On November 10, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control's (SCDHEC) Board of Directors unanimously approved a compromise with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Georgia Ports Authority for a permit to dredge the Savannah River.
In denying a permit to the project in September, the South Carolina agency expressed concerns about the potential environmental effects of deepening a 38-mile stretch of the Savannah River, which the two states share, from 42 feet to 48 feet.
The compromise approved Thursday came with several environmental mitigation commitments by Georgia, including maintenance of equipment the Corps will install to inject oxygen into the river and preservation of an additional 1,500 acres of wetlands.
Following the approval of the permit, conservation lawyers filed a legal challenge in early December with the South Carolina Administrative Law Court. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) alleges SCDHEC acted improperly in granting permits. They claim the agency's board changed course and approved the permits after SC Governor, Nikki Haley, met with GA Governor, Nathan Deal. The SELC feels that the project fails to meet the legal benchmarks that protect South Carolina's valuable environment from unnecessary destruction.
To read further into this ongoing dispute, click here and here.