AG Tong: Long Island Sound Dredging Crucial to CT Maritime Economy

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has filed a memorandum of law in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York describing the exhaustive administrative record, economic need, and environmental safeguards that clearly support the lawful selection of the Eastern Long Island Sound Disposal Site for dredged materials.

The memorandum, filed on behalf of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, responds to a challenge by the State of New York seeking to block the site designation.

According to an official statement from the Office of Attorney General William Tong, “Long Island Sound dredging is crucial to Connecticut’s maritime economy, with major employers and stakeholders including Electric Boat, the Connecticut Port Authority, the Connecticut Harbor Management Association, the Cross Sound Ferry and others all weighing in in support. The United States Army Corps of Engineers found that without dredging, the ability to launch and build submarines in Groton would be eliminated.”

“The record is abundantly clear – the selection of the Eastern Long Island Sound Disposal Site was done properly and lawfully and must proceed. Thousands of maritime jobs and billions of dollars in revenue depend on the ability to dredge and safely deposit materials. This challenge is without merit, and must not be allowed to impede our state’s maritime economy,” said Tong.

In drafting the memorandum, the Office of the Attorney General worked in coordination with Congressman Joe Courtney, whose office helped document the depth of economic impact and stakeholder support from the maritime business community.