Savannah port chief fears federal dredging funds are misappropriated
GEORGIA Ports Authority (GPA) says it is waiting for federal money to complete Savannah harbour dredging, fearing that funds earmarked for this have been redirected to help balance shaky federal finances.
The federal Harbour Maintenance Trust Fund raises US$1.5 billion a year through import taxes and is earmarked for this purpose, said GPA executive director Curtis Foltz, but only $600 million to $700 million is spent that way, reported American Shipper.
"They're taking half of that money and using it to help balance the general fund, and not to maintain harbours," he said.
"We don't have enough capacity long term," he said. "We've got to have a strategy at the national level that's committed to building the best infrastructure in the world if we want to truly compete on an international basis."
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal asked the state legislature in January to add $50 million in funding for the project, bringing the state's current contribution to $231 million of an anticipated $261 million.
Port authorities now await to see how much of the remaining $652 million will be approved by the federal government.
"We're eagerly anticipating and awaiting the release of the president's budget," said Mr Foltz at a 2013 Georgia Logistics Summit.
The report said that even without federal money that may be announced in April's budget, the project is still moving forwards. Property needed to expand the channel is being purchased, and engineers are finishing up their work. Mr Foltz expects the dredging contract to be issued in the second half of the year.
If all goes to plan, the deepening of the Savannah River will be completed during the second half of 2016, a year behind the opening of the widened Panama Canal.
GEORGIA Ports Authority (GPA) says it is waiting for federal money to complete Savannah harbour dredging, fearing that funds earmarked for this have been redirected to help balance shaky federal finances.
The federal Harbour Maintenance Trust Fund raises US$1.5 billion a year through import taxes and is earmarked for this purpose, said GPA executive director Curtis Foltz, but only $600 million to $700 million is spent that way, reported American Shipper.
"They're taking half of that money and using it to help balance the general fund, and not to maintain harbours," he said.
"We don't have enough capacity long term," he said. "We've got to have a strategy at the national level that's committed to building the best infrastructure in the world if we want to truly compete on an international basis."
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal asked the state legislature in January to add $50 million in funding for the project, bringing the state's current contribution to $231 million of an anticipated $261 million.
Port authorities now await to see how much of the remaining $652 million will be approved by the federal government.
"We're eagerly anticipating and awaiting the release of the president's budget," said Mr Foltz at a 2013 Georgia Logistics Summit.
The report said that even without federal money that may be announced in April's budget, the project is still moving forwards. Property needed to expand the channel is being purchased, and engineers are finishing up their work. Mr Foltz expects the dredging contract to be issued in the second half of the year.
If all goes to plan, the deepening of the Savannah River will be completed during the second half of 2016, a year behind the opening of the widened Panama Canal.