Accounts created for environmental purposes were especially hard hit. The port can be developed without incurring significant environmental risks. Waters surrounding major ports across the country are experiencing problems caused by port activity. For example, San Francisco Bay is being invaded by one non-native species every 12 weeks. We already have invasive species in Narragansett Bay and experts predict that problem will intensify with increased shipping activity.
Any filling is risky.
Federal law requires that filling of public waters like those of Narragansett Bay first be avoided and then minimized before mitigation options can be considered. Nearly 4,000 acres of our Bay already have been filled. The stakeholder process is considering the best ways to avoid and minimize future fill. Narragansett Bay is an eco-system. What we do to one part of the Bay, such as building a port at Quonset, will affect the Bay as a whole.