Savannah River Commission seeks counsel on dredging proposal

Even though a South Carolina senator is concerned Georgia's plan to dredge deeper in the Savannah River could hinder efforts to build a port in Jasper County, a panel of state leaders voted Thursday not to take an official stance yet on the politically sensitive issue.

Georgia's plans to deepen the river would allow the next generation of cargo ships to access Savannah's Garden City Terminal.

If the Georgia Ports Authority gets the federal government's permission to deepen the river, it could mean leaders in both states have less justification to jointly build a proposed port closer to the Atlantic Ocean in Jasper County, according to S.C. Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence.

Last week, Leatherman suggested South Carolina protect the proposed Jasper port by working to ensure its neighbor's deepening project fails, according to an article in the Charleston Regional Business Journal.

The Savannah River Maritime Commission decided Thursday during a meeting in Ridgeland it won't formally weigh in on Georgia's dredging plan until after it reviews a pending environmental study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The General Assembly established the commission in 2007 to represent South Carolina's interests in commerce on the river

The commission plans to ask lawmakers for money to hire a consultant knowledgeable in the environmental and economic aspects of port operations.

Lawmakers have indicated they will find money for a detailed analysis of the corps' environmental impact statement, a draft of which is expected to be released near the end of the year, commission chairman Dean Moss said.

He did not know how much money would be required.

Also at the meeting, Moss announced the resignations of commission members William Bethea Jr. and David Posek. Both are members of the Jasper Ocean Terminal Joint Project Office, a bi-state panel charged with developing the proposed Jasper port.

Moss said Bethea and Posek wanted to avoid conflicts of interest, which seem more likely now that the commission plans to evaluate Georgia's dredging proposal.