Groups divided over Searsport dredging project
A proposed dredging project in Searsport, the second-largest port in Maine, could have a great economic benefit for a larger Maine region, but could also have an environmental toll.
Those are sentiments held by proponents and opponents of the $12 million dredging project, respectively, the Portland Press Herald reported, which would involve digging up more than 900,000 cubic yards of sediment in Searsport’s shipping channel to allow for larger vessels.
In the comprehensive newspaper report, dredging proponents said the project would benefit the regional economy because it would increase import and export opportunities, lower fuel costs and support growing markets for Maine businesses. The port also links to a rail line that would provide benefit to communities like Milo, Millinocket and Bangor.
John Henshaw, executive director of the Maine Port Authority, told the Press Herald the town will lose shipping businesses if the harbor isn’t dredged, noting that transporting goods by ship is considered the most environmental method of transport.
On the other hand, opponents said the dredging would uncover mercury pollution that had been deposited through the Penobscot River by the former HoltraChem chemical plant in Orrington and would threaten the area’s fishing, sailing and tourism industries.
“They are not going to be able to use the beautiful bay when there are big cargo ships coming in,” Sara Babbidge, a trustee of Islesboro Islands Trust, said to the newspaper. “They want to be able to use the bay for sailing activities. It is known as one of the most beautiful sailing areas in the world.”
Thirty state legislators in the midcoast area, along with 10 communities and lobster industry groups, are asking the Army Corps of Engineers, which is in charge of the dredging project, to conduct an Environmental Impact Study, which would assess the ecological impacts of the project and list any possible alternatives. The Army Corps of Engineers has yet to determine if such an investigation is warranted.
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