Army Corps may change plans to dredge Saginaw River to avoid tussle with DEQ
April 18, 08 by TheFleetIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
by Jeff Kart | Source: The Bay City Times
Millions of dollars and more than 100 jobs could be leaving the Saginaw River area, and silt that’s choking the river channel would remain for years to come.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is “seriously considering” shifting more than $2 million slated for navigational dredging of the Upper Saginaw River to other parts of the state and country, said Mike O’Bryan, chief of engineering and technical services for the Corps in Detroit.
That’s due to disagreements with state environmental regulators over a giant, $5 million clay pit built to hold river spoils on the Bay-Saginaw county line. The state Department of Environmental Quality says the site requires a slurry wall; the Army Corps says additional precautions aren’t necessary. Earlier this month, DEQ Director Steven Chester said the case could end up in court.
But Corps officials say they aren’t looking for a battle, and will instead consider sending the Saginaw River money elsewhere.
