Letters to the Editor – Surfers Group Giving, Seeking Help to Clean Beaches in the Area
The Army Corps of Engineers is conducting navigational dredging in the Harbor of Refuge area of Point Judith Pond.
It has been over 30 years since this area was dredged, and the shallow waters became a navigational hazard to fishing vessels and ferries. The dredging is long overdue and is imperative to the health of our economy and public safety.
The dredged material was approved by the state to be deposited in the near-to-shore area of Matunuck in hopes that the sediment would help replenish the eroding beaches. The project’s success has been measured by growing beaches. However, there have also been large, unexpected amounts of trash washing up on the shoreline between Green Hill and East Matunuck beaches.
The Rhode Island chapter of Surfrider Foundation’s involvement with this issue began in early 2006. Chapter members met with the Army Corps of Engineers, the Coastal Resources Management Council, the Department of Environmental Management, and the state geologist. While the chapter was initially concerned with how the sediment placement would affect a world-class surf break, this soon became secondary upon learning about the heavy metal content in the test core samples. Thus, the Army Corps’ recently published comments that the materials “tested clean” are not accurate.
In addition to being in excess of Rhode Island limits for zinc, irregularities in the testing methods indicated that levels of sediment contamination in the area of the Galilee docks were probably far greater than the initial tests indicated. Looking back, maybe there should have been more options on the table.
Perhaps one solution could have been to place the contaminated dredge material in specially designated upland facilities. The commercial and recreational fisherman would have had a passable harbor, the beachgoers would have had clean water and beaches, and the homeowners would have received a large percentage of the fill they hoped would replenish their beach.
The Army Corps of Engineers’ dredging project began in December 2006. On Jan. 24, 2007, local beachgoers and Surfrider members noticed a sea of pull-tab aluminum cans strewn amongst the rocks, used oil filters, old fishing gear, old filet knives, lobster claw bands, and pieces of piling all tangled with the seaweed at the waterline as well as in the dunes. Scarily, that might not be the worst of it: the future effects of the contaminated sediment now resting in federally-designated Essential Fish Habitat remain to be seen.
In response, our Surfrider Foundation chapter has organized several major beach clean-ups in Matunuck to assist with the project clean-up efforts. The chapter has also held two public forums, the last of which included representatives from the Department of Environmental Management, the Corps of Engineers, the Coastal Resource Management Council, Save the Bay, and the Surfrider Foundation.
Moving forward, the Rhode Island Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has formulated a series of steps to address the following future dredging activities:
Immediate testing of the offshore sediment to determine the level of contamination in the placed material.
Improved safeguards such as screening and sifting.
Requiring more comprehensive pre-project sediment testing for future projects.
Continued coordinated effort between all stakeholders.
Public education for boaters, fishermen, tourists, and beachgoers to address personal responsibility for trash management.
To achieve these goals, the chapter is working closely with state and federal organizations as well as other local environmental groups. As Rhode Islanders we all know that our beaches are here year-round for our enjoyment. Any true local knows that the best time to head out for a walk on the beach is in the cooler months after the crowds have left. As discouraging as this washed-up trash is, would there have been a different outcome/response if it happened in the middle of summer? While this is not “bathing suit season,” there are many of us that enjoy the beach 12 months out of the year. We fish, we surf, we play fetch with our dog, and we get the kids out of the house on a warm February afternoons.
What can you do to help preserve our beautiful Ocean State? Speak up. Ask questions. Get involved. Join Surfrider (www.surfrider.org). If, like us, you are down on the beaches, pick up the trash you see. Only together can we hope for a better future for our beaches and shorelines.
David Prescott
Chairman
Carissa Lord
Secretary
Rhode Island chapter Surfrider Foundation
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