Grand Haven’s inner harbor is dredged every few years to keep heavy freight-carrying ships moving freely through the channel. This year’s spring dredging, however, was put on hold when the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy implemented a new policy requiring testing channel sediment for PFAS.
Friday, state and local leaders announced dredging would begin in selected parts of the harbor, avoiding contaminated areas.
According to Democratic U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten of Grand Rapids, over 100 cargo ships travel through Grand Haven Harbor each year, and a missed dredging cycle could increase shipping costs by 25 to 30% resulting in an estimated $3 to 5 million in additional costs. The harbor also supports 450 jobs and generates $88.8 million annually in regional economic impact.
Scholten and Republican State Representative Luke Meerman of Coopersville credit bipartisan cooperation for making the project possible.
Completion of the project is expected on November 8th.
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