New South Atlantic port proposed

New South Atlantic port proposed Port directors along Florida's Atlantic Coast are fond of saying they don't compete against each other as much as the major ports up the coast such as Savannah and Charleston.
   There may be another new port to consider: the governors of Georgia and South Carolina said Monday they plan to start a new bi-state port on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River.
   The new port would be located in Jasper County, S.C., on land owned, developed and operated jointly by the two states. Both Georgia and South Carolina ports are controlled by state port authorities, unlike the locally controlled ports in Florida.
   The governors said the proposed new entity, which would require approval by both state legislatures and additional ratification by Congress, would function much like the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which has terminals in both New York City and in cities along the New Jersey side of the New York Harbor, including Newark and Elizabeth.
   'If South Carolina and Georgia are going to maintain our respective competitive advantages when it comes to being Southeastern shipping destinations, the time to act is now,' South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said.