What's in the News . . .

OCRM Receives CELCP Proposals for FY 2009 Funding Competition

OCRMís call for proposals for FY 2009 funding under the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) closed on Wednesday, July 23. OCRM received 53 proposals from 27 states and territories requesting a total of $77.3 million. Program staff will review the proposals for eligibility and completeness and send the qualifying proposals to merit reviewers for evaluation. The merit reviewers' scores will be used to develop a ranked list that will be presented to the selecting official (NOS Assistant Administrator). We expect to complete the ranked list of projects considered "ready and eligible" in the fall. Projects will be selected for funding once the FY 2009 appropriations process is complete.

Contact: Elaine.Vaudreuil@noaa.gov, 301.713.3155 x 103, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management

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Demand for Coastal Management Funds Exceeds Supply in the Texas Coastal Zone

This summer, the Texas Coastal Management Program received pre-proposals from local communities and organizations requesting over $5 million to implement the goals of the Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Act in fiscal year 2009. Each year, the state receives approximately $2 million in federal funds to implement the Texas Coastal Management Program in cooperation with NOAA. Texas uses a portion of those funds to support a coastal zone grant program that implements projects in collaboration with local governments, state agencies, universities, and non-governmental organizations.

The 37 pre-proposals received included the construction of new public access to the coastal zone; habitat restoration and protection; education and outreach; and assessments of shoreline erosion, coastal hazard vulnerability, and near-shore habitat such as seagrasses and oyster reefs. Staff from the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) provided comments on the pre-proposals during the state's review period last week. Submission and formal OCRM review of the FY2009 Texas CZM cooperative agreement will be completed in the early part of 2009; however, the pre-proposal review process provides an opportunity to work with the state to improve potential projects.

Contact: Laurie.Rounds@noaa.gov, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management

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OCRM Releases 2007 Data on CZMA Performance Measurement System

OCRM has released a new report offering 2007 data on many of the 21 "contextual indicators" within the Coastal Zone Management Act Performance Measurement System.  Data on the contextual indicators, collected by OCRM, supplements state-collected performance measurement data and is intended to give context to state activities by illustrating the many pressures on coastal areas.  New data on the contextual indicators is reported annually, and the methods used for collecting the data are documented in a comprehensive manual that is undergoing revision.  The report and manual are available online at www.coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/success/indicators.html. 

Contact:  Zac.Hart@noaa.gov, NOAA Coastal Services Center.

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CICEET-sponsored Project Evaluates Innovative Approaches to Addressing Sediment Pollution

With support from the Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET), scientists from the University of New Hampshire’s Contaminated Sediments Center are evaluating an innovative approach to treating polluted sediment in coastal waterways—reactive geotextile mats designed to cap and stabilize pollutants in situ. The researchers are testing the technology In New Hampshire’s Cocheco River.

The mats consist of a mixture of reactive materials sandwiched between two layers of geotextile fabric, creating a sort of quilt that traps pollutants, but allows water to flow through. The reactive “filling” of this quilt contains three different substances: organoclay, which treats PAHs; activated charcoal, which traps a range of organic contaminants; and apatite—a patented, CICEET-sponsored technology based on naturally occurring phosphate minerals that treats toxic heavy metals associated with industrial pollution such as lead and copper.

The project is distinctive in its systemic approach to evaluating both the effectiveness of this technology and its impact on the surrounding environment. Over the next two years, the researchers will assess the effectiveness of the mats in trapping and stabilizing a range of toxic contaminants, track their impact on local geomorphology and benthic organisms, and monitor changes in the site’s contaminant profile. They also plan to test new sampling technologies that measure the scope and potential threat of contamination in sediment. You can learn more about this project at http://ciceet.unh.edu/stats/sediment_pollution.html.

Investigators are seeking other contaminated coastal and estuarine sites in New England in which to test this technology, including those that contain mercury as part of the contaminant profile. Interested parties can contact Dr. Jeffrey Melton at jeffrey.melton@unh.edu

Contact:  dwight.trueblood@noaa.gov, UNH/NOAA Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology

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Tijuana River Reserve Gets Two Smart Growth Awards

The Tijuana River Reserve’s Coastal Training Program received two Smart Growth Award of Excellence from the San Diego Chapter of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) for cross-border work with Mexican officials and for its "Pervious Pavers" program to control sediment and wastewater on both sides of the border.

CTP Coordinator Oscar Romo accepted both awards at the ULI’s Fourth Annual Smart Growth Awards ceremony June 26.
CTP was selected from a large list of nominees, including museums, university campuses, shopping centers, master plans, traffic improvement systems, district redevelopment projects and restoration projects. Of the 14 award recipients, only Romo received two.

Among other criteria, the Smart Growth for Excellence Award 2008 recognizes community and science based development approaches that are environmentally sensitive, economically viable, community-oriented, and sustainable.

The awards jury cited the CTP for its innovative approach to translate science into policy making and its commitment to promote environmentally sustainable and binational ground breaking projects and maintain the integrity of the crown jewel of the Southern California Wetlands. The award for the pervious pavers project recognizes the vision for a borderless solution to sediment control and wastewater flows.

ULI is a world-wide organization with an international membership of 37,000. For 70 years it has been widely recognized as the top advocate for encouraging and fostering high standards of land use planning and real estate development.

Significance: The National Estuarine Research Reserve System’s Coastal Training Program helps coastal decision makers by providing science-based understanding of crucial coastal topics of direct concern to local and regional officials. In the case of the Tijuana River Reserve, that includes officials from Mexico, as well.

Contact: Alison.Krepp@noaa.gov, NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (ERD), 301.713.3155 x105

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OCRM Participates in Alaska Coastal Management Program Re-evaluation Meeting

On June 23-25, staff from the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) participated in a meeting between the Alaska Coastal Management Program (ACMP) and its constituents to discuss a re-evaluation of the 2004-2005 changes to the ACMP's statutes and regulations.  In 2004, the Alaska State Legislature passed extensive statute and regulatory changes that significantly changed the ACMP. 

Program changes resulting from the legislation included:  transferring responsibility for the Program to a different lead agency; modifying the State's consistency review process; adopting new coastal standards; and the mandatory revision of all coastal district plans, such that district policies were limited to resources of local concern that neither repeated nor duplicated any existing federal or state requirements. 

These changes were highly controversial, and have proved difficult to implement by state, federal and local agencies. As a result of this, and recommendations made by OCRM in its 2008 312 Evaluation of the ACMP, Alaska has initiated a process to re-evaluate the changes.  Potential changes to the state's statutes and regulations that were discussed during the meeting addressed several of the more controversial changes, such as limiting the application of some state and local policies to "designated areas," (e.g, habitat areas, subsistence areas), and allowing only the state's Department of Conservation to develop air, land, and water quality policies.

Contact:  Helen.Farr@noaa.gov, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (CPD)

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Decisions Issued in LNG Appeals

On June 26, Secretary Gutierrez issued decisions on appeals of state objections involving the proposed construction and operation of liquefied natural gas terminals in Maryland and Massachusetts. 
The states objected to the projects on the grounds that the proposals were inconsistent with their federally-approved coastal management programs. Under the Coastal Zone Management Act, federal agencies may not issue any permits required for a project if a state has objected, unless the Secretary of Commerce, on appeal, overrides the objection.

The Secretary overrode Maryland’s objection to the AES Sparrows Point, LLC and Mid-Atlantic Express, LLC proposal to construct and operate an LNG facility east of the Port of Baltimore. The Secretary determined that the national interest served by the facility outweighs its limited adverse coastal effects.

The Secretary upheld Massachusetts’ objection to Weaver’s Cove Energy, LLC and Mill River Pipeline, LLC proposal to construct and operate an LNG facility and associated pipeline near Fall River, Mass.  The Secretary determined that adverse coastal effects – particularly navigational safety concerns associated with delivering LNG to the terminal by tanker vessel up the Taunton River – outweigh the national interest.   Navigational safety concerns were articulated in a U.S. Coast Guard report that concluded the Taunton River is unsuitable for LNG tanker traffic of the size and frequency proposed by Weaver’s Cove.

When the Secretary overrides a state objection, federal agencies may proceed with normal permit and license processes for the project. The project will also be required to comply with all state and local permitting regulations, and complete all required environmental reviews.

Contact:  Kerry.Kehoe@noaa.gov, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (CPD)

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