Shipping Industry Pleased With Court Decision On Del. River Dredging
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- An area nonprofit trade association is pleased with Wednesday's decision of a US District Court judge in Delaware allowing the $300-million project to deepen the Delaware River shipping channel to proceed.
A motion by the State of Delaware and environmental groups was denied, clearing the way for the project to begin.
The deepening of the Delaware River, from 40 to 45 feet, is absolutely needed to keep business and to compete for it, according to Dennis Rochford, president of the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay.
"The fact that we will be in the process of deepening the channel to 45 feet will send a clear signal to carriers in the Far East as well as carriers that come from South America, Africa, and Europe that we are going to be in business and able to handle the large ships that are being built around the world."
Rochford says the deepening needs to be completed around the same time as the expansion of the Panama Canal, expected to be finished in 2014, to ensure that ports along the Delaware River maintain their competitive position with the other ports along the East Coast.
Reported by John McDevitt, KYW Newsradio 1060.
