Port St. Joe to Begin Dredging
Signifying the “green light” for development of the port, a permit needed to begin dredging the Port of Port St. Joe’s federally-authorized shipping channel has been signed and certified.
The Port also received a permit by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to allow for spoil disposal as part of the planned dredging of the port’s navigational channel to the maximum authorized depth of 37 feet.
A week ago today Port Authority chairman Eugene Raffield signed the final federal permit needed to begin the dredging of the Port of Port St. Joe’s federally-authorized shipping channel.
Next up, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contracts out the dredge project, estimated to take six months from the first turn of shovel while on a parallel path the Port Authority undertakes engineering, design and contracting for construction of spoil disposal infrastructure.
The federal permit was the final regulatory permit required to dredge the channel to a depth of 34-36 feet. Project manager Bill Perry from engineers Hatch Mott MacDonald called the permit the “green light” for dredging.
Permitting for the actual dredge work has been issued to the Army Corps by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
On a parallel path the Port Authority undertakes engineering, design and contracting for construction of spoil disposal infrastructure.