OHPA holds workshop to address citizens' concerns

Submitted by Susan Hardee Steger

July 30, 2015 2:22 p.m.

Board members of the Nassau County Ocean Highway Port Authority (OHPA) spent Wednesday afternoon in a workshop session striking words and omitting paragraphs from the controversial port master plan. After months of protests from concerned citizens, board members agreed to remove most of the controversial language from the plan. According to Port Attorney Clyde Davis, formal approval of the changes made to the plan will more than likely take place at the next regularly scheduled meeting on August 12.

Once the changes are approved, such words as coal, oil refineries, fumigation facility, bulk vessels for liquid natural gas, will no longer appear in the master plan. In addition, a reference to 700 trucks a day will be amended to 168 trucks per day. Even with the significant reduction in number of trucks per day, port officials say with a limited number of security gates the figure is still “pie in the sky.”

Chairman Richard Bruce and Vice-Chair Danny Fullwood

The elimination of cruise ships from the port master plan sought by concerned citizens did not make the cut. Board Chairman Richard Bruce said even though cruise ships and cargo don’t mix, it would be a mistake to eliminate cruise ships. Fullwood did not agree saying he does not want cruise ships in Fernandina.

During the discussion, Fullwood told commissioners a petition is circulating requesting a resolution from the OHPA opposing permit applications for coal transfer and the loading of coal from ships or barges and the “re-purpose, retrofitting, investing, re-engineering or modification of any equipment that would enable the offloading, handling and transferring coal from ship or barge at the port.” Vice Chairman Danny Fullwood spoke to the language suggesting current port equipment to transfer oats (a new port cargo) could be used to transfer coal.

Val Schwec, commercial director for the Port of Fernandina said although Kinder Morgan has no plans for a coal transfer facility, an outright band as presented in the resolution could present problems in the future should an unforeseen situation arise such as closure of the only railroad bridge to the island (coal is now delivered by rail). Without coal in this situation, Schwec suggested mill workers could not work.