A pocket port for the mills wants to outgrow its britches

Amelia Island and Nassau County residents have once again shown the effectiveness of a community coming together to protect its neighborhoods and environment. A shout out to the Ocean Highway and Port Authority (OHPA) which oversees the Port of Fernandina for recognizing that our port is not a good fit for cruise operations. But issues with hazardous materials and truck traffic remain.

The Fernandina Beach port, in its present location, was created in 1985 with help from the mills and railroad to facilitate movement of paper product from the mills to reduce truck traffic through town. OHPA and the port operators now want the port to expand its mission to pursue the transport of break bulk aggregates including cement powder and fertilizer.  This will more than double the number of trucks traveling from I-95, over the bridge, through town and to the port, on the main road that residents, workers and tourists must use to access the island and Fernandina Beach.

Cement powder in Escambia Slough

In response to a failed first attempt at handling break bulk cement, the Operator has discussed building enormous storage silos on the waterfront, using pneumatic booms to shoot the cement powder from the silos into trucks.

Immediately adjacent to and surrounding this small port is the Fernandina Beach historic district and neighborhoods. That trial shipment of bulk cement powder to the port quickly demonstrated the detrimental air, water and economic impacts to the surrounding neighborhoods.  Due to the high alkalinity of cement powder and water, there were immediate changes to the natural environment of Alligator Creek which abuts the port’s storage area for the cement and was the previous roosting spot for hundreds of  birds, including wood storks.  These birds left their home within 4 days of the introduction of the cement and have not returned.

Wrong product, wrong port.

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