Marvin Mandel, Governor                       1931

No. 52 *

(Senate Joint Resolution 35)

Senate Joint Resolution requesting the Governor and the Board of
Public Works to choose a site other than Hart Island, Miller Island
and Pleasure Island for the dumping of dredging spoils from
Baltimore Harbor.

Whereas, the Chesapeake Bay is one of the world's greatest
natural resources; and

Whereas, since the colonizing of this State, the Chesapeake Bay
has yielded sustenance from its bountiful water to feed the people
that live along its shores; and

Whereas, the Bay has provided recreation, fun, and pleasure, for
countless millions of people; and

Whereas, any scheme or plan that could possibly harm our
greatest of wonders must be scrutinized carefully; and

Whereas, it is the policy of this State to prohibit any actions that
could harm the beauty of the Bay, and the interests of those who
live by its shores; and

Whereas, Hart, Miller, and Pleasure Islands are used for recrea-
tion by hardworking men and women of this State, and the islands
provide a space of refuge for these men and women away from the
problems of our troubled world; and

Whereas, this site has been selected over 70 other proposed sites
because it was considered to be "the path of least resistance"; and

Whereas, it is proposed that 100 million cubic yards of dredging
spoils be used to increase the size of the islands from 140 acres to
2000 acres; and

Whereas, one side of the proposed dike is to be 16 feet above the
high water mark; and

Whereas, the officials in charge of this project have publicly stated
that all bottom marine life within the three square mile area will
die as a result of the construction; and

Whereas, this project will cause irreparable harm to the wild-
life of this area; and

Whereas, there has been no ecological study completed to date
on the project; and

Whereas, there is only one other project similar to this, the
Crany Island Project in Virginia, and the ecologists and environ-
mentalists of that area consider it a dismal failure; and

* Not signed by the Governor.