BIG HARBOR DEEPENING NEWS ABOUT TO BREAK …
By FITSNEWS || The S.C. State Ports Authority (SCSPA) will make a major announcement this week regarding its Charleston, S.C. harbor deepening project – news that’s expected to trump the signing of an agreement between the Port of Savannah and the federal government regarding Georgia’s port expansion plans.
You know … the Georgia plans enthusiastically championed by the governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley.
Anyway, Georgia’s project – a joint federal-state endeavor – will deepen the Savannah Harbor from 42 to 47 feet. By contrast, South Carolina’s plan will deepen the Charleston Harbor from 45 to 52 feet – or at least that’s what sources familiar with the proposal tell FITS they’re expecting.
Why does depth matter? Easy: Bigger, heavier ships need deeper harbors. In particular the 10,000 TEU (a.k.a. “twenty-foot equivalent unit”) ships making most of the calls on East Coast ports draft 48 feet when fully loaded – and need a ten percent under keel clearance.
“To work those ships (around the clock) you need a 52-foot harbor,” one source familiar with the Charleston plans told FITS.
Georgia’s project – which as FITS readers recall includes some questionable technology – doesn’t hit that mark.
“South Carolina has a deeper, wider, open harbor with a less expensive project that is environmentally responsible,” our source said. “Their project is old news – a last generation project.”
Both projects are expected to be completed by the end of the decade …
22 comments
Oh goody, our roads can be crushed into oblivion by trucks 24 hrs a day instead of just 12 hrs a day when the tide is high.
Why hasn’t FITS News commented about brave, brave Will Folks ratting out his bro Ravenell to the po po for threatening to kick his ass?
The ports has hundreds of millions (if not a billion or more) they hide in slush funds. They do not deposit a single time into any other account and they answer to know one. However, its a state agency. It needs to be brought down by the FBI. There are w-a-a-a-a-a-y bigger fish to be caught there than the in the General Assembly.
Stop by the American Party booth, Hampton building, SC State Fair and sign the much needed recall election petition!
Cite your authority under SC law for recalls, please.
I think he’s trying to get recall added
Thank you, sir.
Bills have been submitted at least two times in a house sub committee. But it died for lack of votes. Go figure why. But that was then. This is now. The people are connected via the internet. Before they were not. It will be rammed down the cronies throats in the House. And the Senate better pass it – and the Governor (whoever that might be next year) better sign the bill into law.
Good luck with that…
Yeah, you do realize we’re in South Carolina right? People connected to the internet are looking at porn, Facebook or their stock accounts depending on their particular fetish. They don’t give a crap about politics.
I thought there was an recall election on Nov. 4, 2014.
Does the (R) after a name stand for recall?
It’s a great day in South Carolina!
Its nothing more than PR to get Haley elected. They can announce all they want, funding it and permitting it are going to take years if at all.
Too bad you’re gullible enough to buy into the hype, but I guess I should not expect much from someone with a myriad of excuses regarding their pending vote for Haley.
I find it odd that Haley isn’t shouting this from the roof tops. You’ve got to admit, it’s a good “October Surprise”.
I thought the announcement was that the Feds figured out that the Ports Authority stashes millions in cash with law firms like Nexsen Pruet and Nelson Mullins so it can pay media bills, consulting firms and others without anyone being the wiser.
Millions as a slush fund is a wonderful thing.
SC State Ports operates too much in secrecy with no oversight by citizens. That is WRONG. They are 1000 times more full of more corruption than the SC General Assembly. Bid rigging is highly suspected to be quite normal in that agency.
I thought the news was that we had signed the ports over to Georgia.
The witch sold us out and idiots will still vote for her.
Gee, what a coincidence…less than a month before election day.
Sounds good till you realize I-26 to I-95 is a four lane crumbling mess. I-95 is just as bad. No rail lines suitable to move freight, a bridge not tall enough, soil turbidity, and a populace against a Carnival Cruise port all says to me, “yeah right”.
You ship it into Jacksonville instead – where they’re building a brand-new container transfer to rail facility – and ship it out. Trucking is too expensive.
Fits crying, losing HOAP