Portfields
a Course for
Tori Revitalization
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Reporting Results
This report outlines the range of benefits provided to
the pilots by the Portfields partnership. Many of these
approaches may be replicated in other port communities
to enhance community revitalization efforts. The
report has three goals: 1) highlight the Portfields
partnerships; 2) describe the accomplishments; and 3)
document best management practices and innovative
strategies that can be transferred to other ports.
"If you took -for results ovdy it
regulations, port cwuMMWitiy
tviU seem
. But,
partner sJup wUk -federal
PortfiMs WAdet, Mew Bedford
k vnovwa forward Mui
OK
never
thought of befor
e
—Mayor Fred Kalisz, Jr.
New Bedford, Massachusetts
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Partnerships
• Portfields is a federal interagency partnership addressing brownfields in port communities with
an emphasis on the environmentally- and economically-sound revitalization of port facilities.
Portfields is led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USAGE), the Economic Development Administration (EDA), and other federal agencies.
• Three ports are designated as Portfields pilots: Bellingham, Washington; New Bedford,
Massachusetts; and Tampa, Florida.
In Context
• With an expected doubling of waterborne commerce by the year 2020, and a significant increase
in the size of commercial vessels, U.S. ports will need to upgrade their infrastructure to remain
competitive in the expanding global marketplace.
95 percent of U.S. foreign trade travels through our nation's ports, contributing $780 billion to
the economy and employing 16 million people.
• The U.S. has 95,000 miles of coastline, 25,000 miles of navigable waters, and over 300 ports
containing 3,700 marine terminals.
• Port areas are habitat for almost one-half of the nation's protected, threatened, and endangered
species.
Goals
Expedite the redevelopment of port communities in a manner that enhances port infrastructure,
protects human health, protects and restores critical habitat, and provides economic opportunity
and a better quality of life for communities.
Focus and leverage the combined resources of federal, state, local, and private partners to support
redevelopment and revitalization efforts.
• Actively transfer best practices and lessons learned to other port communities.
Portfields: Charting a Course for Port Revitalization
3
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Portfields
Port of Bellingham,
_ .Washington
J Working to Benefit the Environment,
Economy, and Communities
he Portfields partnership integrates the goals of protecting human health,
preserving healthy ecosystems, and encouraging economic development to
achieve community revitalization.
Economic Revitalization and Environmental Protection
Ports play vital roles in our nation's economy and quality of life. Our ports
serve as gateways for domestic and international trade, and are home to many
valuable environmental resources. The location of our port communities
and their essential role in our economy presents a variety of environmental
and human health challenges. Economic growth must go hand-in-hand with
sustaining marine ecosystems, increasing air and water quality, and restoring
natural habitats. The Portfields partnership is dedicated to finding solutions
that promote economic revitalization while sustaining natural resources and
protecting human health.
Accomplishing the Portfields Mission
Through Partnership
Port of New
Bedford,
Massachusetts
Port of Tampa,!
Florida
NOAA, EPA, and other federal agencies are
partnering with communities to redevelop
contaminated lands, known as brownfields, around
port facilities. In 2003, the Portfields federal
partners selected three port communities to serve
as pilots and demonstrate how intergovernmental
collaboration can foster innovative solutions that
promote economic development while protecting
human health and the environment.
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The ports of Bellingham, Washington; Tampa, Florida; and New Bedford,
Massachusetts are designated as Portfields Pilot Ports. These communities
were selected for their commitment to implementing innovative approaches
to community revitalization, their unique set of needs, and the potential for
federal assistance to enhance successful revitalization.
The strategic partnerships and innovative approaches to community
revitalization developed by the Portfields partnership are promoting
environmental protection while invigorating community revitalization and
improving marine transportation. Portfields mobilizes federal expertise and
resources to support local community efforts to implement their visions
for revitalization. The Portfields partnership is a model in interagency
collaboration for streamlining current processes and implementing new
approaches to community redevelopment.
Portfields: Charting a Course for Port Revitalization
-------
"PortfieUs
The Major Federal Partners
Federal Partner Mission
Available Assistance and
Contributions to Portfields
National Oceanic
and Atmospheric
Administration
NOAA's mission is to conserve and manage
wisely the nation's coastal and marine
resources, and to describe and predict
changes in the Earth's environment to
ensure sustainable economic opportunities.
Co-coordinates the implementation of Portfields.
Sponsored and facilitated local kick-off meetings at
each Pilot Port.
Provided $30,000 to each port to support Portfields
implementation and ongoing technical assistance.
Environmental
Protection
Agency
EPA's mission is to protect human health
and the environment. EPA leads the nation's
environmental science, research, education,
and assessment efforts.
Co-coordinates the implementation of Portfields.
Provides funding for Targeted Brownfields
Assessments.
Provides funding to Portfields communities for
revitalization planning and cleanup activities.
Coordinates and oversees cleanup activities at
Superfund sites.
U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers
USAGE is responsible for major construction
and other engineering support to the Army,
Air Force, and other federal agencies.
Provides technical assistance for cleanup and
navigational dredging projects.
Provides wave energy impact modeling to support
ecosystem restoration.
Provides assistance in streamlining permitting.
Economic
Development
Administration
EDA's mission is to generate new jobs, help
retain existing jobs, and stimulate industrial
and commercial growth through increased
private sector investment in economically
distressed areas of the nation.
Provides assistance to support redevelopment
efforts through planning and strategy grants, and
infrastructure improvement grants designed to
attract new industry, encourage business expansion,
diversify local economies, and generate and retain
long-term private sector jobs and investment.
Maritime
Administration
MARAD develops and implements
standards, laws, regulations, and procedures
to protect the environment and redevelop
port properties.
Provides expertise in ship scrapping, ballast water
treatment, dredging, oil pollution issues, and control
of air emissions within port facilities.
Provides funding through MARAD Port Security
Grants.
Department of
the Interior
DOI protects, oversees, and provides access
to federally-owned natural and cultural areas.
DOI Fish and Wildlife Service's Coastal Program
provides technical expertise to assist coastal
communities preserve bays, estuaries, and
watersheds.
Department
of Housing
and Urban
Development
HUD aims to increase homeownership,
support community development, and
increase access to affordable housing.
Provides support for brownfields property acquisition
and remediation through the Brownfields Economic
Development Initiative (BEDI) grant and Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs.
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r*..
or the Future
hrough integrated planning and comprehensive approaches, the Portfields
pilot communities are taking steps to expand their facilities and shipping
capacity while minimizing the negative effects of economic expansion
upon the environment and human health. The Pilot Ports are implementing
dredging activities that will deepen and maintain shipping channels, increase
port capacities, and improve environmental quality of coastal habitats.
Through the assessment and cleanup of brownfields, once idle properties are
returning to productive use as port facilities, recreational areas, and restored
wildlife habitats. The Pilot Ports are redeveloping brownfields as part of
their comprehensive community-based revitalization plans. Smart growth
planning in conjunction with the cleanup and reuse of brownfields promotes
air and water quality improvements, the preservation of greenspace, and
habitat protection.
The partnerships and successes of Portfields illustrate how innovative
approaches are assisting ports in overcoming environmental and economic
challenges and promoting community and ecosystem revitalization. These
strategies build on the legacy of our nation's ports and simultaneously
facilitate revitalization, economic expansion, and environmental
protection.
The following case studies illustrate how the Pilot Port communities and the
Portfields partnership are leveraging resources and promoting innovative
approaches to invigorate and enhance local community revitalization efforts.
Many of these projects and approaches may be applicable to the challenges
faced by other ports and coastal communities.
Portfields: Charting a Course for Port Revitalization
7
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Washington
he Port of Bellingham is located on the northeastern edge of
Puget Sound, between the major metropolitan areas of Seattle,
Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia. The City of
Bellingham is home to nearly 71,000 residents. Bellingham's
waterfront history includes harbor dependent operations such
as lumber, pulp and paper mills, shipyards, commercial fishing,
and seafood processing. The Port is the southern terminus
for the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry System and serves as a
recreational boating center for the scenic San Juan Islands. The
Portfields partners are working with the Port to meet its goals
for future transportation needs, economic revitalization, and
restoration and stewardship of marine habitat through
implementation of projects identified in the Port's
_ comprehensive planning efforts.
•I^MHl
http://www.portofbellingham.com
8
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A New Level of Stakeholder Engagement
The Portfields partnership is assisting the ongoing efforts of the Bellingham
Bay Demonstration Pilot. This Demonstration Pilot is a team of 15 state,
tribal, federal, and local stakeholders that cooperatively planned the cleanup,
source control, and restoration for contaminated sediment sites around
Bellingham Bay. These efforts brought the Bellingham Bay Comprehensive
Strategy and Final Environmental Impact Statement to fruition to guide
future decisions on cleanup, restoration, development, and pollution
control around the Bay. The high level of public involvement, cooperative
problem solving, responsible business practices, and visioning makes the
Port of Bellingham a leader in balancing the goals of redevelopment, social
concerns, and environmental protection. Stakeholder success is partly due
to organizing a series of committees with tasks and finite work projects.
This decentralized approach matched participants to their interests and
kept them focused on the task at hand, while also recognizing the complex
dimensions of the effort.
Use of Risk Management Tools
The Port works closely with the Washington Department of Ecology and
other Portfields partners to design, implement, and fund the cleanup of
brownfields. On January 20, 2005, the Port acquired Georgia-Pacific's
waterfront property, including its treatment lagoon. Georgia-Pacific
exchanged the 137-acre property with the Port under an agreement that
the Port would clean up the mill-site property and contaminated marine
sediments in the adjacent federal channel (Whatcom Waterway). To protect
both the Port and Georgia-Pacific from potential cost over-runs and unknown
Ideas Worth Borrowing
Risk Management Tools
The Port of Bellingham is using an
environmental insurance policy to cap Port
liability costs in the cleanup of a privately-
owned mill property that the Port recently
acquired.
Habitat Restoration Coupled with
Infrastructure Development
The Port of Bellingham is redeveloping
the central waterfront and creating a new
commercial and mixed-use area that will
provide new economic opportunities and
restore salmon habitat.
Permit Streamlining
The Port of Bellingham is working with
Portfields partners, the Lummi Indian
Nation, and local partners to streamline the
permitting process for planned waterfront
and cleanup projects.
Expanded Hydrographic
Surveying for Baseline
Information
NOAA is working with the Port of Bellingham
and other partners to acquire information
during upcoming NOAA hydrographic
surveys to support Port projects.
.
devetepwMvt with, koMbnutcreation, ewwmmmtiUdewuvp,
—Jim Darling, Executive Director
Port of Bellingham
Portfields: Charting a Course for Port Revitalization
9
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Major Partners in
Bellingham Bay Portfields
Projects
City of Bellingham
The Port created a partnership with the city
that defines responsibilities and supports
roles between the two, particularly as it
applies to infrastructure management.
Partners made commitments to implement
the community's vision that includes area-
wide master planning, public parks, and
infrastructure.
State of Washington Department
of Ecology
The Port and state worked to better
understand the regulatory requirements
for cleaning up the industrial properties for
a mixed-use waterfront. The Department
of Ecology will provide grants to support
sediment cleanup.
Lummi Indian Nation
Bellingham Bay is the traditional fishing
area for the Lummi Indian Nation. The Port
and tribe are working to define business
objectives, cultural resource interests, and
strategies for restoring natural resources.
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Provided funding to support project design;
organizing permit streamlining activities; will
conduct hydrographic surveys
Environmental Protection Agency
Provided funding that will support permit
streamlining efforts and project design
and implementation; participating in permit
streamlining activities
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Assisting with the planning and design of
aquatic ecosystem restoration; participating
in permit streamlining for navigational
dredging; and analyzing deauthorization of
navigation channel to facilitate permanent
capping of contaminated sediments
liabilities, the parties purchased an environmental insurance product with
a 30-year term. Under the terms of the policy, Georgia-Pacific paid a $5
million premium and the Port will pay half of the estimated $40 million in
cleanup costs. Washington State Department of Ecology grants will help
fund the other half of the cleanup. Portfields is continuing to be instrumental
in expanding partnerships and providing assistance with the cleanup and
revitalization of the Georgia-Pacific property.
Environmentally-Sound Port Facilities
Portfields partners are actively engaged in planning and implementation
efforts with the Port of Bellingham to develop alternatives for the future
use of the Georgia-Pacific wastewater treatment lagoon in the Central
Waterfront Redevelopment area. Post-remediation alternatives include the
creation of a "habitat-friendly" or "clean" marina for recreational boaters
using clean building materials and best management practices. The Port
envisions converting the remediated lagoon into 28 acres of submerged
land, including over 4,000 lineal feet of near shore salmon habitat. The
surrounding waterfront area ultimately will become mixed-use development,
including parks, multifamily housing, office space, and commercial
establishments that are expected to offset the loss of jobs from the closure
of the Georgia-Pacific mill.
"Clean" Marina Development
As part of the Port of Bellingham's remediation plan for the Georgia-Pacific
wastewater treatment lagoon, the Port seeks to develop a state-of-the-art small
boat marina. The plan includes identifying best practices that will be consistent
with the federal Clean Oceans Initiative as well as working to define LEED
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards for
marina development. The marina will serve as a model for habitat-friendly
design, construction, and operation.
Additionally, Portfields partners are assisting the Port of Bellingham with
restoration of the Squalicum Creek Delta. The Squalicum Industrial Area
includes the Squalicum waterway federal navigation channel adjacent to
Bellingham Cold Storage (a major employer). Squalicum Creek, which
supports a salmon run, enters Bellingham Bay at the head of the navigation
channel through a narrow culvert. The Port is specifically interested in
addressing salmon habitat issues and public access in the Squalicum Creek
Delta, while allowing for future integration of commercial development
involving the federal navigation channel. Preliminary planning is complete,
and a proposed project alternative selected. This alternative provides
the maximum environmental benefits for the lowest cost. It includes the
removal of contaminated pilings and a derelict pier, the installation of
boulders, baffles, and a rock arch rapids to address a fish passage barrier,
establishment of marsh and woody riparian fringe adjacent to the delta and
estuary, and beneficial use of clean dredge materials to connect adjacent
inter-tidal habitat.
10
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Permit Streamlining
The Port of Bellingham is working together with the federal Portfields
partners and local partners, including the Lummi Indian Nation, to facilitate
redevelopment projects for waterfront properties and restore habitat. Actions
envisioned as part of the cleanup and redevelopment plans include dredging,
capping, alterations to the wastewater treatment lagoon, creation of habitat,
construction of piers or docks, removing derelict structures, modification
of shoreline stabilization, pile driving, and construction of boat ramps. The
Portfields partnership will play a critical role in streamlining the permitting
process for these waterfront and sediment cleanup projects. Federal and
state agencies will continue working with the Port of Bellingham to address
the permitting requirements for these projects in a timely and efficient
way. Partner involvement will allow the projects to proceed under planned
schedules while meeting the needs of all agencies involved in the permitting
process, and addressing concerns for endangered species and essential fish
habitat.
Hydrographic Surveying
The Portfields partnership is playing a key role in assisting the Port of
Bellingham to develop a baseline for revitalization of the waterfront areas.
NOAA will conduct hydrographic surveys of Bellingham Bay to improve
local nautical charts. The NOAA Ship Rainier will conduct high-resolution
multi-beam and side scan sonar surveys of the entire bay, in addition to
Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) validation surveys. Bathymetric data
will be used by the Port of Bellingham in a circulation model for Bellingham
Bay, and will be used by NOAA's Tsunami Research Program to update
inundation models.
"The PorifiMs
resources while
to owr
redevetopuwwt
strategies?
— Mike Stoner
Environmental Director
Port of Bellingham
Portfields: Charting a Course for Port Revitalization
11
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Port of New Bedford
j
Massachusetts /
he Port of New Bedford is located on Buzzards Bay in
southeastern Massachusetts. New Bedford has a long fishing and
whaling history and currently is home to 300 fishing vessels, one of
the largest active fishing fleets on the East Coast. The Port of New
Bedford also provides passenger ferry service and cruise ship
docks, and is a center for recreational boating on Buzzards Bay.
The Port of New Bedford is a state Designated Port Area, which
protects the industrial uses in the lower harbor. The Portfields
partnership is assisting the City of New Bedford implement
priority projects in the New Bedford-Fairhaven Harbor Plan that
are enhancing the Port's capacity and environment, improving
public access to the waterfront, and revitalizing a
waterfront neighborhood.
http://www.ci.new-bedford.ma.us/ECONOMIC/HDC/index.htm
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'Jllllllll,,
Innovative Solutions to Navigational Dredging
Through the Portfields partnership, the City of New Bedford is enhancing
the capacity of the Port of New Bedford in a way that also is improving the
environmental quality of New Bedford Harbor. New Bedford Harbor includes
a large and complex Superfund site. Due to high levels of poly chlorinated
biphenyl (PCB) contamination in the harbor, navigational dredging did not
occur for 30 years. Channels are shoaled to levels above authorized depths,
limiting the size of ships and the volume of cargo that can enter the harbor.
Navigational dredging of New Bedford Harbor is critical to enable fully
loaded freight vessels to berth in the Port and achieve the long-term goals
in the New Bedford-Fairhaven Harbor Plan.
The Portfields partnership is assisting New Bedford in the implementation
of the "state-enhanced remedy" (SER) provision of the New Bedford Harbor
Superfund cleanup plan. The SER provides for navigational dredging
of sediments from the harbor to be conducted as part of the Superfund
remediation. This SER allows for streamlined processing of navigational
dredging projects by linking the dredging and disposal of sediments
from the harbor's navigational channels with the Superfund cleanup. By
bringing all the partners to the table in a collaborative effort, the Portfields
partnership successfully developed creative solutions to streamline the
permitting process to implement the SER. In addition, the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts provided New Bedford with $5 million for dredging. Through
this collaboration and leveraging of resources, navigational dredging of New
Bedford Harbor began in early 2005. Approximately 1.7 million cubic yards
of sediment will be dredged from the navigational channels.
New Bedford also is taking clean sand from the navigational dredging and
using it as a "clean cap" over PCB-contaminated sediments. This beneficial
use of dredge materials is accelerating the productive reuse of the harbor
and saving money because the clean sand otherwise would be disposed
of at sea. The benefits of linking the navigational and cleanup dredging
programs are a streamlined permitting process for disposal of sediments
dredged from the navigational channels, coordinated rather than separate
Ideas Worth Borrowing
Innovative Approaches to
Navigational Dredging
New Bedford is working with state and
federal partners to streamline permitting
for navigational dredging that will enhance
the capacity of the Port and improve the
environment.
Strategies for Waterfront
Revitalization
New Bedford is leveraging resources and
adopting smart growth strategies to revitalize
a waterfront neighborhood.
Brownfields Redevelopment
New Bedford is cleaning up brownfields and
creating a waterfront park that will increase
public access to the water and restore
habitat.
"My experve/ncB with the PortfielM
parhws4up...ktka£ifyou
broaMy Mid taJik to 'people...
you OUTB {jdinq togekoi lo1rofs4ux£K
fa
money
Mtd personal satisfaction"
— John Simpson, Executive Director
New Bedford Harbor Development Commission
Portfields: Charting a Course for Port Revitalization
13
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Major Partners in Dredging
New Bedford/Fairhaven
Harbor
Commonwealth of Massachusetts/
Seaport Advisory Council
Provided $5 million for dredging based on
the recommendation of the Massachusetts
Seaport Advisory Council
Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection
Served as lead oversight and provided
technical support
Massachusetts Division of Marine
Fisheries
Provided regulatory reviews and information
on species of concern throughout the
dredging process
Massachusetts Office of Coastal
Zone Management
Ensured the dredging project was carried
out according to the state's Dredge Materials
Management Planning process
Environmental Protection Agency
Provided oversight; legal and technical
review; and coordination
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Identified performance standards for EPA
consideration in evaluating and approving
the SER; managing plans and specifications
for maintenance dredging; and determining
suitability of dredge materials placement at
ocean disposal sites
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Coordinated stakeholders and provided
dialogue facilitation, outreach, technical
support, and regulatory review
environmental monitoring programs, and increased overall coordination
of the two dredging projects. In addition to saving time and money, the
SER provides benefits to public health and natural resources by removing
additional PCB-contaminated sediments from the harbor. The navigational
dredging already is increasing the Port's fish export capacity by $30 million
annually. The navigational dredging of New Bedford Harbor is improving the
environmental quality of the harbor, creating jobs, improving the economy,
and better positioning New Bedford to be competitive and able to meet
future projected growth in maritime trade.
Creating Partnerships to Revitalize a Waterfront
Neighborhood
The City of New Bedford is successfully leveraging resources through the
Portfields partnership to revitalize a waterfront area called Hicks Logan
Sawyer (HLS). The goal is to attract new investment to a large underutilized
area in New Bedford to encourage economic development, create housing,
and reconnect the neighborhood to the waterfront. The revitalization of HLS
provides opportunities for New Bedford to bring new and diversified uses
to a distressed area and unlock the potential of this waterfront area.
Hicks Logan Sawyer is a 95-acre underutilized waterfront area characterized
by old mill buildings, brownfields, and other properties with low real
estate values. The deteriorating condition of many existing structures and
infrastructure, the current mix of uses, and the existence of brownfields
in the area present barriers to new investment. At the same time, the area
has excellent potential for revitalization because of its waterfront location,
historic structures, and proximity to a future commuter rail station and
intermodal center. New Bedford is capitalizing on the neighborhood's assets
by creating a revitalization plan based on smart growth principles that will
serve as a framework for redevelopment of this area.
The city's plan for HLS proposes flexibility in land uses to take advantage
of the waterfront and a planned commuter rail station. The plan envisions
job creation and economic development through revitalization of the mills,
combined with recreational waterfront development that is not allowed in
the adjacent Designated Port Area. The revitalization plan for HLS proposes
a wide range of land uses in four identified areas:
Mill Reuse Transit-Orientated Development Area: Adjacent to
planned commuter rail station and encompasses a mill building suitable
for residential and office uses.
• Port Transition Area: Waterfront area located directly adjacent to
the Designated Port Area that serves as an extension of the working
harbor.
• Marina Area: Includes public waterfront access, revival and expansion
of marinas for recreational vessels, and redevelopment of historic mill
structures.
Gateway Reinvestment Area: A mixture of light manufacturing
and other small-scale office and technical uses to accommodate
manufacturing for the region's growing marine science and technology
sector.
-------
The Portfields partnership is playing a critical role in assisting New
Bedford develop the revitalization plan for the HLS neighborhood. Through
Portfields, the City of New Bedford is leveraging more than $100,000 from
federal and state partners to support this planning effort. The City of New
Bedford is contributing $70,000 and using District Improvement Financing
(DIP). The City of New Bedford's vision and leadership along with the
Portfields partnership set in motion a creative plan that will transform HLS
into a vibrant mixed-use waterfront area.
District Improvement Financing
District Improvement Financing (DIP) is a new tax increment-financing tool
for Massachusetts' municipalities. Approved by the Massachusetts legislature
in 2003, DIP allows communities to pay for public infrastructure and amenity
improvements by bonding against the future tax revenue. To use this financing
mechanism, the municipality must designate a DIP District, prepare a
financial plan, and be certified by the state Economic Assistance Coordinating
Council.
Brownfields Redevelopment
The City of New Bedford is focusing on revitalizing the city by cleaning
up and reusing the city's numerous brownfields. The Reliable Truss site,
one of more than three dozen brownfields in New Bedford, is a 2.5-acre
property that lies on the banks of the Acushnet River. Reliable Truss is a
former lumberyard and truss manufacturing center. Through Portfields, the
City of New Bedford is working with federal and state partners to clean up
lead-contaminated soil at the site, and turn the property into a waterfront
park. This public park will provide enhanced public access to the river,
create recreational opportunities, and restore habitat.
New Bedford is leveraging a variety of resources to assist in the planning
and implementation of the cleanup and reuse of the Reliable Truss property.
New Bedford received a $200,000 Brownfields Cleanup grant from EPA
in 2004 to remove lead-contamination soil at the Reliable Truss property.
The city is seeking resources from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
earmarked for recreational projects in New Bedford to develop the design
plans for the park, and also is planning to use settlement funds from the
New Bedford Harbor National Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) to
restore historic salt marsh habitat.
Major Partners in
the Revitalization of
Hicks Logan Sawyer
Neighborhood
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Gave $20,000 to the New Bedford Economic
Development Council to hold a series of
workshops to develop a vision for Hicks
Logan Sawyer area
South Coast Development
Partnership
Provided $20,000 to conduct a preliminary
inventory and analysis of existing conditions
in Hicks Logan Sawyer
Economic Development
Administration
Awarded New Bedford a $60,000 economic
adjustment planning grant to support the
development of revitalization plan
Massachusetts Executive Office
of Environmental Affairs
Provided a grant of $22,500 for smart growth
planning to develop vision for the Hicks
Logan Sawyer area
City of New Bedford
Provided $70,000 to develop revitalization
plan for the Hicks Logan Sawyer area using
District Improvement Financing
"The PortfiMs 'jHurtwerdwp,
wwkmg together witk the federal
state agencies,
—Mayor Fred Kalisz, Jr.
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Portfields: Charting a Course for Port Revitalization
15
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Port
/
in F
/ Florida
s one of the largest tonnage ports in the U.S. and the largest
in Florida, the Port of Tampa provides over 100,000 port-related
jobs and accounts for $13 billion in spending. The Port annually
handles 3,700 vessels and up to 50 million tons of cargo with
phosphate, petroleum, and coal being the top commodities,
and also serves as a major cruise ship homeport. Located in a
productive estuary, the largest in the State of Florida, subtropical
Tampa Bay is fed by over 100 tributaries and is home to manatees,
dolphins, birds, and over 200 species of fish. The Tampa Port
Authority (TPA), through Portfields, is developing approaches to
address increased infrastructure demands while being a good
steward of the environment in Tampa Bay. Portfields partners
come together with TPA for annual meetings to
discuss Port needs and identify roles partners can
play in enhancing existing and future TPA projects,
ranging from site cleanup to stormwater management
and habitat restoration.
http://www. tampaport. com
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Brownfields Redevelopment
Currently, more than 100 acres of brownfields are being assessed or
remediated on land owned by TPA. Among these sites is PortYbor, a 50-
acre former Department of Defense site. This site is being redeveloped
into a mixed-use multi-modal port development. Additionally, the Port is
redeveloping a former ten-acre scrap metal recycling facility and revitalizing
the Tampa Bay Shipbuilding and Repair Company facility, billed as the
largest and most complete ship repair facility in the southeastern United
States. Environmental property assessments are funded through the Port's
Capital Improvement Fund and through grants from EPA. Portfields is
engaging state partners as well. The Florida Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) is providing onsite technical assistance and awarded the
Port a Targeted Brownfields Assessment grant for a five-acre portion of
the PortYbor site currently used by Gulf Marine as a ship repair facility.
Although TPA was successful in receiving Targeted Brownfields Assessment
assistance, current eligibility criteria regarding responsible parties is limiting
TPA's ability to compete for EPA Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup
grants. TPA's participation in Portfields can benefit brownfields cleanup by
bringing together partners to find solutions to current funding barriers.
Innovative Stormwater Management
Stormwater runoff is a major source of pollution to Tampa Bay. The
Portfields partners are working with TPA to enhance the Bay's water
quality and habitat. Port properties are leased by many tenants who are
responsible for their own Stormwater permits; however, most Stormwater on
Port-owned properties is ultimately fed into shared ditch systems controlled
and monitored by TPA. TPA is using a Geographic Information System
(GIS) to identify opportunities to install best management practices to
treat Stormwater runoff. The result will be a network of drainage ditches,
retention ponds, and filtration wetlands that increase water quality and
habitat in Tampa Bay. These improvements are above and beyond TPA's
Ideas Worth Borrowing
Innovative Stormwater
Management
TPA is developing a Geographic Information
System (GIS) to identify best management
practices and enhance the Port's Stormwater
management infrastructure to increase water
quality and coastal habitat.
Habitat Restoration Using Dredge
Materials
TPA is using its dredge materials to create
and maintain nearly 1,000 acres of disposal
islands, which benefit migratory shore and
wading bird species.
Use of Observation Technologies
TPA is using the Tampa Bay Physical
Oceanographic Real-Time System
(PORTS®) to monitor oceanographic and
meteorological data while seeking to expand
with additional sensors.
"A (tumbw of agencies
omit to the taMe, Mid that's the bey
thi*ig wt have btwi aMe to gain
through, the PortfiMs program "
—Bob Musser, Environmental Manager
Tampa Port Authority
Portfields: Charting a Course for Port Revitalization
17
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Major Partners in
Stormwater Management
Hillsborough County
Environmental Protection
Commission
Awarded TPA a $45,000 match to NOAA
funding from the Pollution Recovery Fund
Southwest Florida Water
Management District
Participated in designing the project and
is providing critical technical expertise in
site selection, best management practices
engineering and design, and project
implementation and monitoring
Florida Department of
Environmental Protection
Providing technical assistance for
water quality monitoring following best
management practices design and
installation
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Provided $45,000 for CIS, planning, and
design of stormwater improvements;
assisting TPA in selecting sites where
improvements will be most beneficial
regulatory and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
permit requirements. Portfields partners provided funding to develop the
data layers of the current stormwater drainage system and identify available
areas for best management practices implementation. Additional plans for
the overall project include incorporating water quality monitoring at the
selected sites before and after the selected improvement tactic is in place
to measure water quality and habitat advances.
Commitment to Action
TPA successfully convenes annual "Commitment to Action" meetings of federal,
state, and local Portfields partners to help partners understand TPA needs
and help TPA understand the technical and financial resources available from
partners. TPA uses these meetings to present overviews of priority projects,
followed by a round table discussion among partners, during which agency
"commitments" are recorded as action items and are tracked by the partners.
These meetings are unique in format due to the diverse range of partners
discussing economic development, community revitalization, and environmental
protection issues. In addition, the face-to-face interaction forges a strong working
relationship and a sense of camaraderie among partners.
Habitat Restoration from Dredge Materials
Over the 40-mile channel from the mouth of Tampa Bay to the Port of
Tampa, regular maintenance dredging results in approximately one million
cubic yards of dredge materials annually. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
created two bay islands (400 and 500 acres, respectively), which are owned
and managed by TPA, using these dredge materials. Overtime, these islands
became habitat for migrating and shore wading birds; of prominence is the
American Oystercatcher, a Florida listed Species of Special Concern. This
distinctive medium-sized shorebird uses the disposal islands for nesting and
foraging. Today, these islands harbor more than ten percent of the state's
Oystercatcher nesting population and are some of the most productive bird
nesting sites, supporting approximately 40,000 nesting pairs of various
species annually.
The intertidal habitat is being further enhanced with $90,000 from NOAA
(a Natural Resources Damage Assessment settlement) to test four types
of substrates for effectiveness as oyster reefs that in turn will increase the
habitat for the Oystercatcher. Portfields partners are working with TPA to
identify additional sources of funding and technical expertise and address
regulatory concerns.
TPA also is soliciting Portfields partners to explore the effect of wave energy
on seagrasses. Seagrass beds in Tampa Bay are important fish and shellfish
habitat and are currently at one-third of their historic levels. Although there
are ongoing efforts to reestablish seagrass beds in Tampa Bay, scientists
believe that water quality and possibly natural and manmade wave energy,
coupled with the hypothetical loss of longshore sand bars, may all play a
part in successful seagrass recovery. Partners are beginning to study the
18
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relationship between wave energy, protective longshore bar systems, and
existing seagrass beds. The project will provide information needed for
long-term habitat management strategies. The goal of this project is to use
dredge materials to reconstruct longshore bars to reduce the effects of wave
energy and support recovery of seagrass behind restored sand bars.
Observation Systems for Port Management
TPA takes advantage of leading observation technology to better manage port
activities. Tampa Bay is home to one of NOAA's Physical Oceanographic
Real-Time Systems (PORTS®), an aid to navigation pursued after the tragic
ramming of Tampa's Sunshine Skyway Bridge in May 1980. PORTS® is
a national program that supports safe and cost-efficient navigation through
centralized data acquisition and dissemination systems that provide real-time
water levels, currents, and other oceanographic and meteorological data to
the maritime user community. In addition, PORTS® provides "nowcasts"
(immediate forecasting) and other prediction tools. The data are available in a
variety of formats, including telephone voice response and Internet. Accurate
real-time water level information allows TPA and maritime shippers to
make sound decisions regarding loading of tonnage (based on available
bottom clearance), maximizing loads, and managing passage times, without
compromising safety. PORTS® is critical to environmental and economic
protection in the Tampa Bay estuary, helping prevent marine accidents and
spills that can impact the Bay's ecosystem. TPA is working with Portfields
partners to explore adding environmental parameters to expand the uses of
PORTS® to further protect Tampa Bay's resources.
Major Partners in
Seagrass/Longshore Bar
Project
Coastal Resources Group
Mapped historic bars and is developing a
conceptual model of restored seagrass and
longshore bar systems
Hillsborough County
Environmental Protection
Commission
Provided $125,000 to measure natural and
manmade wave energy
Tampa Bay Estuary Program
Served as lead for seagrass and longshore
bar studies
Florida Department of
Environmental Protection
Provided $45,000 for seagrass and
longshore bar studies
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Supports monitoring and assessing wind
and boat-generated wave impacts on aquatic
habitat; assisting with habitat protection,
creation, and enhancement of spoil disposal
islands
U.S. Geological Survey
Provided measurements of wave energy
in Tampa Bay and provided a sediment
transport model
t
to
—Dave Parsche
Environmental Director
Tampa Port Authority
Portfields: Charting a Course for Port Revitalization
19
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Identifying Best Practices
goal of the Portfields partnership is to share the successful
approaches implemented in the pilot communities and the
lessons learned by the pilots with other port communities
facing similar challenges in addressing brownfields and port
revitalization. The following "best practices" may be transferable
to other port communities.
Leaders and Local Champions
Effective local leadership is essential to developing strong partnerships and
addressing community-wide brownfields redevelopment challenges. A strong
community leader sets a clear vision and a plan of action, effectively communicates
with all stakeholders, and actively engages partners throughout the revitalization
process.
Spotlight on Leadership: The leadership, commitment, and enthusiasm
provided by the City of New Bedford was key in garnering support from a range
of stakeholders. Community leaders articulated their vision of a cleaner and
expanded harbor, explained how their vision is essential to the region's economic
development goals, and used the city's Portfields designation to bring partners to
the table to implement an innovative plan for dredging the harbor and revitalizing
the waterfront.
Locally-Driven Solutions
Portfields builds upon locally-driven solutions where federal and state agencies
provide financial and technical assistance to meet community goals. This "bottom
up" approach recognizes the importance of solutions developed by the local
community and tailored to meet local needs. Examples of locally-driven solutions
that were enhanced through the Portfields partnership include permit streamlining,
smart growth planning, and brownfields redevelopment.
Spotlight on Locally-Driven Solutions: Bellingham funded a community
visioning process to develop a comprehensive revitalization strategy for the
Bellingham waterfront. The Waterfront Futures Group—a diverse set of citizen
representatives—developed the vision, which was adopted into the city's
comprehensive planning process. Through this community-driven process,
Bellingham increased the likelihood of success, allowing the Port to better tap
public and private funding to turn its vision into reality.
20
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Strategic Stakeholder Coordination
The partnerships formed among local, state, and federal agencies, private sector
interests, and community-based groups are critical to the success of Portfields.
Upfront coordination on complex redevelopment projects and the face-to-face
interaction fostered through the Portfields process allows the pilots to leverage
financial and technical assistance from a variety of partners.
Spotlight on Partnerships: The broad partnerships forged among stakeholders
to support New Bedford's State Enhanced Remedy (SER) under the Superfund
program resulted in streamlining the permitting process to initiate dredging of the
harbor for both environmental cleanup and economic revitalization of the port.
Innovative Technical Resources
The Pilot Ports are implementing technologies to address environmental
enhancements. These tools include the use of Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) for stormwater management and the beneficial use of dredge materials to
restore coastal habitat.
Spotlight on Technology: The Tampa Port Authority (TPA) is using GIS to
identify best management practices and enhance a network of drainage ditches,
retention ponds, and wetlands to increase water quality and coastal habitat. TPA also
is studying the relationship between wave energy, longshore bars, and restoration of
seagrass beds. The goal of this project is to reconstruct longshore bars using dredge
materials to support the restoration of seagrass beds.
Financial and Liability Management
Many ports are large landowners and therefore play a key role in property cleanup
and management. A range of financial and risk management tools enable ports
to manage property, pay for cleanup costs, and address environmental liability
concerns. These tools, coupled with other Portfields approaches, engage private
sector partners and give stakeholders confidence to move forward with the cleanup
and redevelopment of brownfields.
Spotlight on Financial and Liability Tools: Public ownership of a centrally-
located tract of land was necessary to fulfill the community's vision for the
Bellingham waterfront. Environmental insurance played a key role in facilitating
the transfer of this property—a 137-acre Georgia-Pacific mill property—to the Port
of Bellingham. The $5 million cost cap policy provides financial protection against
cost overruns associated with the cleanup of the property.
Economics, Environment, and Community
Portfields demonstrates that integration of economic development, environmental
protection, and community revitalization is a central element of sustainable port
revitalization. Each Pilot Port implemented a comprehensive approach to expanding
economic opportunities while restoring and enhancing the environment and
providing benefits to the community.
Spotlight on Comprehensive Approaches: TPA continues to be a good
steward of the environment while balancing the need to maintain and enhance Port
facilities. For example, TPA's use of dredge materials creates additional habitat for
the American Oystercatcher, anative species of concern. Over the last 20 years, TPA
created over 900 acres of habitat that hosts 40,000 nesting pairs of birds.
Portfields: Charting a Course for Port Revitalization
21
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"The Portfietcis towtiati
a.
to parttw with Local
cdWMUMwtieis to ketp
revitaJ^tkew ports
Mtd improve our nation's
system wrfwU rettoritux
' U
U
OWT
— NOAA Administrator Vice Admiral
Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr.
U.S. Navy (Ret.)
stevs
Building on Portfields Successes
and Lessons Learned
ortfields demonstrates the value of a focused and coordinated
approach to port revitalization. Building on the successes of
Portfields, the partners are looking for opportunities to share
the experiences and successes of the Pilot Ports with other
port communities. NOAA and EPA will sponsor regional peer-
to-peer exchanges to bring together Pilot Ports with other port
communities. In addition, NOAA and EPA will develop outreach or
training tools to assist in developing effective and efficient solutions
to assessing and cleaning up brownfields in port communities.
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Federal Agency Contacts
Environmental Protection Agency
Patricia Overmeyer
Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
(202) 566-2774
overmeyer.patricia@epa.gov
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
David Hoist
Office of Response and Restoration
(301) 713-2989, x161
David.Holst@noaa.gov
http://www.brownfields.noaa.gov/htmls/portfields/portfields.html
Kenneth Walker
National Ocean Service
(301)563-1157
Kenneth.Walker@noaa.gov
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Jane Mergler
Environmental Community of Practice
(202)761-0314
Jane.A.Mergler@hq02.usace.army.mil
http://hq.environmental.usace.army.mil/programs/brownfields/brownfields.html
Port Contacts
Port of Bellingham
Mike Stoner
Port of Bellingham
(360) 676-2500
mikes@portofbellingham.com
Port of New Bedford
John Simpson
New Bedford Harbor Development Commission
(508)961-3000
jsimpson@www.new-bedford.ma.us
Port of Tampa
Robert Musser
Tampa Port Authority
(813)905-5032
RMusser@tampaport.com
77?e attached DVD includes interviews of
representatives from each of the three
Portfields pilots. The video supplements this
report by providing personal accounts of the
Portfields partnership.
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105-T)
EPA-560-R-05-002
November 2005
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
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