Decision reached in dredging case vital to CT maritime economy

Attorney General William Tong and Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) on Monday welcomed a decision by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in dredging case vital to CT maritime economy.

In the press release, the attorney general applauded the court decision in Rosado v. Pruitt upholding the lawful selection of the Eastern Long Island Sound Disposal Site for dredged materials.

Connecticut intervened in the case, defending the site selection made by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after exhaustive environmental review and public input.

“This is a major victory for Connecticut’s maritime economy. Thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in revenue depend on the ability to dredge and safely deposit materials,” said Attorney General Tong.

“Now that that court has ruled, it is time to finally exit the courthouse and instead implement the innovative, environmentally sound plan that both states helped craft over an eight-year period for the mutual benefit of the region,” said Congressman Courtney.

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.”