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Gulf Engineers & Consultants

Ships-to-Reefs

Program Benefits
Jobs Creator Timely Habitat Development Recreational Commercial Sustainable Scalable Water Column Enhancement Gulf-wide

A number of studies focusing on the effects of overfishing and natural and manmade disasters on the dwindling fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico were performed prior to and following the BP oil spill. Other studies dealing with the creation of artificial reefs using decommissioned ships, oil and gas platforms, or concrete blocks show the primary benefits to fisheries with secondary and tertiary benefits such as increased revenues from commercial and recreational fishing, tourism, and taxes.

The GEC group proposes a Gulf-wide program management plan to create artificial reefs using decommissioned military and commercial vessels. Development of reefs will benefit coastal communities affected by the BP disaster by creating commercial and recreational fishing opportunities and boosting local economies. This can be accomplished by the dedication of some portion of the funds made available by BP for restoration projects. While the direct results of the BP spill on the Gulf fisheries have not yet been determined, it is clear that the spill has had a major economic impact on Gulf coastal communities and has damaged coastal wetlands and fisheries spawning grounds. Affected communities are struggling to overcome the negative impacts of this disaster, and political stakeholders are trying to determine a way out of the legal maze inherent in such cases. It has taken twenty years to resolve the Exxon Valdez spill litigations and Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) determinations. There is no reason to expect that the resolution of NRDA issues and damages to local communities will take less time than that, particularly considering the enormity of the BP spill, which also appears to have not one but multiple responsible parties. As a related issue, the military and commercial maritime interests are facing the challenge of disposing decommissioned vessels that can no longer be sent to other countries to be salvaged as scrap metal because of health and safety considerations related to environmental and salvage workers.

The sinking of the USS Oriskany to form an atrificial reef.

Ships-to-Reefs creation is an intentional activity that initiates and accelerates the recovery of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem with respect to its health, integrity, and sustainability.
The presence of retired vessels in the Gulf of Mexico and in other near coastal communities provides a great opportunity to remedy some of the damage done to fisheries and to the economies of Gulf coast communities. It is well known that artificially created reefs have been successful in enhancing the sustainability of fisheries because they become populated with commercially and recreationally viable fish species in a short period of time. This would improve the economies of impacted communities without waiting decades for the results of studies, negotiations, and litigations. This is a win-win situation where the environmental and economic benefits of artificial reefs are already accepted. There will be no need for extensive environmental studies and years of litigation. By taking early action, BP will get credit against NRDA assessments with visible beneficial results. It will help commercial and military marine interests that are burdened with the disposal of decommissioned vessels. The preparation and placement of these ships will provide a large number of jobs in Gulf coast communities. For example, the removal of ships engines, environmentally acceptable cleaning of ships, and obtaining correct permits for sinking ships will create jobs in idled or soon to be idled shipyards of the Gulf Coast. Once funds are made available, the program will take three to five years to complete. Job creation and environmental enhancements will begin immediately following the program funding. This will result in a highly visible display of impacted states making progress to remedy the negative economic impact of the BP spill and a high-profile demonstration that BP is trying to become a good neighbor as well as reduce its own natural resources damage liability. The Ships-to-Reefs program may serve as a model to the worldwide maritime (and military) and environmental groups for responsible and beneficial ways of solving the problem of disposing decommissioned ships by transforming them into environmentally sound, economic development tools.

Glenn DaGian
Project Constultant
Mr. DaGian has 38 years of energy industry experience. As an attorney and conservationist, he has had many dealings with governmental affairs. He was instrumental in the creation of the Nature Conservatory presence in Louisiana, the Rigs to Reef program, and the creation of the Louisiana White Lake Management Area, which consists of 77,000 acres of prime wildlife habitat.

Jim Porter

Vice President of Energy Services G.E.C., Inc.


Mr. Porter has 45 years experience in nuclear, enviromental, and coastal activities, natural resources, state management, and private consulting. He served as President of the Louisiana MidContinent Oil and Gas Association (LMOGA) for 19 years where he represented the industrys interests in matters related to the Gulf of Mexico. He has also served in Louisiana state government for over 20 years, including serving as the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, the Deputy Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Environmental Affairs, and the Secretary for the Environmental Control Commission.

Contact
Phone: 830.693.6736 Mobile: 512.413.7203 Email: glenndagian@gmail.com

Contact
Phone: 225.612.4289 Mobile: 225.200.5843 Email: jporter@gecinc.com

About Us
GEC was established in 1986 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as a small engineering consulting firm. It has grown over the years into a firm of national prominence by assembling the talents of a large team of engineering, environmental, planning, economic, and geographic information systems (GIS) professionals. GECs success and growth is based on its reputation as a professional organization that provides complete and proficient services from planning to implementation of projects for private and public clients in all parts of the United States as well as overseas. GEC provides integrated planning and design services for public and private clients nationwide. We provide a wide range of expertise for applications to land and water projects. The diverse resources of the company include environmental and ecological sciences, civil and structural engineering, economic analysis, and GIS applications. Services are provided separately or in an integrated fashion, depending on client needs. Projects include environmental and coastal restoration projects, wetland mitigation projects, harbor and ports projects, flood control and drainage projects, airports, intelligent transportation systems, sewerage and waste water systems, water supply systems, electrical systems, navigation, and energy related projects. GECs staff of 250 includes coastal, environmental, civil, structural, electrical, and geotechnical engineers, economists, biologists, foresters, financial experts, geologists, landscape architects, geographers, GIS and computer program specialists, and certified planners. Our commitment to our clients is to produce high-quality planning and design documents on time and within budget in keeping with the special needs of our clients so that their objectives can be accomplished in a timely and efficient manner.

Gulf Engineers & Consultants

8282 Goodwood Boulevard Baton Rouge, LA 70806

www.gecinc.com

1.800.883.5588

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