The planned Expansion of the Savannah Harbor got a major shot in the arm late Wednesday when the Obama Administration announced it would expedite the project, with all federal reviews completed and a Record of Decision coming no later than November.
As part of his “We Can’t Wait” initiative, the president listed seven “nationally and regionally significant infrastructure projects” at five major ports, promising to put each on a fast track designed to save time and drive better outcomes for local communities.
The initiative is part of a Presidential Executive Order issued in March charging the Office of Management and Budget with overseeing a government-wide effort to make the permitting and review process for infrastructure projects more efficient and effective.
“President Obama is committed to improving federal permitting and reviews to ensure that smart infrastructure projects like the Port of Savannah can move as quickly as possible through the decision making process, boosting job growth and strengthening the economy,” Jeffrey Zients, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, said Wednesday.
“By working more efficiently in a coordinated fashion across the federal government and putting in place aggressive schedules and accountability systems, we are committing to accelerate the final steps of this review for the Port of Savannah project.”
Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz said he was delighted with the announcement.
“To have the President of the United States acknowledge the importance of the Port of Savannah — its infrastructure improvement needs and the role it plays in the economic recovery of the Southeast — is significant, ” Foltz said.
The Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, which will deepen the Savannah River channel in anticipation of larger container ships calling on the port after the completion of the Panama Canal expansion in 2014, has been in the works for more than a dozen years.
“The (U.S. Army) Corps of Engineers has completed a feasibility report that examined the benefits and costs of deepening the existing channel at Savannah Harbor from its current depth of 42 feet to a depth of 47 feet,” the White House said in its release.
“The proposed project would enable the Port of Savannah to accommodate larger cargo vessels and other ships, ultimately facilitating more efficient movement of goods. The study involved a multi-year collaborative effort with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Interior and the Department of Commerce, all of whom must also approve the final report.
“As a result of this collaboration, the project includes an extensive mitigation plan, which is an integral part of the recommended improvements and are intended to restore, preserve, and adaptively manage the surrounding ecosystem, which includes the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge.”
The Obama Administration also announced the establishment of a White House-led Navigation Task Force that will consist of senior officials from various White House offices, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Departments of Transportation, Commerce, Homeland Security, and the Treasury. The Task Force will develop a Federal strategy and coordinated decision-making principles that focus on the economic return of investments into coastal ports and related infrastructure to support the movement of commerce throughout the nation.
Improvements at the ports of Miami, New York/New Jersey, Jacksonville, Fla., and Charleston, S.C. also will be expedited, the White House said.
According to the Post and Courier in Charleston, the administration pledged that all federal reviews of the Charleston Harbor deepening plan will be completed by September 2015, nine months earlier than the shortened time line announced just a week ago by the Corps of Engineers.
The new study deadline, combined with project-shortening measures announced last week by the Corps, means the harbor could potentially be deepened by 2019, five years earlier than once estimated.
Charleston is pursuing a plan to dredge its harbor from 45 to 50 feet or more.
At the Port of Jacksonville, the administration announced the fast-tracking of two projects — the first to finalize the federal feasibility study examining the costs and benefits of deepening the harbor and the second to expedite the permitting of the port’s proposed intermodal container facility.
Both projects will be completed by July of 2013, the White House said.
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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2012
Obama Administration Announces Port of Savannah Project to Be Expedited
WASHINGTON – As part of his We Can’t Wait initiative, President Obama has announced that 7 nationally and regionally significant infrastructure projects will be expedited to help modernize and expand 5 major ports in the United States, including the Port of Savannah. The Administration committed to completing all federal reviews for the Port of Savannah by November of 2012.
As part of a Presidential Executive Order issued in March of this year, the Office of Management and Budget is charged with overseeing a government-wide effort to make the permitting and review process for infrastructure projects more efficient and effective, saving time while driving better outcomes for local communities. The first 7 of the initial 43 projects that will be expedited by the Executive Order are located at five ports – the Port of Jacksonville, the Port of Miami, the Port of Savannah, the Port of New York and New Jersey, and the Port of Charleston. Additional expedited infrastructure projects will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Obama Administration is also announcing the establishment of a White House-led Navigation Task Force that will consist of senior officials from various White House offices, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Departments of Transportation, Commerce, Homeland Security, and the Treasury. The Task Force will develop a Federal strategy and coordinated decision making principles that focus on the economic return of investments into coastal ports and related infrastructure to support the movement of commerce throughout the Nation.
Port of Savannah
Savannah Harbor
Coordinating Agency: US Army Corps of Engineers
Target date for completing all Federal permit and review decisions: November 2012
The Army Corps has completed a feasibility report that examined the benefits and costs of deepening the existing channel at Savannah Harbor from its current depth of 42 feet to a depth of 47 feet. The proposed project would enable the Port of Savannah to accommodate larger cargo vessels and other ships, ultimately facilitating more efficient movement of goods. The study involved a multiyear collaborative effort with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Interior and the Department of Commerce, all of whom must also approve the final report. As a result of this collaboration, the project includes an extensive mitigation plan, which is an integral part of the recommended improvements and are intended to restore, preserve, and adaptively manage the surrounding ecosystem, which includes the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. |
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