The Corps said the Final Environmental Impact Statement will be released in December, once lingering issues concerning the access road, state permits and concerns over the right whale are addressed. Construction of the facility, which includes 3,510 feet of berthing space, is expected to take five to six years. The first major project for site preparation and stabilization is expected to be advertised early next year. To prepare, next month the Board will consider engineering services to design this part of the project.
In other action, the South Carolina State Ports Authority Board awarded a contract for soils analysis work that will lead to a new terminal on the Savannah River in Jasper County. The contract includes both field work and engineering recommendations. Field work includes site evaluations, such as surveys and borings, while the engineering component will deal with how to cure the site and prepare it for construction.
The project site includes a 1,059-acre proposed terminal site, a 158-acre transportation corridor along existing containment dikes between Highway 17-A and the site, and a 646-acre potential borrow area. The area includes active dredge material disposal areas as well as tidal marshes and high ground. The areas to be developed must be stabilized, raised in elevation and prepared for construction of a wharf, container yard, buildings, utilities and roads.
S&ME of Charleston will be responsible for investigating the subsurface conditions, evaluating the results, and advising the Authority of the appropriate construction methods and procedures. Also included is the evaluation of the Jones Island area as a potential borrow source and future dredge disposal area. The work will be concluded over the next few months.
