‘Local match needed for go ahead on harbor studies’

A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official discussed with acting governor Ralph DLG Torres on Thursday the status of feasibility studies for repairs and upgrades to the Tinian and Rota harbors.

Derek J. Chow, chief of the Civil and Public Works branch, said they need a local match to federal fiscal years 2015 and 2016 dollars to move ahead with the study.

In an interview, Chow noted how the reported large number of close-outs—hazardous wave conditions that prevent barges from entering Rota harbor—has called for additional upgrades. He also noted that the Tinian harbor’s breakwater—a sheet pile with rubble around it—is “very deteriorated and provides minimal protection” for vessels.

At the same time, Chow said the Inos administration also asked the Army Corps for assistance on reconfiguring the defunct Outer Cove Marina, erosion control at Managaha, and reconstructing damaged or destroyed infrastructure after Typhoon Soudelor. Chow said he expects a formal letter from Torres on these requests.

The harbor feasibility study is a three-year study with a total cost to the CNMI government at about $1 million, Chow said. This amount can be broken up into annual increments.

“We’ve had federal money [for fiscal year 2015] but we haven’t had local money, but as soon as we get their money we’ll be able to get our 2015 and 2016 dollars,” Chow told Saipan Tribune.

He said the administration signed an agreement with the Army Corps in September on the feasibility, design, and construction phases of the project, and that congressional authorization is needed to get from the feasibility to the construction phases.

“We are in the feasibility study. The feasibility report or study we are going to do refers to the engineering, the conceptual design. We are going to prepare cost estimates…we are going to do all the environmental studies and analysis and likely be producing an environmental impact statement. And we are also going to do the cost and economic analysis.

“All that is going to be rolled up into a report so we can recommend to Congress whether this is something worthy of federal investment or not. So that’s the whole purpose of this feasibility study—to do enough of the design, do enough of the environmental, do enough of the cost analysis so we can make a recommendation to Congress if this is something Congress should invest in,” he added.

Chow said if there is positive indication that Congress will invest in the project, the report will be forwarded to Congress and the Army Corps will proceed to design and then to construction once Congress has authorized the project.

Chow could not disclose where the Inos administration will get the money for the local match but gave a timeline of “probably sometime next week” on the funding coming in.

Other initiatives

Chow said Torres has asked for assistance in looking at what the federal government can do reconfigure the Outer Cove Marina to make it more efficient.

“He is writing a letter right now,” he said, adding that Torres has asked for help with Managaha and erosion. “Sending a letter allows us to seek federal funding to provide assistance.

“…That exposed shoreline [on Managaha] is being eroded by waves and currents. So he wants us to look at what is possible in trying to reduce or abate that erosion.

First we’d do an engineering study on what direction the waves come from and then we’ll propose options—even at the marina,” he said.

For Managaha, the Army Corps will look at what kind of structures can be built or if it’s possible to use natural means like vegetation to slow down or stop the erosion, Chow said.

He said the administration has also asked for federal assistance in reconstruction after Typhoons Soudelor and is gathering all federal agencies to see “what they can do” about this.