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Letter to Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works - Portman, Brown, Joyce Push for a Solution to Allow Dredging of Northeast Ohio's Waterways to Begin Next Month

Letter

Date: April 15, 2014
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Infrastructure

The Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works
Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works)
108 Army Pentagon
Washington, DC 20310-0108

Dear Assistant Secretary Darcy;

On April 14, 2014, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) issued a 401 Water Quality Certification for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to dispose of dredged sediment from the Cuyahoga River and the Cleveland Harbor in the Confined Disposal Facilities (CDFs). We are concerned by previous statements made by the USACE Buffalo District that dredging would be deferred if OEPA denied the permits necessary for open lake disposal of the dredged sediment. Given its importance to the local economy, we request your assistance in reaching a solution that will allow dredging to begin next month.

Dredged sediment from the harbor and river has been placed in the CDFs for decades and the Cleveland Port Authority tells us that there is sufficient capacity in the CDFs for the disposal of at least two years' worth of dredged material. In addition, the FY 2014 Omnibus appropriations bill passed by Congress provided the USACE sufficient funding to dredge and dispose of the sediment in the CDF.

The maintenance of the Cuyahoga River, Cleveland Harbor, and Lake Erie is critical to Northeast Ohio's economic well-being as the region relies upon the movement of goods across the Great Lakes navigation system. All efforts must be made to ensure timely dredging of the river. Delays would needlessly harm the industries, businesses and thousands of Ohio jobs which rely on a navigable river.

Thank you for working collaboratively with us in the past to resolve other high priority water infrastructure issues for Ohio such as the Blanchard River Flood Mitigation Project. We are confident you will help us find a timely solution for sediment disposal in Cleveland that will be accepted by the community.

Thank you again for your attention to this important matter.


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