Tag Archives: Sen. Jack Reed
Port of Galilee and Marine Facilities to Undergo Major Upgrades with $15M FEMA Grant
In a landmark step toward mitigating the impacts of climate change, Rhode Island has secured a $15.5 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the largest award of its kind in the state’s history. The funds will support a $17.2 million initiative to elevate critical infrastructure at the Port of Galilee in Narragansett and Wickford Dock, along with the replacement of eight docks across three state-managed marine facilities. The grant, matched with state funding, was announced by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA), and the state’s Congressional Delegation. It aims to bolster resilience against rising sea levels, coastal flooding, and extreme weather events. The Port of Galilee, a vital economic engine for Rhode Island and the 13th highest value fishing port in the nation, is at the heart of the initiative. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:39
Breakwaters have protected Galilee from storms for over a century. Now repairs are needed
On a recent overcast morning fisherman Mike Marchetti boards his vessel Mister G, a 50-foot lobster boat converted into a scalloper, and gently pulls out of the Port of Galilee’s UU dock. The slate water reflects the sullen sky, but Mister G chugs along pleasantly past the docks, through the breachway and out to the Point Judith Harbor of Refuge. That name – “Harbor of Refuge” – is at risk of becoming a misnomer to Marchetti. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created the Point Judith Harbor of Refuge in the early 20th century when it constructed a series of breakwaters to protect the port from hazardous sea conditions. These days the sea is winning. As Mister G nears the main breakwater – a v-shaped 6,970-foot-long wall of massive boulders – Marchetti looks out the starboard window and points at wide gaps in the breakwater. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:45
R.I., feds spending $5.2 million to rebuild 3 sagging piers at Port of Galilee
The Port of Galilee is an economic engine for Rhode Island, bringing in $66 million in seafood last year and supporting 200 commercial fishermen and other businesses in the fishing industry. But Rhode Island’s largest fishing port has been looking the worse for wear for a long time now. Bulkheads are rotting, piers are sagging and asphalt is crumbling. In the latest effort to address the problems, the state is set to begin work on a $5.2-million project to rebuild three 40-year-old piers,, No matter how much is invested in dockside facilities to process and package seafood, if the piers aren’t up to par, it makes it difficult to offload the catch, said Meghan Lapp, general manager of Seafreeze Shoreside,,, “The docks are the lifeblood of the port,” she said. >click to read< 10:41
2 R.I. shipyards win grants under maritime funding program revived by Reed
U.S. Sen. Jack Reed on Saturday announced that two Rhode Island shipyards will be awarded $1,114,370 in federal funding to make capital improvements intended to help create jobs, increase economic activity, and improve their building, service, and maintenance capabilities. Blount Boats in Warren will receive $508,927 and J. Goodison Company in North Kingstown will receive $635,453 from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) through the Small Shipyard Grant Program. The Small Shipyard Grants, which are limited to no more than 75 percent of the estimated improvement costs, are available to U.S. shipyards with fewer than 1,200 production employees. click here to read the story 14:32
