From the Savannah Morning News:
Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) Jo-Ellen Darcy signed the Record of Decision for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, known as SHEP, Oct. 26. The Record of Decision confirms that the proposed plan for Savannah Harbor channel improvements, including the associated mitigation, is in the national interest and meets the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act.
There’s a whole lot more at the link.
This decision was long-expected, but there are plenty of questions remaining, especially the disposition of current or future lawsuits, the possible impediments to the project that might yet be laid by South Carolina officials, the question of who will pay for this, and so forth.
As I have noted repeated, many supporters have made job creation claims that aren’t supported by the evidence and engaged in apocalyptic rhetoric about a decline in container traffic if we don’t dredge the Savannah River an additional five feet, from 42′ to 47′. The Corps of Engineers’ economic analysis flatly contradicts those claims. (Click here for a list of posts on this blog discussing those issues.)
You’ll be reading a lot more about this in the coming days.