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Note: This meeting was not well attended by the Public, therefore we have asked the ACOE to schedule another presentation to alert the residents effected by this ongoing blasting project.
Please check back for further updates. Thanks!
Monday, March 16, 2009 7pm - 10pm Find out about the upcoming blasting and dredging in the
Meet at Curtis High School Cafeteria Kill Van Kull and how it affects your quality of life and home. 105 Hamilton Ave., Staten Island, NY
The U.S. Army Corps will held a public information meeting to discuss ongoing deepening of the Kill Van Kull shipping channel. Unfortunately the public wasn't informed enough, therefore many who will be affected by the project did not attend.
The Army Corps, in partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, http://www.panynj.gov/ has contracted with Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company http://www.gldd.com/ProjectItem.aspx?type=1&id=29 to deepen the eastern portion of the Kill van Kull http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_Van_Kull shipping channel in the vicinity of the St. George section of Staten Island. This construction contract is part of the overall New York and New Jersey Harbor Deepening Project to deepen the shipping channels in the Harbor to depths of 50 feet below mean low water. For more info, download: New York- New Jersey Harbor Deepening
Once completed, this will enable large container ships to safely navigate to and from the New York Container Terminal http://www.nycterminal.com/t3/index.php?id=117 Staten Island and also to the Port Elizabeth Marine Terminal in New Jersey http://www.panynj.gov/DoingBusinessWith/seaport/html/pn_elizabeth.html
Because bedrock will be encountered, drilling and underwater blasting is necessary to loosen the rock to achieve the needed shipping channel depth. Most of the Kill Van Kull has been deepened to 50 feet, and dredging this particular section has commenced.
Drilling and underwater blasting in the remaining specific section of the Kill Van Kull shipping channel will begin in early May 2009 and is expected to be completed by the end of March 2011.
Underwater blasting may only take place from: Monday through Saturday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. No blasting will take place on Sundays or on Federal holidays.
The public information meeting will be interactive. There will be opportunities to ask questions and obtain information about the shipping channel deepening construction project directly from Army Corps representatives and its contractors and consultants.
There will be comprehensive information stations that will include: * Purpose and description of overall Harbor Deepening Project. * Why drilling and blasting is imperative and necessary for the safety of ship navigation, and how it will be accomplished. * Voluntary residential property inspection program. * Independent noise and vibration compliance monitoring. * Dedicated hotline phone numbers.
Note: This is NOT a Public Hearing
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the project and information about each of the topics listed above may be found on the Army Corps' New York District web site: http://www.nan.usace.army.mil/harbor
The following letter to NSWC from the ACOE Public Affairs Specialist containing project contact information:
Beryl Thurman
North Shore Waterfront Conservancy
of Staten Island, Inc. (NSWC)
Via email @ nswcsibt(at)aol.com
Dear Ms. Thurman,
This is a follow up to our phone conversation this morning (March 11, 2009)
regarding the dredging of the current contract in the Kill Van Kull off of
St. George and associated blasting scheduled to commence in May 2009.
It was a great dialogue we had earlier, and NSWCS is an important outlet to
disseminate information to personnel within the NSWCS and to your selected
mailing contact list and to those within the St. George community.
We appreciate you forwarding the information about the public information
meeting to all concerned within the organization, and beyond.
Per our discussion, your attention is invited that the public information
meeting at Curtis High School March 16, 2009 will take place as planned.
However, I have forwarded the proposal within the Army Corps of conducting an
additional public information meeting in April/early May closer to the
blasting activities as we discussed.
I will contact you with a definitive answer, as to if and when -- probably
after the meeting on March 16.
Many of the questions about the Kill Van Kull deepening project off of St.
George will be addressed at the event at Curtis High school March 16. Our
experts will be available to speak one on one and answer questions and
concerns.
In answer to your question about contacts, the below information is provided:
Tom Shea is the Army Corps project manager for the Kill Van Kull (and overall
Harbor Deepening Project). (917) 790-8304.
Bill Slezak is the Army Corps Chief of the Harbor Programs Branch (917) 790-8305.
I am the Public Affairs Specialist for the Harbor Programs Branch. (917) 790-8204. If I am out of the office for an extended period, in the field, or
on assignment, the Army Corps' New York District Public Affairs Office main
phone number is (917) 790-8007.
Once blasting commences, below are the 3 phone numbers:
for questions or concerns regarding blasting activities: Contract Drilling
and Blasting (CDB) @ (201) 339-6470; (201) 433-9232; and (201) 433-9228.
Sincerely,
Vince Elias
Public Affairs Specialist
Harbor Programs Branch
US Army Corps of Engineers, New York District
For further information, please write to: snail mail: North Shore Waterfront Conservancy of S.I., Inc. P.O. Box 140502 Staten Island, N.Y. 10314
email:nswcsi(at)nswcsi.org
