Maritime Reporter, December, 1995

<BODY> <div> Enacting A National Dredging Policy: A Call To Action by Joan B. Yim, Deputy Maritime Adminislrator Joan B. Yim Dredging of U.S. naviga-tion channels and berths is fundamental to suc-cessful commerce. As ports and harbors fill with sediment, barriers to smooth ship access mount. This increases the probability of difficult passage, groundings, or required ligh- tering. These problems can be alle- viated by advanced planning and a predictable process for determining how, when, and where to dredge. This is self-evi- dent, but tangential issues can cause a seem- ingly straightforward path to become a cor luted maze. There are risks in delayed actiom^^Tie Oil Pollution Act of 1990 is frequentl^med for its insurance and double-hull retirements, but its overall purpose of preventi<{g damage to the environment from accidesrfre and oil spills is sometimes lost. Such environmental damages could result should the lack of clear navigation channels and berths put vessels at risk. Instead of focusing on minimizing risks, by spending consumer dollars setting up fuel light- ering schemes, spill response and readiness plans, and natural resource damage assess- ment policies, it is more logical to emplj^M^e' prevention. Even after a spill occuptf-tiatural resources damage assessment^eSn affect the impact of a spill in terms^fTost value to the public. Does it not^lfeen seem worthwhile to focus on preventk This is a f>trf€amental thesis of the Clinton Administration's National Dredging Policy and its ap&on plan for improving government's repfronsibilities in this regard. The policy is ?ased on four short statements of principle: The regulatory process must be timely, effi- cient and predictable; • Advanced dredged material management must be conducted on a regional basis by a part- nership of federal, state and local governments, natural resource agencies, public interest groups, the maritime industry and private citi- zens; • Dredged material managers must become more involved in watershed planning in recog- nition of the contribuJieiWJfCpstream sources of pollution toJjariJSrsediment contamination; and Iredged material should be viewed as a resource, which can contribute to wetland cre- ation, beach nourishment and other develop- ment projects. The recognition of sources of pollution and their control and cleanup may be obvious to some, but it is critical to have these factors identified in a national policy. Now it is up to the federal agencies charged with implement- ing the National Dredging Policy to assure that economic and environmental issues receive bal- anced consideration. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Corps of Engineers, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Office of Oceans and Coastal Resources Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Maritime Administration have formed a National Dredging team and are in the process of setting up regional teams. It is critical for the maritime industry to let local and regional agencies know how impor- tant timely dredging is to their local and region- control system is now available as an optional feature for all CGCo applications December, 1995 9 Circle 211 on Reader Service Card I n the world of high performance marine reduction gears, The Cincinnati Gear Company's reputation for quality and reli- ability is unsurpassed. Experience gained from over 20 years of high performance marine gear design and production has been used to develop the MA-107, one of CINTI's MA Series of standard gas turbine powered gearboxes. The MA-107 was designed with higher power capability to accommodate anticipated increases in turbine power ratings in the years ahead. This makes THE RELIABILITY YOU NGGD TODAY. TH£ CAPABILITY YOU NEED TOMORROW. MA-107 capable of handling higher power in the future, without expensive gearbox replacements and ship modifications. Rated Power: 7000 HP/5221 Kw Reduction Ratio: 6.2:1 thru 24.1:1* Output Speed: 2500/640 RPM* Turbines: TF40 / 501 / LM-500 /j Taurus Dry Weight: 3637 Lbs./1649 Kg Cast Aluminum Housing C or Z Drive Configurations Complete Lube System CODOG & CODAG Arrangements * Gear Ratio is fixed. Ratios and speeds above show ranges available. The CIN-TEC™ monitoring/ THE CINCINNATI GEAR COMPANY 5657 WOOSTER PII<6 • CINCINNATI. OH 45227 5I3-E7I-7700 • 5I3-27I-0049 FAX U5A </div> <span id="lblContents"></span> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.digitalwavepublishing.com/" title="Digital Magazine">Digital Wave Publishing</a> </BODY>