Budget Amendment ID: FY2012-S3-173

ENV 173

SHELLFISH PURIFICATION

Messrs. Tarr, Hedlund and Petruccelli moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, in item 2330-0100, by striking line item 2330-0100 in its entirety and inserting in place thereof the following item:

“2330-0100 For the operation of the division of marine fisheries, including expenses of the Annisquam river marine research laboratory, marine research programs, a commercial fisheries program, a shellfish management program, including coastal area classification, mapping and technical assistance and for the operation of the Newburyport shellfish purification plant and shellfish classification program; provided, that funds shall be expended on a recreational fisheries program to be reimbursed by federal funds; provided further, that the division shall continue to develop strategies to improve federal regulations governing the commercial fishing industry so as to promote sustainable fisheries; provided further, that $400,000 shall be spent for the operation of the Newburyport shellfish purification plant; and provided further, that the commissioner shall develop a feasible plant management plan to reduce, to the maximum extent possible, the amount by which the cost of operating the plant exceeds the revenue it generates, and that said plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following:  1) enabling the shellfish purification plant to accept for treatment those shellfish harvested by valid permit holders from waters not meeting the requirements for open status for acceptable water quality as a result of heavy rainfall pursuant to the national shellfish sanitation program guide for the control of molluscan shellfish; 2) requiring the division to perform additional testing on permanently closed areas to ascertain the possibility of opening said areas as clean areas, with special consideration given to areas 2 and 3 north of Boston, or to developing regulations to permit the acceptance of shellfish harvested from those areas or other moderately contaminated areas for purification at the plant; 3) reviewing the plant hours of operation and make adjustments to better accommodate tide schedules and weekend harvesting and increase plant processing volume; and 4) increasing the frequency of testing at conditionally approved areas and making results of the testing expediently available to the general public; 5) capturing opportunities for the use of the plant for shellfish not requiring purification, but for which additional cleansing, including from sand particulates, creates increased market value and which increases the utilization of the plant and its revenues; provided further, that the commissioner shall evaluate each of these options in developing said plan, and that said plan shall provide an explanation for the reasons for which any element described above is not included in the plan; and provided further, that said plan shall be submitted to the house and senate ways and means committees on or before February 15, 2012...............................................................................................................$4,355,647.”