Congress is considering spending up to 2-million dollars for a long-term study of widening and deepening the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Opponents say an expansion of the Seaway will only mean more environmental trouble for the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson reports:
Transcript
Congress is considering spending up to 2-million dollars for a long-term study of widening and
deepening the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Opponents say an expansion of the Seaway will only
mean more environmental trouble for the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Mike Simonson reports:
The bone of contention is a multi-year study that looks at allowing larger ocean-going ships to get
through the Seaway. The Seaway links the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. The National
Wildlife Federation’s Rick Spencer in Washington says that would rip up the Saint Lawrence
River and stir up pollution from Montreal to Milwaukee.
“Dredging hundreds of millions of cubic yard. Blasting islands. You are destroying fish habitat,
you’re going to be releasing toxic sediments. You’re going to increase the risk of new invasive
species.”
Right now channels are 25 feet deep. The study will look at digging 10 feet deeper, allowing
ships to take on more cargo at less cost. Duluth Port Director Davis Helberg says the protests are
exaggerated.
“We’re talking about a study. We’re talking about an analysis that will focus on engineering,
economics, and on the environmental aspects of keeping the Seaway competitive in the long
term.”
The proposal is in the House and Senate conference committee and will be decided later this
month.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Mike Simonson.