JAXPORT Dredging Plan Raises Concerns

On Tuesday, August 11, 2015, St. Johns Riverkeeper filed a Notice of Intent to Sue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding the proposed St. Johns River harbor deepening project.

In April 2014, the Corps issued its Final Environmental Impact Statement for the JAXPORT proposal to dredge 13 miles of the St. Johns River from a depth of 40-feet to 47-feet, finding the plan to be “economically justified” and “environmentally acceptable.”

St. Johns Riverkeeper showed concern over the project and intends to challenge the Corps for “a failure to provide appropriate in-kind mitigation for the environmental damage that will result from the dredging, insufficient assessment of the environmental impacts, violations of the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act and a flawed economic assessment.”

Lisa Rinaman, the St. Johns Riverkeeper said: “Regrettably, the Army Corps of Engineers has underestimated the environmental impacts, overstated the economic benefits, and done nothing to offset the damage that will occur, leaving us with no choice but to challenge this project.”

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