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| Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #1838 |
| Miami River "Beyond the Federal Channel" Dredging Project |
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| Requester: |
Miami-Dade County |
Organization: |
Board of County Commissioners |
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| Project Title: |
Miami River "Beyond the Federal Channel" Dredging Project |
Date Submitted |
1/15/2004 6:10:36 PM |
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| Sponsors: |
Villalobos |
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| Statewide Interest: |
| The federal channel of the Miami River supports commercial and recreational vessel traffic. Economic assessments establish that the Miami River is the 4th or 5th largest port in the State of Florida. Dredging is necessary to maintain navigaiton in this area. Furthermore, studies by federal, state and local agencies have demonstrated that the contaminated sediments within the Miami River have been carried downstream and into adjoining portions of Biscayne Bay, a State Aquitic Preserve, priority Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) water body, and important habitat for wildlife and fisheries resources. Proper dredging of the River will enhance the environmental quality of the River which, in turn, will improve those portions of Biscayne Bay currently being affected by the River's contaminated sediments. |
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| Recipient: |
Miami-Dade County |
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Contact: |
Roman Gastesi |
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111 N.W. 1st. Street |
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Contact Phone: |
(305) 375-1249 |
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Miami 33128 |
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Contact email: |
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| Counties: |
Dade |
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| Gov't Entity: |
Yes |
Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): |
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| Project Description: |
| The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has recommended maintenance dredging of the Miami River, a federal channel, for navigation purposes. The River will be dredged from the water control structure near NW 36th Street to the mouth where it flows into Biscayne Bay. Although the footprint of the federal navigation channel occupies much of the Miami River, significant quantities of contaminated sediments exist outside the boundaries of the federal channel and are thus ineligible for removal under the federal project. This "beyond the federal channel" component of the project, refered to by some as the "bank to bank" project, will provide options to dredge material found outside the federal channel. Coordination with the Federal dredging project would allow the projects to be performed concurrently at a significant cost savings by utilizing the same contractor(s) selected by the Corps for the federal component. As in the federal channel project, Miami River sediments found beyond the federal channel are contaminated by past pollution and do not meet federal criteria for ocean disposal, they must be disposed of at an upland site, such as a lined landfill. The conceptual plan developed by the Corps proposes to dredge the River over 2-3 year period and includes a method of upland disposal involving drying the excavated sediment in geo-textile bags at an 8-acre County-owned site near the River, and hauling the dried material to a landfill for permanent disposal. The Corps will solicit proposals for application of more innovative alternative technology, which is ecpected to reduce the need for a large drying site and also allow the construction to be completed more quickly. The budget and timeline for project construction will be finalized in late 2003, when the Corps selects the contractor and preferred construction methods. |
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| Is this a water project as described in Chapter 2002-291, Laws of Florida? |
Yes |
| Has the project been submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection? |
Yes |
| DEP Identfying Number: |
SWR20032024 |
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| Measurable Outcome Anticipated: |
| It is anticipated that upon completion of the project, the entire River and vessel berthing areas will be restored to previously dredged configuration, allowing enhanced use by freighters. Also, contaminated sediments along the margins will not fall back into the main channel and will no longer be conveyed to sensitive habitats of Biscayne Bay therefore reducing potential for further accumulation of pollutants in Bay sediments. Water quality, particularly water clarity, is expected to improve, since sediment resuspension will be reduced following completion of the project. |
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| Amount requested from the State for this project this year: |
$4,000,000 |
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| Total cost of the project: |
$8,000,000 |
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| Request has been made to fund: |
Construction |
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| What type of match exists for this project? |
Local |
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Cash Amount |
$16,000,000 |
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| Was this project previously funded by the state? |
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No |
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| Is future-year funding likely to be requested? |
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Yes |
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Amount: |
$4,000,000 |
To Fund: |
Construction |
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| Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request? |
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Unknown |
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| Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? |
Unknown |
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| Is there a documented need for this project? |
Yes |
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Documentation: |
Studies by federal, state&local agencies show that contaminated sediments affect adjoining Bay areas |
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| Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)? |
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Yes |
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Hearing Body: |
Board of Dade County Commissioners |
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Hearing Meeting Date: |
11/06/2003 |
