Another aspect of the Harbor which is not particularly a use of the Harbor, but 
is an occasional necessity, is the recurring need to dredge certain parts of the Harbor. 
One of the speakers earlier this morning talked about this management problem. We have 
traditionally taken the dredge materials out to what is called the foul area some 12 miles 
off Marblehead and disposed of it there. We recently found that some of that material is 
not staying in place. We are now involved with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and 
EPA in doing some oceanographic analyses to study sediment transport from the foul area. 
Because much of this dredge material is highly contaminated, finding an appropriate site 
for it is another management issue. 
Needless to say, I have just given you a smattering of the different kinds of 
competing uses. There are many more perspectives of the Harbor and many competing 
uses. There is an increasing demand for more management and attention to these issues, 
and I think the institutional response is getting better. It had been ignored for sometime. 
The City of Boston, like other ports around the country, had turned its back on the 
Harbor. Now we have rediscovered it, and the governmental institutions are trying to 
catch up on managing the Harbor as a resource. 
The legislature has recognized the value of the Harbor by passing the Water 
Resources Authority Act earlier in 1983. It also passed a Coastal Protection Act, which 
established the Office of Coastal Zone Management as a permanent entity in the state. 
This Act essentially told the citizens and all the agencies that it was time to move 
forward in some comprehensive fashion based on a set of policies that were adopted by 
the state under the CZM Act and to work together to achieve some success in the Harbor. 
The Governor, certainly, has recognized the need for a coordinated effort in 
the Harbor; he has created a sub-cabinet, which is composed of key members of the 
various cabinets and key agencies. The prime focus, and the only focus, of this group is to 
work to bring all of the competing interests together through one office to make more 
efficient and effective decisions. 
The agencies clearly are aware of the need for sound management decisions. 
You have seen by the turnout today by the Division of Marine Fisheries and some of the 
other state agencies that there is an ongoing effort. We recently have created and 
organized a group of key individuals from the Division of Marine Fisheries, Department of 
Environmental Quality Engineering, Public Health Agency, and from CZM to work 
together to facilitate communication, to examine the ongoing research around the Harbor, 
and to help develop goals and strategies so we can more effectively work as a state with 
EPA, NOAA, and the private educational institutions in making progress. 
To end on an "up" note, we have heard a lot of disturbing comments about 
contamination and about competing uses, but I clearly and honestly believe we have 
reached a point where a lot of people are concerned and a lot of good talent and expertise 
are being focused on the Harbor. We are very pleased to see the Federal Government 
doing the same thing, with both NOAA and EPA creating estuary programs. It is certainly 
going to be a step in the right direction. We hope that the budgets in the U.S. Congress 
can continue to reflect that kind of a priority. 
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