Savannah dredging plan gets long-awaited green light from Washington

THE US Army Corps of Engineers has announced that Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) Jo-Ellen Darcy had signed the Record of Decision for the Savannah Harbour Expansion Project.

This is a major milestone for SHEP and completes the federal government's review of the harbour deepening project's justification. It affirms that deepening the Savannah harbour to 47 feet is economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and in the best interests of the nation.

Georgia has already committed US$181.1 million to the project, which is expected to cost $652 million.

The Administration's approval comes after 15 years of study with unprecedented collaboration among the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries Service, and other federal and state agencies, as well as non-governmental stakeholders, to identify and address all concerns, a statement from port authorities said.

The expansion of the Panama Canal, due for completion in 2015, will accommodate larger containerships. US Army Corps of Engineers studies show that postpanamax vessels are more efficiently served by deeper harbours, which will lower shipping costs for containerised trade by $174 million a year over the next 50 years for a total economic benefit of $8.7 billion during that span. Decreased costs per container will lower the bottom line for the more than 21,000 US businesses shipping through Savannah.

"Ships such as the 9,200-TEU MSC Roma already call on Savannah via the Suez Canal," said GPA vice chairman Steve Green. "The Panama expansion is expected to increase the number of these larger ships calling on the US east coast, so it is vital that our ports prepare for this new class of vessels."