Funding for Charleston Harbor Deepening Approved

The federal spending bill approved by the Congress last week will provide much needed funding for the Charleston Harbor deepening and other South Carolina projects.

However the legislation that was passed last week still needs President Barack Obama’s signature before it becomes final.

The South Carolina projects include:

• $1.2 million for Charleston Harbor Deepening and Construction;
• $695,000 for Charleston Harbor Deepening Feasibility study and continued investigation;
• $13.1 million for Charleston Harbor operations and maintenance;
• $5.93 million for Cooper River operations and maintenance.

“Completion of the Charleston Harbor deepening project remains the number one issue for South Carolina’s economy,” said Graham. “The Port of Charleston is the Palmetto State’s gateway to the world. That’s why I have long believed that, when it comes to Charleston Harbor deepening, failure is simply not an option.”

Graham noted that the legislation includes language for smaller ports like Georgetown which could help pave the way to operations and maintenance funding that would help restore the Georgetown Port to its authorized depth of 27 feet.

According to the report language, “Concerns persist that the administration’s criteria for navigation maintenance do not allow small, remote, or subsistence harbors and waterways to properly compete for scarce navigation maintenance funds. The Corps is urged to revise the criteria used for determining which navigation projects are funded in order to develop a reasonable and equitable allocation under this account. The criteria should include economic impact that these projects provide to local and regional economies, in particular those with national defense or public health and safety importance.”

“The Georgetown Port can be another economic engine for the region, and the efforts we make in this legislation will pay dividends in the future,” concluded Graham.

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Press release