Savannah port deepening moves forward

By Dan Chapman

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released Tuesday the long-awaited draft report detailing the environmental costs of digging a deeper Savannah harbor and river as it wends it way to the sea.

In essence, the Corps reported that the environmental impact of deepening the river to 48 feet, from its current 42-foot depth, “can be mitigated to an acceptable level.”

Georgia officials have long sought to deepen the harbor and river to accommodate ever larger container ships that increasingly call on East Coast ports.

Deepening to 48 feet would cost an estimated $551 million with 70 percent borne by the federal government. Georgia legislators have already approved $102.3 million of the remaining costs.

The $40 million draft environmental study details a deeper river’s impact on saltwater intrusion, freshwater marshes, beach erosion, fish habitat and more. The report’s public comment period runs from Nov. 26 to Jan. 10, 2011.