DeLauro Celebrates Impending Completion of New Haven Inner Harbor Maintenance Dredging
NEW HAVEN, CT—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) joined Judi Sheiffele, Executive Director of the New Haven Port Authority and Colonel Charles Samaris of the US Army Corps today to celebrate the impending completion of New Haven inner harbor maintenance dredging. The project, critical for local businesses, is due to be completed February 14. DeLauro played a crucial role in obtaining federal funding for the project.
“New Haven’s port is an integral component of our regional economy, and a key connection in our local business and transportation networks. Hurricanes Sandy and Irene both displaced huge amounts of sand and sediment and made this maintenance dredging an imperative. Had it not been performed, we would have seen a negative impact on jobs and economic activity in this area. But because we took action, the big ships can keep moving through New Haven without interruption and everyone at the port—and who relies on it—can stay hard at work.”
In 2012, DeLauro wrote to the then-head of President Obama’s budget office, urging him to include $10 million for dredging in the President’s 2014 budget request. The vast majority of that, $8.6 million, was subsequently included in that document. The 2011 and 2012 hurricane seasons significantly degraded the shipping channels; consequently, they needed 800,000 cubic yards of sediment dredged to restore the shipping channels to their federally authorized depth (35 feet) and width (400-800 feet). Without that dredging, terminal operators might have had to severely limit the flow of cargo.
The Port of New Haven is the busiest port between New York and Boston, and the largest deep water port in Connecticut. It is the 51st largest port in the country and ranks fifth for moving domestic refined petroleum products, which include gasoline, diesel fuel and heating oil. The Port of New Haven also supplies Bradley International Airport with jet fuel via pipeline. It was last dredged 10 years ago.