Lt. Governor John Cherry steps into Saginaw River dredging debate
April 28, 08 by TheFleetIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
by Jeff Kart | The Bay City Times
Michigan Lt. Gov. John Cherry has intervened in an Upper Saginaw River dredging project that could be delayed because of disagreements between state and federal regulators.
State and federal officials say Cherry’s involvement may help settle differences between the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
But at least one environmental group, the Lone Tree Council, fears a closed-door deal is in the works.
… Another meeting between Cherry and officials from the DEQ, Corps and Saginaw County is planned for early next week in Lansing, said Mike O’Bryan, chief of engineering and technical services for the Corps in Detroit.
O’Bryan said there’s still time for the Corps and DEQ to come to an agreement. Dredging can’t begin until after May 15, when the eagle mating season ends. The Corps also doesn’t plan to award a dredging contract until July.
Additional monitoring wells are being installed at the Upper Saginaw River dredging site, and Bourdow Trucking of Saginaw has been chosen as the low bidder to shore up a dike on site for $58,000. After that, the site will be ready to go, said Jim Koski, Saginaw County public works commissioner.
