[Coral-List] Majuro situation

[Rob Hilliard, imco]

I believe Doug's memory is correct.  And the problem is that the local 
company at RMI which has the contract for sourcing and transferring the 
fill (which is required for making large, safer turn-around area near 
end of runway), has switched from the original plan of extracting mostly 
sand and rubble from the lagoon side [a plan possibly not formally 
agreed with FAA due to some oversight?], to using patch reef/s as the 
source of material on the more exposed seaward side.  Presumably because 
this reef area is closer and therefore much cheaper to dredge and pump 
directly, than have to organise for additional pipes, plus install a 
transfer or 'booster'  pump station, for pushing material taken from the 
lagoon side along a longer pipeline route.

And it seems the RMI's national 'EPA' has decided to let the local 
construction company go ahead with its revised plan, and that the FAA 
has so far washed its hands of this significant change (i stand 
corrected if this is not the case).  If source supply costs/ pumping 
expenses & local profit/loss margins are really the main sticking 
points, then might not the FAA be encouraged to return to the project 
negotiating table, check the budget and confirm what is the gap - then 
find funding to cover this so that the source of fill can be switched 
back to the inner lagoon...?

Maybe Dean can provide a clearer picture as to what would be the most 
practical, quickest and acceptable ways for the RMI & FAA to get the 
local contractor's problem fixed and save the patch reef.

[And if it is not a case of a genuine funding shortfall, then the FAA 
has a duty to blow the whistle, to help ensure global attention is 
focussed on the relevant problems at RMI.   I would think the RMI govt 
would be sensitive to any glaring spotlights regarding its environment 
protection reputation, because small island state economies are always 
seeking O-AID/development funding opportunities from other foreign 
assistance agencies, development banks etc].
_________________________

   

_________________________

Robert Hilliard PhDPg.Dip  (EMS)

InterMarine Consulting Pty Ltd

19 Burton Road,Darlington

Western Australia  6070

Mob:    +61 427 855 485

Office: +61 8 6394 0606

Fax:     +61 8 9255 4668

*rhilliard at imco.com.au  <mailto:rhilliard at imco.com.au>*

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On 25-Mar-14 12:00 AM, coral-list-request at coral.aoml.noaa.gov wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
>     1. Majuro situation (Gregor Hodgson)
>     2. Identification of MicroRNAs in the Coral Stylophora
>        pistillata (Christian R Voolstra)
>     3. Re: Dean Jacobson, coral reefs, the law, NEPA,	and the FAA
>        (Walt Smith)
>     4. Re: Majuro situation (Douglas Fenner)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 20:31:27 +0600
> From: Douglas Fenner<douglasfennertassi at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Majuro situation
> To:"coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov"  <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> Message-ID:
> 	<CAOEmEkHh7W69H304Q+JVbw4wRQzMJi_6BQXF5EoDws_s43x5JA at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> >From my memory of Dean's posts, this project isn't actually extending the airport runway.  More importantly, there is no need to stop the project, the readily available alternative is just to take the material needed from areas of the lagoon that have little or no live coral.  My memory is that Dean said there is lots of area of suitable fill without coral on it, readily available.  Because those are a little farther away, it would presumably cost the company a little more.  No need or desire to stop the project, it is a good project,just take dead rock instead of live coral.  But that would cost a little more.
> Cheers,  Doug
> Douglas Fenner
> Contractor with Ocean Associates, Inc.
> PO Box 7390
> Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799  USA
>
> phone 1 684 622-7084