PTL: Chambliss, Isakson Statement on the Passage of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act

From an press release sent as an email from U.S. Senators Chambliss and Isakson:

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., released the following statement after the Senate passed the Conference Report on H.R.3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act. The measure was approved by a vote of 91-7, and will now go to the president for his signature.

"With the passage of WRRDA, Congress has confirmed what we in Georgia already knew - the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project is crucial for our region and the nation as a whole. This economic engine will support hundreds of thousands of jobs each year while generating billions in revenue for the entire Southeast. It is because of this fact the project has had overwhelming, bipartisan support from local, state and federal officials. For a decade and a half, we have completed every task set before us to get this project done. We have now cleared the last congressional hurdle, paving the way for the administration to give a green light to the state of Georgia to begin construction on what will be the largest port on the east coast for the Post-Panamax ships.”

The Savannah Harbor Expansion Project was authorized in the Water Resources and Development Act of 1999 to deepen the Savannah River from its current 42-foot depth to as much as 47 feet. The project is being undertaken in anticipation of an expansion of the Panama Canal that will increase the maximum draft of vessels travelling to and from the East Coast from 39.5 feet to as much as 50 feet. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, it will bring more than $115 million in annual economic benefit to the United States, primarily through reducing costs associated with transportation.