S.C., Ga. joint port project moves forward

S.C., Ga. joint port project moves forward    A plan by Georgia and South Carolina to build a new shipping terminal is taking another step forward this week.
   The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) board of directors Monday unanimously approved the acquisition of 1,518 acres of land for the development on the Savannah River. The South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA) board is set to consider a similar resolution at its regular meeting in Charleston Wednesday.
   The property is located on the north bank of the Savannah River in Jasper County, South Carolina and is owned by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), which had purchased it for dredge spoil disposal.
   The land will be purchased by the two port authorities for $5,000 per acre or a total of about $7.6 million. The land transfer could close by July 28.
   Under an agreement between the two states, a “Jasper Ocean Terminal Joint Project Office” will oversee feasibility studies, business planning, environmental assessments and the release of federal easements on the property that are expected to eventually result in a detailed proposal for consideration by both states.
   Eventually, the two states would create a new, bi-state port authority that finance and operate the port. This would need the approval of legislatures in both states as well as the U.S. Congress. The new agency would finance and operate the terminal.
   With many issues still ahead, including environmental studies and finding a new location for dredge material disposal, the terminal is likely not to open for at least a decade.
   The new terminal would be about 10 miles downstream from the Port of Savannah Garden City Terminal and on the opposite bank, of the river.