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Time Sensitive Beaufort Bridge Information: It’s NOT a Done Deal
We had the
collective power to get Beaufort recognized as one of America’s Coolest Towns in
2012; we had the collective power to stop plans for a sulfur melting plant in
2011; and we presently have the power (but only now through March 15) to cause
the state Department of Transportation to be required to take a “hard look” at
the effect that the Bridge over Gallant’s Channel will have on our community and
the surrounding areas given what we know today. Please share this email
with everyone you now who might be interested.
We’ve heard
about this bridge for more than 10 years. Now we’re hearing about a maritime
study and potentially massive expansion of the Morehead City Port with
undeniable dubious consequences for Beaufort, Morehead City, Rachel Carson, Fort
Macon, and Shackelford Banks [www.ncmaritimestudy.com See
especially page 13, “Environmental and Community Concerns” in the NC Maritime
Study Draft Final Report.] The port expansion contemplates the presence of
massive tankers and container ships in the waters around the port as well as the
presence of large storage facilities on Radio Island.
What is the
connection between the bridge and the Port expansion? To succeed, the Port
expansion has to be supported by dramatic changes in the local infrastructure
(roads, bridges, and railways). The Gallants Channel Bridge is the
critical first link in the development of that infrastructure.
The NC
Department of Transportation does not yet have the permits it needs to build the
bridge. In mid-February (just a few weeks ago) the NC Department of
Transportation (DOT) submitted its first official application for a CAMA permit
for the bridge at the Morehead City CAMA office. Without a permit from
CAMA, the bridge project cannot go forward. In support of its application,
DOT submitted a “Finding of No Significant Impact” (an official report finalized
in 2006 that reflects DOT’s conclusion that the bridge will “not have any
significant impact on the human environment” in Beaufort or the surrounding
areas).
Under
federal and state law, DOT has an obligation to take a hard look at and report
on all social, economic, cultural, and physical impacts of its projects
in an open, honest way that allows the public to understand the changes a
proposed project might bring about. Citizen input matters. DOT is
obligated to study and report both “PRIMARY” impacts (like putting a pylon on a
turtle’s head) and SECONDARY impacts (like facilitating an increase in
development that could increase the odds that someone might step on a turtle’s
nest, or increasing large-boat traffic that might put kayaking or recreational
fishing at risk). In the case of the bridge, after finishing its 2004
Environmental Assessment of the bridge’s impact, DOT published its Finding of No
Significant Impact which now accompanies its CAMA permit application.
Significantly, that report did not contemplate any relationship between the
bridge and development of the Morehead City Port and is based on data reaching
back as far as the late 1990s.
CAMA is
charged with ensuring that “the very features of the coast which make it
economically, aesthetically, and ecologically rich” are protected.
Some examples of PRIMARY impacts of the proposed bridge that might concern CAMA
include: increased truck traffic near a local school and on the already
dangerous route 101; relocation or potential abandonment of recreational boating
facilities (like the Beaufort OARS launch site); relocation or abandonment of
sailing schools (like the Junior Sailing Program); possible decrease or increase
in tourist traffic into town; possible impact on nearby Night Heron nesting
grounds, etc. You will probably have other ideas of your own based on your
personal experiences.
Some
examples of SECONDARY impacts of the proposed bridge that might concern CAMA
include: loss of business due to redirection of traffic caused by the bypass,
pollution of water and other environmental damage at Rachel Carson or
Shackelford Banks or other areas resulting from a port expansion facilitated by
the bridge; changes in the local economic base resulting from a port expansion
facilitated by the bridge; decrease in use of the public beach on Radio Island
resulting from a port expansion facilitated by the bridge; loss of recreational
fishing and boating (including kayaking) resulting from the presence of large
tankers in local waters presently available for recreational use; loss of the
quiet ambiance of the town resulting from noise due to increased traffic, etc.
You will probably have other ideas of your own.
You may
have seen a notice about DOT’s CAMA application in the paper in the last few
weeks. The notice invites citizen comment. Without citizen comment,
the CAMA office can only make a decision about whether to issue the permit based
on the DOT documents in front of it (including the DOT document concluding that
the bridge would have no primary or secondary impact on the human
environment in the area around Beaufort, Morehead City, Rachel Carson, or
Shackelford Banks.)
If you
disagree with DOT and believe that the Gallants Channel Bridge (and its possible
impact on the port expansion project) could, in fact, significantly affect you,
your family, your business, your environment, or your community, now is the time
to let the folks in the CAMA office know. Similarly, if you think that
more information is needed before a rational conclusion can be reached about the
primary or secondary impacts of the bridge, let CAMA know that, too. Send
an email and/or a letter immediately to the following people. The clock is
ticking (the public notice says comments will be taken through March 1 “or until
a decision is reached”; we have been assured the local CAMA agent that comments
received by March 15 will be considered). Here’s who you can email or
write (being sure to write to Stephen Lane AND Braxton Davis):
Click Here For a Sample Letter (In Word Format) You Can Edit and Email
Stephen
Lane (Stephen.Lane@ncdenr.gov); Coastal
Management Representative, Division of Coastal Management, 400 Commerce Avenue,
Morehead City, NC 28557
Braxton
Davis (Braxton.Davis@ncdenr.gov); Director
Morehead City Office,
Division of Coastal Management, 400 Commerce Avenue, Morehead City, NC 28557
Our State
Senator: Jean Preston (jean.preston@ncleg.net); NC Senate,
300 N. Salisbury St., Room 629, Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Our State
Legislator: Pat McElraft (pat.mcelraft@ncleg.net); NC House
of Representatives, 300 N. Salisbury St., Room 647, Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Please
consider also sending a copy of your message to:
YourVoiceCountsForBeaufort@gmail.com so we can
keep a record of the messages being received.
Don’t
hesitate. Your voice can make an immediate difference. One letter
will help, but one alone won’t be enough. We need to send hundreds of
letters. Tell your friends. Together, we can make a big enough
splash for the ripple effects to be felt all the way to Raleigh.
It all boils down to what image we want for Beaufort
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