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Measure rescinding SC dredging permit advances
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COLUMBIA, S.C. — A measure suspending the authority of South Carolina's environmental agency to make dredging decisions is a step away from heading to the governor's desk.

The joint resolution is designed to help lawmakers' efforts to undo a water quality permit granted by the Department of Health and Environment Control, which allows Georgia to expand the Savannah port.

The House approved the measure unanimously last week. The Senate followed with unanimous votes Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Senate added a clause to the measure before giving final approval Wednesday, which sends it back to the House.

The addition clarifies that the suspension that's retroactive to 2007 applies only to the Savannah port issue.

Gov. Nikki Haley has drawn criticism for asking her board chairman to hear Georgia's appeal.

SC DNR issues gag order on case

 

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The woman who leads the state's wildlife and natural resources commission doesn't want an agency official to talk about South Carolina's decision to allow dredging at the port of Savannah.

The State newspaper reports (http://bit.ly/xqrkQk) Caroline Rhodes says she doesn't want the Department of Natural Resources dragged into a lawsuit on the dredging.

Mike McShane is DNR's representative on the Savannah River Maritime Commission. The commission and environmentalists have sued to stop the project.

Rhodes says McShane should not speak on behalf of DNR regarding the project.

The state Department of Health and Environmental Control approved the Savannah port dredging in November, upsetting environmental groups and those who support the state port in Charleston and one proposed in Jasper County.

Rhodes spoke to a Senate committee Wednesday.

 

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Record April boosts Savannah's container trade at port
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The Port of Savannah moved 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units in April, an increase of 7.1 percent. - photo by Provided

The Georgia Ports Authority's busiest April ever pushed its fiscal year-to-date totals to more than 3.4 million 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs), an increase of 8.8 percent, or 280,000 TEUs, compared to the first 10 months of fiscal 2017.

"We're on track to move more than 300,000 TEUs in every month of the fiscal year, which will be a first for the authority," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "We're also anticipating this to be the first fiscal year for the Port of Savannah to handle more than 4 million TEUs."

April volumes reached 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units, up 7.1 percent or 23,700 units. As the fastest growing containerport in the nation, the Port of Savannah has achieved a compound annual growth rate of more than 5 percent a year over the past decade.

"As reported in the recent economic impact study by UGA's Terry College of Business, trade through Georgia's deepwater ports translates into jobs, higher incomes and greater productivity," said GPA Board Chairman Jimmy Allgood. "In every region of Georgia, employers rely on the ports of Savannah and Brunswick to help them become more competitive on the global stage."

To strengthen the Port of Savannah's ability to support the state's future economic growth, the GPA Board approved $66 million in terminal upgrades, including $24 million for the purchase of 10 additional rubber-tired gantry cranes.  

"The authority is committed to building additional capacity ahead of demand to ensure the Port of Savannah remains a trusted link in the supply chain serving Georgia and the Southeast," Lynch said.

The crane purchase will bring the fleet at Garden City Terminal to 156 RTGs. The new cranes will support three new container rows, which the board approved in March. The additional container rows will increase annual capacity at the Port of Savannah by 150,000 TEUs.

The RTGs will work over stacks that are five containers high and six deep, with a truck lane running alongside the stacks. Capable of running on electricity, the cranes will have a lift capacity of 50 metric tons.

The cranes will arrive in two batches of five in the first and second quarters of calendar year 2019.

 Also at Monday's meeting, the GPA Board elected its officers, with Jimmy Allgood as chairman, Will McKnight taking the position of vice chairman and Joel Wooten elected as the next secretary/treasurer.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Senior Director of Corporate Communications Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855 or rmorris@gaports.com.

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