Containership in Savannah River

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has proposed to deepen the Savannah Harbor from 42 feet to 48 feet in an attempt to accommodate the new megaships that a few shipping companies are using. The CEO is concerned by the $235 million price tag and the irreparable damage that the project would cause to the Savannah River estuary and nearby wetlands.

HISTORY

When European settlers first arrived in Savannah, the Savannah River was little more than a wide stream at only 18 feet deep. Since that time, the river has undergone several dredging projects that have brought the depth of the river to its current depth of 42 feet. With the completion of each dredging project, more and more damage has been done to the surrounding environment. The project currently being proposed is no exception.

CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL

In August of 1999, a House/Senate committee approved the Savannah River Deepening Project that would cost taxpayers nearly a quarter of a billion dollars. Congress employed the fast track clause of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) to authorize the project prior to the completion of adequate environmental and economical studies. The congressional approval is contingent upon the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Secretary of the Army.

On October 21^st of 1999, the Secretary of the Army issued a favorable Chief's Report for the project. The Chief's Report was riddled with reasons not to approve the project, yet the chief approved the project nonetheless. The report includes the following language:

• "[A]lthough the project was not formulated in accordance with all applicable U.S. Army Corps of Engineers policies, procedures, and regulations, does not yet have the final EIS that would be necessary to initiate construction, and a fully developed, acceptable mitigation plan has not been identified [...]"

• "The Washington level review determined that the proposed project was not formulated in accordance with applicable U.S. Army Corps of Engineers planning procedures and regulations and that an acceptable mitigation plan has not been determined at this time."

The CEO was concerned that the conditional authorization of Congress would promote a lackadaisical approach by the various agencies whose approval is required. The Chief's Report only confirms our concerns.

POTENTIAL DAMAGE

	Savannah National Wildlife Refuge

The Savannah National Wildlife Refuge has been hard hit by saltwater intrusion due to past dredging projects. When the Savannah NWR was founded in 1927, it contained 6000 acres of tidal freshwater marsh, which represented 25% of all such habitat in Georgia and South Carolina. By 1997, only 2800 acres of freshwater marsh remained (click to view graph).

Lowered dissolved oxygen (DO) levels are problematic for wildlife and industries who use the river. GPA is currently proposing to oxygenate the river with a bubbler that would cost an estimated $24 million. In addition to being expensive, there is little scientific data on the effects of oxygenating a tidal river.

The Striped Bass, a favorite among fishermen, experienced heavy declines in its population due to past dredging projects and the implementation of a tide gate. Despite the removal of the tide gate and supplemental stocking, the striped bass has yet to recover. Fish and Wildlife experts have expressed concerns that lowered dissolved oxygen levels and increased salinity will create more troubles for a species already plagued by past deepening projects.

	Savannah's Waving Girl waves goodbye to the Shortnose Sturgeon

The Shortnose Sturgeon, an endangered species, has suffered due to decreased dissolved oxygen levels in the Kings Island Turning Basin. The sturgeon uses the turning basin as a nursery and as foraging habitat. Although the GPA originally claimed that "[t]here is no indication of the existence of shortnose sturgeon currently existing in the Savannah River," The CEO has forced GPA officials to acknowledge the well-known fact that shortnose sturgeon do, in fact, live in the Savannah River.

Beach Erosion -- The Savannah River, in its natural state, supplies sand to downdrift beaches. However, due to previous deepening projects, the supply of silica sand has reduced dramatically. The sandy material that is dredged annually is used inland for construction and is deposited offshore at a disposal site. This process is a dominant cause of Tybee Island's beach erosion problem. Computer models indicate that there will be at least an additional 3% reduction of silica sand at Tybee if the deepening project occurs.

STAKEHOLDERS EVALUATION GROUP

The Coastal Environmental Organization is a vocal member of the Stakeholders Evaluation Group (SEG). The SEG was created by congressional mandate to create and oversee scientific research projects and to develop plans for mitigation. Everyone is invited to attend the monthly SEG meetings. For more information, contact us.

RELATED LINKS

The Southern Environmental Law Center
Savannah Harbor Expansion Project Official Site
Stakeholders Evaluation Group (SEG)
Ogeechee Audubon Refuge Keepers
EPA -- Savannah River Basin Info

Shipping Company Links

Maersk Photo Gallery
Regina Maersk -- Virtual Reality Tour
P&O Nedlloyd Kobe
P&O Nedlloyd Hong Kong -- Virtual Reality Tour

RELATED ARTICLES

Savannah Morning News

• 2/19/00   -- Circle stores silt, not spaceships
• 2/18/00   -- Ports agrees to fund striped bass research
• 2/2/00     -- Striped bass study critical to harbor-deepening project
• 1/12/00   -- Environmental group asks if harbor deepening will cause flooding
• 12/8/99   -- Little creatures, potential problem
• 12/6/99   -- Hunt for a missing fish
• 11/10/99 -- Expert says ports are 'hostages'
• 10/31/99 -- Port Wentworth council candidates address potential port expansion
• 10/23/99 -- Favorable report moves deepening project one step ahead
• 10/20/99 -- Ports group moves ahead on environmental issues
• 8/31/99   -- GPA weathers Asian crisis and enjoy best year ever
• 8/27/99   -- Fish and Wildlife rejoins harbor group
• 8/7/99     -- River deepening passes congressional hurdle
• 8/4/99     -- Credibility issues plague environmental group
• 7/14/99   -- Environmental study group looks at technical issues
• 6/15/99   -- Ports authority seeks $300,000 for spill cleanup
• 6/9/99     -- Ports group stuck in its own mud
• 5/13/99   -- Dredging proposal worries Lowcountry officials
• 4/28/99   -- Ports documents attack Fish and Wildlife
• 3/3/99     -- Ports groups get new leader, agree to look at sand problem
• 2/12/99   -- Fish and Wildlife withdraws from ports' stakeholders group
• 1/28/99   -- Ports official plugs Georgia harbor projects
• 1/13/99   -- No smooth sailing at ports' stakeholder meeting
• 12/10/98 -- Savannah River dredging project sailing forward
• 10/20/98 -- Ports deepening to be put on hold.
• 8/29/98   -- Harbor deepening gets county support
• 7/14/98   -- 50-foot channel proposal revised
• 6/16/98   -- A question of balance
• 6/14/98   -- Conflict History
• 6/14/98   -- River deep, rift wide