President's Message

President
Jane O. Rowan

June 2008

Have you ever thought that an industrial waterfront user would have something in common with a riverkeeper or environmental conservation organization?

Recently a partnership of the three Philadelphia Region waterfront authorities (Delaware River Port Authority, South Jersey Port Corporation and the Philadelphia Region Port Authority) collaborated, and developed a Green Ports Initiative with the purpose of creating a cooperative approach to reducing or neutralizing the impact of port operations upon the environment and the surrounding community. Their agreement was coalesced in an MOU which included the following stated objectives, that they would:

"meet and discuss, and possibly agree on matters that relate to creating a cooperative approach to reducing or neutralizing the impact of port operations upon the environment and the surrounding community. "Reducing or neutralizing the impacts of port operations and expansion upon the environment and the surrounding community" may include, but is not limited to, the following:

(i) Educational programs;

(ii) Reducing energy consumption;

(iv) Replacement and/or modernization of vehicles and equipment

(v) Development of sound planning and development processes; and

(vi) Seeking funding sources to perform programs supported by the Green Ports Initiative.

Although water resources were not specifically singled out for protection, I am nonetheless grateful for this modest but significant step. I personally would like to congratulate these three waterfront authorities for the first pro-environment effort I have ever seen, expended on behalf of an industrial port. Some may not agree that this MOU is a significant step, and would like to see all industrial waterfront uses terminated. However I would argue otherwise.

We must all recognize that continued operation of our ports is essential to our well being and our national quality of life. Most of these waterfront terminals lie in what were once extremely high quality wetland habitats, mostly salt and freshwater tidal marsh wetlands essential to myriads of shell and finfish, migratory birds and hertptile species. However, now developed for perhaps more than 100 years these sites are also the location of export and import trade, extremely essential to our economy and our way of life. Many of these facilities receive or import raw materials, products of international trade, including fruits and vegetables, automobiles and wood products, fuel bound for refineries or even electric generation plants. These waterfront terminals have been in existence for many years and rely on their proximity to water to continue sending and receiving cargo.

Environmentalists may find terminals as their unexpected bedfellows. Why not form partnerships with an industry that is open to environmental improvement? The interests of ports and the environmental conservationists converge with a lack of support for non-water dependent developments on the waterfront. These developments are occurring with increasing regularity on the edge of water bodies, mostly our major river outlets along the east coast. Once developed at the waters edge, they eliminate the use of the site for riparian habitat and for terminal operations alike. Residential communities, high rises, big-box retail stores, warehouses and casinos are locating on the waterfront in increasing regularity. Why do we allow developments on the waterfront when proximity to water us not essential?

The riparian zones of most major rivers along the east coast are old, tired and nearly completely developed with port terminals. Over the years the development compromised tens of thousands of acres of essential intertidal habitat. This habitat is mostly gone, however many port terminals have regrouped and reorganized into concentrated facilities leaving smaller port facilities abandoned. These abandoned port facilities are under increasing pressure for waterfront development. The newer terminals, completely dependent on their proximity to the river are beginning to review and revise their operations in order to decrease the impacts they may have on the environment, our hope would be that they would include water quality, riparian zone and wetland impacts. We need to continue to bear up under the essential needs of waterfront trade terminals while at the same time discouraging the reuse of these older facilities for non-water dependent purposes, like residential high-rises and retail developments.

If you live on the coast, have you taken the opportunity to engage the waterfront authorities and ask them about improving their environmental practices? Would it be possible to encourage the reuse of former port facilities as restoration sites for wetlands or riparian areas and wildlife habitiat and public access? The riverkeepers often are the lone voices calling for river riparian zone restoration. Though some may want the removal of all port operations on the waterfront, perhaps it would be best to build partnerships and collaborate and compromise to encourage restoration of unused waterfront areas to natural habitats rather than selling the property to developers as high priced residential real estate.

Have you heard about ports in your city looking to evaluate their environmental practices in order to become more "green"? I would be very interested to hear your thoughts regarding the DRPA MOU as well as the experiences you have had in your waterfront community. Please visit AWRA's Water Blog and contribute your thoughts and experiences to the water resources community so they can become more educated on the subject!

I hope to see you at the AWRA National Conference in November in one of the greatest port terminal cities in the United States, New Orleans!