The final hurdle will be covering the $30.4 million price tag. State, local and federal officials, pier owners, fishermen and environmental and community groups all support the endeavor, and it has all the permitting it needs, said Bill Needelman, Portland’s waterfront coordinator. If funded this year, the dredging could be completed by 2027. The plan involves removing polluted sediment built up over generations to a sealed underwater well, called a “confined aquatic disposal cell,” sited near the U.S. “If this project is not completed, the berthing resources will continue to decrease in value and the potential for reinvestment in marine infrastructure and building improvements will continue to diminish,” said the city of Portland in a recent federal grant application. Without dredging, space for commercial and recreational vessels could shrink further, potentially threatening the future of Portland’s working waterfront altogether. Related Solution to dredging dilemma at Portland Harbor’s edges lies beneath

Connor dredge facebook