A key House committee unveiled legislation that would clear the way for the long-stalled Savannah Harbor Expansion Project.
The Water Resources Reform and Development Act, released today by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, authorizes the final steps necessary to deepen the harbor to accommodate larger ships that will soon transit the Panama Canal.
“For too long SHEP has been tied up in bureaucratic red tape, ” said Congressman Jack Kingston (R-GA), the project’s leading champion in Congress. “ After 14 years and the most extensive study of the Savannah River estuary in history, we know we can complete this project in an environmentally-sound manner. Moreover, every dollar the federal government invests yields $5.50 in economic benefit. ”
“ This has been a long, bipartisan fight and one that has really been a team effort, ” he continued. “ I appreciate Chairman Bill Shuster and Ranking Member Nick Rahall for their commitment to this project and being a key part of our team .”
The Port of Savannah is the fastest growing port in the country and the second largest on the East Coast. It must be deepened to accommodate larger ships that will soon begin to transit the Panama Canal.
Kingston authored legislative language that first authorized the expansion project in 1999. He has continued to be a fierce advocate for the project ever since.
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Press Release, September 26, 2013