Army Corps withdraws Penobscot Bay dredging application – plan to dispose of contaminated spoils drew local ire

SearsportDredging091The Army Corps of Engineers withdrew on Tuesday its state permitting application for a Penobscot Bay dredging project opposed by lobstermen, tourism business owners and environmentalists. The project aims to improve and upgrade Searsport, Maine’s second-busiest port, by expanding its turning basin and deepening the approach channel from 35 to 40 feet. But the Corps’ plan for disposing of the nearly 1 million cubic yards of dredged material raised alarm bells up and down Penobscot Bay over concerns it would trigger widespread mercury contamination. Read the rest here 10:38

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.