New York Senator Charles E. Schumer yesterday urged the Acting Secretary of Army Civil Works to approve an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release critical funds to dredge the Ogdensburg Harbor.
Last dredged in 1984, the Ogdensburg Harbor is still in desperate need of deepening, which will ease congestion, reduce shipping costs and unlock new business opportunities, the senator’s release stated.
The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority said that the Port’s Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) for deepening the harbor was sent to the Acting Secretary for Civil Works Doug Lamont and is now waiting for approval.
Schumer added that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed its feasibility study that was initiated in 2011 and the project’s next step will need final approval from the Acting Secretary, making this a critical point in the long-awaited project.
“We need to deepen Ogdensburg Harbor so the Port can continue to be a major hub of job creation and economic activity. It is critical that we keep this channel navigable to stimulate commercial activity and continued growth,” said Schumer.
“That is why I am strongly urging the Acting Secretary Doug Lamont to approve the Project Partnership Agreement, and start the implementation critical to deepening this harbor for the first time in more than three decades. Keeping this harbor navigable will not only clear the way for commerce, it will also clear the way for new local jobs and economic development.”
The Ogdensburg Harbor is located at the mouth of the Oswegatchie River and is the only U.S. port on the St. Lawrence Seaway and is the closest U.S. Seaway Port to Europe.
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