Following a federal court ruling earlier this month, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown joined business and environmental leaders in Cleveland on Thursday to call for a long-term solution for maintaining navigation of the Cuyahoga River’s shipping channel while continuing to protect the Great Lakes.
“ Lake Erie and this river are in the midst of a remarkable recovery, and we must ensure that it continues ,” Brown said. “ That’s why it’s so important – for both Ohio businesses and the health of the lake – that the Army Corps finalizes plans to fully dredge the Cleveland Harbor and Cuyahoga River, and to do it in a way that protects the river and the lake. ”
Standing on the banks of the river at ArcelorMittal Cleveland – which relies on the river to receive the iron ore it needs to produce and ship steel – Brown joined Eric Hauge, ArcelorMittal Cleveland’s general manager; Chris Ronayne, chair of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority Board; and Jane Goodman, executive director of Cuyahoga River Restoration. The group urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to finalize a sediment management plan that is good for northeast Ohio businesses and the health of Lake Erie.
“ The Cuyahoga River is the lifeline to ArcelorMittal Cleveland, which receives approximately four million tons of raw materials each year via the shipping channel. Shipments can only be received – and therefore, steel can only be produced – if the full channel is dredged twice a year, ” Hauge said. “ We are very pleased the 2015 spring dredging has begun and work will be completed soon, but we also need to establish a permanent solution for next year and beyond. ”
Earlier this month, a federal court judge ordered the USACE to fully dredge the Cleveland Harbor and Cuyahoga River.
According to the State of Ohio, more than $10 billion of the state’s nearly $40 billion tourism industry is derived from counties along the Lake Erie shoreline. Further, the Great Lakes play a vital role in transporting food, materials, and other components necessary to support Ohio jobs. But in order for this to continue, the Great Lakes’ harbors and channels must be dredged; their breakwaters maintained; and their locks must operate effectively.