SCHUMER ANNOUNCES HUGE VICTORY IN EFFORTS TO DREDGE PORT OF OSWEGO - LONG-AWAITED EQUIPMENT HAS ARRIVED, MUCH-NEEDED DREDGING BEGINS MONDAY
Dangerously Shallow Port Channels in Oswego Have Not Been Dredged Since 2004, and, Without Funding, Port May Have Been Forced to Wait Until 2009 For Maintenance
To Ensure Dredging Took Place in 2008, Schumer Identified $6.5 Million Pot for Backlogged Dredging Projects in the Great Lakes - Oswego Project Needed $650K
In January, Schumer Personally Urged Army Corp
After fighting for months for the resources, equipment and manpower to dredge the Port of Oswego, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the long-awaited dredging of the Port is expected to begin on Monday, September 8. The Port of Oswego is currently plagued by increasingly shallow and dangerous waterways, impeding navigation for cargo ships. The port channels in Oswego have not been dredged since 2004 and without much-needed funding, the Port could have been forced to wait until 2009 for maintenance.
To ensure dredging took place in 2008, Senator Schumer identified the existence of a $6.5 million pot of funding earmarked for Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to undertake backlogged dredging projects throughout the Great Lakes in January of 2008. With the Port of Oswego only needing an estimated $650,000 to complete the dredging, Schumer also personally called the Army Corps’ top commander, Lt. General Robert L. Van Antwerp, to urge him to quickly steer money from that allocation to the Port of Oswego.
“This is a giant-sized victory for the Port of Oswego and Central New York that will allow the Port to expand on its impressive growth,” Schumer said. “The dredging will make sure ships are no longer threatened by shallow and treacherous waterways and the port can continue to drive economic growth and job creation across Central New York. I am so glad that I could help by getting the Army Corps to make this a top priority and identifying the resources available so that dredging could start immediately.”
The barges will be anchored to the sea floor, where an “open clam shell” crane attachment will pull up silt. A total of 75,000-80,000 cubic yards of material will be dredged from the Port. The maintenance is expected to take about a month and the Port will remain open and fully operational during the process.
The absence of dredging in recent years has left the Port with increasingly shallow areas, especially around key access point for ships. Data collected by the ACOE in May of last year shows that the main access point to the port -- the already narrow "Lake Approach Channel" -- has shrunk to half its size because of silt accumulation. In addition, the water directly in front of the Port's East and West Docks has grown dramatically shallow. In an area where the recommended water level is 21 feet, the Army Corp's own survey from May 2007 found that several areas have depths between 16 and 17 feet.
This decrease in water level has meant that ships hulls must carry lighter loads to remain more buoyant. The Port of Oswego has noted several instances where companies had to add another ship because cargo had to spread out among several vessels.
While the port has recently undergone a remarkable revitalization, fueling economic growth across Central New York, it is now threatened by shallow waterways that constrict access for ships navigating the port. In 2007, over 150 ships utilized the Port, many enticed by its standing as the only deep water port on the U.S. shores of LakeOntario. The bulk commodities that pass through OswegoHarbor generate approximately $5.9 million annually in direct revenue and support over 78 jobs.
Over the past three years, the port’s popularity with the shipping industry has exploded due to its status as the only deep water port on the U.S. shores of LakeOntario. The Port has transformed into a critical asset for retaining existing businesses reliant on shipments and for attracting new growth opportunities to Central New York. Commodities shipped out of the port include soybeans, windmill components, cement, chemicals, ores and minerals (particularly road salt). Some of the major businesses taking advantage of the port throughout Central NY include NRG Energy, Sprague Energy, Cargill, LaFarge Cement and Essroc Cement.
Today, after months of fighting to commence dredging at the Port of Oswego in an effort to protect its economic vitality, Schumer announced that the maintenance will begin next Monday. Last week, barges were delivered to the Port. Those barges included two scow barges, which serve as receiving barges for material. Additionally, one deck barge was delivered, which will hold equipment necessary for dredging, such as cranes.
Over the past year, Schumer has worked to make sure the Port of Oswego would be dredged. In October 2007, Schumer revealed that the Port has gone without dredging since 2004, despite silt and sediment accumulation at nearly 5 times the recommended level. The Army Corp's maintenance dredging plans call for approximately 33,000 cubic yards (cy) of material be dredged from the Port area every 2-4 years.
The dredging is essential to ensuring that navigable channel depths are maintained so ships can smoothly sail through points of entrance and into the port. Today, the accumulation of silt has resulted in the depths of shipping berths and channels decreasing between 6 inches and several feet.
In January, Schumer revealed the existence of a $6.5 million pot for backlogged dredging projects that is to be split between the Army Corps' Buffalo, Detroit and Chicago regional offices. The funding is designated for dredging projects in the Great Lakes and Ohio River. Schumer personally called Lt. General Van Antwerp of the Army Corps and urged him to quickly transfer money from the $6.5 million pot to the Port of Oswego so dredging can promptly commence. General Antwerp said he would make the project a top-priority and would personally look into its funding.
