ENWEST (for Environmental Reinvestment). This initiative offers DoD facilities a
tremendous opportunity to think "outside the box" of the current system and to find
solutions to obstacles that limit environmental performance. Additionally, military
facilities, through a unique aspect of the ENWEST initiative, can reprogram funds to
finance the implementation of pilot projects. DoD and EPA outlined the ENWEST
Agreement to reflect Project XL requirements.
To maintain adequate depths for naval ships, Naval Station Mayport (NS Mayport), in
Jacksonville, Florida, must dredge 600,000 cubic yards of sediment, every 18-24
months from the entrance channel of the St. Johns River and the facility's turning basin
(where the ships are anchored). Currently, this material is disposed into the ocean. In
an effort to eliminate ocean disposal, NS Mayport is asking EPA, under the
XL/ENWEST Program, to create a partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers
(COE). the State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the
City of Jacksonville that would streamline the permitting process for dredging and
ocean disposal. NS Mayport is proposing to investigate and demonstrate the
beneficial re-use of dredged material by using it to produce construction blocks and
artificial reef material. This would ultimately eliminate the need for ocean disposal of
the dredged material. NS Mayport is also proposing to use flyash produced as a
waste stream by the Jacksonville Electric Authority as a solidification material for the
construction blocks in lieu of disposing the flyash in a landfill. No flyash will be used
during any part of the manufacturing process for artificial reefs. NS Mayport, EPA's
23"' Final Project Agreement, was signed on May 30, 2000.
The potential superior environmental benefits of this project include:
decreasing and eventually eliminating the need for ocean disposal of NS
Mayport's maintenance dredged material;
beneficially reusing the dredged material now contained in NS Mayport's two
upland disposal sites to produce construction blocks and artificial reef material;
creating a new reef habitat by using the artificial reef material;
reducing the potential for adverse impact to the Northern Right Whales (NRWs)
population by reducing and eventually eliminating the transits of the dredged
material disposal vessels across NRW critical habitat and restricting artificial reef
placement to outside the NRW calving season;
reducing the potential for adverse impacts to water quality and benthic
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I
FLEXIBILITY
communities due to ocean disposal;
creating the potential to reduce flyash in the waste streams and the need for
mining brick-making clay; and,
reducing the amount of raw materials, such as cement and aggregate,
necessary for making concrete.
EPA and COE share responsibility for managing ocean disposal of dredged materials
in ocean waters under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act
(MPRSA). In order for NS Mayportto dredge its entrance channel and turning basin,
and dispose of the material into the ocean, it is required to obtain two permits from the
COE: a Section 10 permit for dredging and a Section 103 permit for ocean disposal
(COE 103 permits are subject to EPA concurrence). NS Mayport is also required to
obtain an Environmental Resource Permit from Florida DEP. This creates a confusing
process during the permits renewal and public comment periods. Through Project XL,
NS Mayport seeks to synchronize the dredging and ocean disposal permitting process.
STAKEHOLDER
INVOLVEMENT
APPROACHES
TO BE TESTED
CONTACTS
FOR ELECTRONIC
INFORMATION
Stakeholder involvement is essential for the success of this innovative environmental
program. Stakeholder input will also help to further develop the Project specifics and
evaluate performance. Public meetings were held to inform the general public and
national environmental groups about the Project and to invite their comments and
participation. Additional public meetings may be held during implementation of the
Agreement based on public interest or as decided by the direct participants.
Stakeholder input and community goals have been and will continue to be considered
throughout project implementation.
The effectiveness of a multi-agency partnership between EPA, NS Mayport,
COE, Florida DEP and the City of Jacksonville to improve public health, the
environment and marine habitat.
• The ability to produce construction blocks and artificial reef material from
dredged material.
The value of streamlining NS Mayport's dredging and ocean disposal permitting
process.
EPA Region 4:
EPA Headquarters:
NS Mayport:
COE:
Florida DEP:
City of Jacksonville:
Michelle Glenn (404) 562-8674
LisaReiter (202) 260-9041
Cheryl Mitchell (904) 270.6730
Eunice Ford (904) 232-2415
Michael Owens (850) 921.9717
James Manning (904) 630-3484
More information about the NS Mayport XL Project, or the Project XL Program, is
available on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/prQiectxj under "Information on Specific
XL Projects," or via Project XL's information Line at 202-260-5754. Also, for more
information on NS Mayport visit its web sites at www.mayportnelp.com or
www.nsmaypori.navv.mil
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