HomeMy Public PortalAbout2017-14 Supporting United States Congressional Bills S.279 and H.B. 833 relating to Beach RenourishmentRESOLUTION NO. 2017-14
A RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE
VILLAGE OF KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA, SUPPORTING
UNITED STATES CONGRESSIONAL BILLS S. 279 AND H.B.
833 TO AMEND SECTION 935 OF THE WATER
RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1986 TO
FACILITATE THE USE OF FOREIGN OFFSHORE SAND IN
BEACH NOURISHMENT PROJECTS; URGING THE
UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO EXPEDITE AND FUND
THE STUDY TO ALLOW FOREIGN SAND TO BE USED IN
BEACH NOURISHMENT PROJECTS IN MIAMI-DADE
COUNTY; DIRECTING THE VILLAGE CLERK TO
TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE
OFFICIALS STATED HEREIN; PROVIDING FOR
AUTHORIZATION AND IMPLEMENTATION; AND
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, beaches and dunes generally and more specifically within the Village of Key
Biscayne serve as a vital buffer between coastal infrastructure and the destructive forces of ocean
waves and surge during storm events; and
WHEREAS, beach renourishment adds sand to the coastal system, helps keep the erosive
power of strong waves from reaching dunes and structures, and buffers against the effects of sea
level rise and climate change, thereby protecting coastal properties and the coastal environment; and
WHEREAS, beach renourishment has been an ongoing practice in southeast Florida since
the late 1970s, as part of the Dade County Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection Project
providing essential economic, environmental and recreational benefit to coastal communities; and
WHEREAS, throughout the region, twenty-four federal and nonfederal beach nourishment
projects provide storm damage reduction to infrastructure as well as incidental recreational
opportunities; and
WHEREAS, Section 935 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 ("WRDA
1986") states that the Army Corps can only use domestic sources of sand for renourishment of this
project, unless the Secretary of the Army provides written certification that domestic sources are not
available for environmental or economic reasons; and
WHEREAS, in March 2016 the Army Corps completed a Limited Reevaluation Report and
Environmental Assessment with a Finding of No Significant Impact with updated economics to
justify potential alternative sand sources for future renourishment projects to utilize new sand
sources, which include Bahamas sand; and
WHEREAS, the option to import offshore sand from the Bahamas to expedite beach
nourishment projects in the Village and throughout Miami -Dade County is important because the
sand may be closer to the quality of the sand on Miami's beaches than some of the alternatives listed
by the Army Corps; and
WHEREAS, foreign offshore sources may have a lower cost to import than purchasing sand
from approved upland sources, and there may be fewer impacts on roads, such as reduced quality
of life impacts resulting from truck traffic and fewer carbon emission from trucks hauling the sand;
and
WHEREAS, the Village of Key Biscayne, Florida supports a recent decision by the federal
government to study the benefits of replenishing Florida beaches with foreign sand; and
WHEREAS, on February 2, 2017, United States Senator Marco Rubio introduced S.279 and
United States Congresswoman Lois Frankel introduced companion bill H.B. 833 to amend WRDA
1986 with respect to the acquisition of beach fill to eliminate the restriction against offshore sand;
and
2
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the Village to support S.279 and H.B. 833 to
eliminate the restriction against offshore sand, and to urge the United States Congress to expedite
and fund the study to expedite and fund the study to evaluate the benefits of replenishing Florida
beaches with foreign sand.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE
VILLAGE OF KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Recitals Adopted. That each of the above stated recitals are hereby adopted,
confirmed, and incorporated herein.
Section 2. Support by the Village of Key Biscayne Village Council for United States
Congressional Bills S. 279 and H.B. 833 to Amend the Water Resources Development Act of
1986 and Urging Members of the Florida Congressional Delegation to Expedite Efforts to
Allow Foreign Sources of Sand be Utilized in Beach Nourishment Projects in Miami -Dade
County. The Village of Key Biscayne supports S. 279 and H.B. 833 to amend Section 935 of the
WRDA 1986 to eliminate the Restriction promulgated by Section 935 of the WRDA 1986 in order
to facilitate the use of foreign offshore sand in Beach Nourishment Projects. The Village urges the
United States Congress to expedite and fund the study to evaluate the benefits of replenishing
Florida beaches with foreign sand.
Section 3. Direction to the Village Clerk. The Village Clerk is hereby directed to send a
copy of this Resolution to sponsoring legislators, United States Senator Marco Rubio and
Congresswoman Lois Frankel, and United States Senator Bill Nelson, the Members of the Florida
Congressional Delegation, the Secretary of the Army, the Governor of Florida, and Mayors of
Coastal Communities throughout Miami -Dade, Broward, Monroe, Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie
3
Counties.
Section 4. Authorization and Implementation. The Village Manager is hereby authorized
to take any and all action necessary to implement this Resolution.
Section 5. Effective Date. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its
adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 18th day of April, 2017.
MAY RL IGIAYRA PENA LITII,k
ATT ' T.
/V
CHITA H. ALVAREZ, MMC, VILLAGE
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND
LEGAL SUFFICIENCY
VILLAGE ATTORNEY
4