Leaky Geotube Halts Dredging, Neighbors Irate, Borough ‘Disappointed’

STONE HARBOR – The Ides of March brought some bad news to those attending Stone Harbor Borough Council meeting March 15. After a previous meeting in which the borough lauded initiatives to use sand separated from dredge material for partial restoration of hard-hit beaches, council heard from Administrator Jill Gougher that a second breach at the dewatering site had shut down operations.
The first breach occurred in 2015 shortly after dredging began. For residents who live near the dewatering site at 80th Street, it seemed a confirmation of their worst fears. They had argued strongly that the site should not be located in a residential area putting their homes and property at risk.
Adjustments were made after that first breach and work resumed. The multi-year dredging effort makes use of the Municipal Marina at 80th Street as the site for large geotubes used to house dredge material while it dewaters. 
The material is then trucked off site. Time periods when dredging can occur are limited by environmental restrictions and the practical needs of having the marina and waterways unobstructed during the summer.
Recently the borough gained permission to have its contractor separate sand from the dredge material so it could be trucked to beaches hard hit by winter storms.
Stone Harbor is “on the list” for a federal beach replenishment project, but no effort was scheduled in time to restore beaches for the 2016 season. The new permission came with an extension of the dredging period giving the borough hope it could recover around 128,000 cubic yards of sand for beaches and still have the marina demobilized and ready for the Memorial Day start of summer.
Late in the afternoon March 8, two geotubes on the marina’s south side parking lot ruptured, releasing fluid mud material dredged from Shelter Haven into the project site, breaching perimeter security fencing and having an undetermined amount seep through openings in the bulkhead and into North Basin.
Once again area residents saw the danger to their property in very real terms. They had been to previous council meetings to plead for a change in the dewatering site when the project resumes in the fall.
Residents fear their homes could have been impacted if both geotubes that ruptured had been those closest to 80th Street.
As a result of the accident, the state Department of Environmental Protection has prohibited dredging until further notice.
If the borough and its contractor cannot get the restriction lifted soon, the loss of potential dredging days may have serious impact on estimates for sand recovery and partial beach replenishment.
In a notice on its website, the borough stated it is “Disappointed with this second geotube incident. This incident could and should have been avoided.”
When the borough gets permission to resume dredging, efforts will focus on the Access Channel where tests have shown the sand recovery levels are likely to be highest. Current permits will allow dredging until April 30 with demobilization to be completed by May 14.
Council held a closed session on the dredging incident but no further information was made available when council returned. Plans are still to use the marina site as the dewatering location when dredging starts again in September.
Atlantic City Electric
The project to bring higher capacity transmission lines to Seven Mile Island continues.  The controversial poles have been set in place, the new substation is ahead of schedule, and the effort to bring the power lines across the bay and underground for a portion of 95th Street proceeds. 
The meeting update included that the utiliity will add a temporary above-ground water system while it completes its work bringing power lines through the underground conduit.
The project will require scheduled interruptions in water service from the bridge at 96th Street to 94th Street and Sunset Drive. Specific information on schedules for any interruption of water service is available on the borough’s website.
Those members of the public who dutifully seek new information from council each meeting, once again found themselves without much news.
What is at issue now is a cost proposal from Atlantic City Electric. The utility has been asked to develop plans to move the transmission wires from the new large steel poles to underground conduits.
The company expects the borough to pay for any plan development. Solicitor Marcus Karavan said that the first communication from the utility provided an estimate for the work but no cap and the borough sent it back. A new proposal has been received but no details were made public.
Attempts by some of the public to stop the project failed. The focus now appears to be on potentially reversing it after it is installed for this summer. 
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.