BRUNSWICK, Ga. — Georgia’s senators are demanding answers after they said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) failed to perform dredging work at the Port of Brunswick.
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In a letter to Corps leadership, U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock expressed alarm over the Corps’ failure to dredge the Brunswick Harbor in a timely manner.
Action News Jax reached out to the USACE. A spokesperson said due to limited equipment, there is not a dredge available to deepen the Brunswick Harbor entrance channel this year.
The Port of Brunswick is a key driver of Georgia’s economy, supporting thousands of jobs, and leaders at the port said it is now the busiest port in the nation for cars. It handled more than 900,000 units of autos and heavy equipment last year.
RELATED: Brunswick now the top port in the nation for automobiles, heavy equipment
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Port leaders said while the dredging delays are a challenge now, it could be a much greater challenge in the future as they anticipate handling much larger ships.
“Our largest customers are investing in ships that will handle approximately 25-plus percent more vehicles or rolling units than the largest vessels that come to the port of Brunswick or any east coast port today,” said Jamie McCurry the Chief Administrative Officer for the Georgia Ports Authority. “When the steamship lines do introduce those vessels to east coast services which is probably a year or so away in other words there is time, but we don’t have the luxury of a lot of time.”
USACE said it continues to explore other options, but it appears the dredging scheduled for this year will be delayed until next year.
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