Board to assess dredging impact

The group that represents South Carolina's port interests on the Savannah River faces the tough task of determining whether deepening the waterway would help or hurt the state's maritime business.

On Tuesday it moved one step closer to figuring it all out.

Dean Moss, chairman of the Savannah River Maritime Commission, said he had prepared a draft of a request for proposals aimed at firms with expertise in dredging matters. The consultant would help the South Carolina group assess background materials and reports prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Moss did not make the draft public at the commission meeting, which was held on James Island.

The consulting firm would advise the commission on both the environmental and economic impacts of dredging the river.

"We need to determine whether progress being made by the corps and by Georgia works for us or against us," Moss said.

Lawmakers have expressed concern that the Georgia Ports Authority's Garden City Terminal, which competes for container business with the S.C. State Ports Authority, could become an even bigger player after dredging. That, they worry, could eliminate the need for the jointly owned Georgia-South Carolina terminal being proposed for Jasper County.

"We're not engaging an advocate," Moss said. "We're engaging a technical expert."

The Savannah River commission, established by the state General Assembly in 2007, plans to have a short list of firms by its next meeting. Moss said the contract would likely exceed $100,000 and would be paid for out of state funds.

The Jasper Ocean Terminal Joint Project Office, which is charged with overseeing development of the bistate container terminal, has developed a compact between Georgia and South Carolina, Moss said. He said that document could be presented to lawmakers in both states at the start of their next legislative sessions.

Reach Allyson Bird at 937-5594 or abird@postandcourier.com.