If dredging a river creates jobs but messes with the environment, what would you do?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

November 2009:

Delaware River dredging causes environmental, economic worries

November 16, 2009

A decades-long dispute about whether to dig a deeper shipping channel in the Delaware River has centered on both environmental and economic concerns.

Proponents say jobs and the future of the region’s historic shipping industry are at stake, particularly at the large ports of Camden, Philadelphia and Wilmington, Del.

...

But opponents have long claimed the dredging "spoils," or muck, will revive and spread long-dormant toxins poured into the riverbed by centuries of pollution.

The toxins, they claim, may leach into the ground when dumped onshore. The dredging in general, they argue, will wreak havoc on the river’s ecosystem, destroy wildlife and create avenues for seawater to reach drinking water supplies.

Now:

Gov. Christie Says NJ Remains Opposed to Deepening Delaware River

March 01, 2010

As the US Army Corps of Engineers was beginning the project to deepen the shipping channel in the Delaware River on Monday, New Jersey governor Chris Christie was in South Jersey to say that his state stands firmly against it.

...

Christie says the project would be not create that many jobs and could be a disaster to the environment:

"The government's job is to make sure we balance these interests. From my perspective, when you look at this project, this is not even close."

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

As long as it's not migrating, sometimes the environmental clean-up solution is to leave the contaminate in place.

Dredging to create jobs sounds like a political decision.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

As long as it's not migrating, sometimes the environmental clean-up solution is to leave the contaminate in place.

Interesting, thanks.

Dredging to create jobs sounds like a political decision.

Supposedly Pennsylvania wanted to dredge while NJ and DE were against it.

Here is what supporters of the dredging are reportedly saying. Do you buy it?

Supporters of dredging the Delaware river's main shipping channel from 40 feet to 45 feet say the deepening is essential for the Delaware River port's ability to accommodate larger, more modern vessels and remain competitive with others along the Atlantic seaboard.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Dredge the river and send the toxic waste to Australia.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I think the EPA gets involved between states.

A balance has to be struck between economics and environmental impact. Which does more harm? I'm sure it could be dredged with little impact but that would be very expensive.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

November 2009:

Now:

A governor doesn't have a lot of say what the Army Corps of Engineers does, or doesn't do.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The plan to deepen the river to 45 feet dodged court challenges from both Delaware and New Jersey. But Pennsylvania officials have high hopes that the dredged-up muck can be used to fill-in abandoned mines in the Northeast part of the state.

...

Jeff Tittel leads the New Jersey Sierra Club. He's not convinced.

...

Tittel ... worries that the dredging operation will claw into the riverbed and contaminate ground water underneath. "By blasting the river bottom and deepening it. There are brackish waters that come up at certain times of the year that can actually get into the aquifer down there and contaminate the ground water. There's only about a 5 foot layer of clay between the aquifer and the river in some places where it's brackish."

http://whyy.org/cms/news/health-science/20...are-river/32142

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Create jobs now dredging. Dump the ####### wherethefuckever and create more jobs later cleaning the mess up. It's a win-win.

[scandal 951]

Here in Illinois we have Asian carp migrating their way up the Mississippi and headed for Lake Michigan and the rest of the Great Lakes via the canal system in the greater Chicago area. Already they've found DNA samples at the mouth of the Chicago river leading into Lake Michigan. They're using electric barriers and mass poisonings to try to stop them, but it's pretty likely that the carp will reach the Great Lakes unless the canal system is permanently closed. Other Great Lake states including Michigan, Wisconsin, New York etc. are suing in court to get an injunction to force Illinois to close the canals. However Illinois has local jobs at stake. There are barge operators, and other small businessmen who will be out of work if the canals are closed.

So it's a choice of a few local jobs versus the ecology of the Great Lakes, forever more. Pretty easy call. ** the lakes. ** Wisconsin, Michigan, PA, NY. They're all deadbeats anyway. Goooooo Illinois!

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Create jobs now dredging. Dump the ####### wherethefuckever and create more jobs later cleaning the mess up. It's a win-win.

Dredging is a continuing operation, since most of our waterways are controlled, and don't have that natural flushing that occurs during storms. The spoil is either pumped into settling ponds, and the material is salvaged for a variety of uses, or in the case of many harbors, it is taken out to sea and dumped, where the normal flushing would have taken it anyways.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Here in Illinois we have Asian carp migrating their way up the Mississippi and headed for Lake Michigan and the rest of the Great Lakes via the canal system in the greater Chicago area. Already they've found DNA samples at the mouth of the Chicago river leading into Lake Michigan. They're using electric barriers and mass poisonings to try to stop them, but it's pretty likely that the carp will reach the Great Lakes unless the canal system is permanently closed. Other Great Lake states including Michigan, Wisconsin, New York etc. are suing in court to get an injunction to force Illinois to close the canals. However Illinois has local jobs at stake. There are barge operators, and other small businessmen who will be out of work if the canals are closed.

So it's a choice of a few local jobs versus the ecology of the Great Lakes, forever more. Pretty easy call. ** the lakes. ** Wisconsin, Michigan, PA, NY. They're all deadbeats anyway. Goooooo Illinois!

:bonk: :bonk: :bonk:

[scandal 951]

:bonk: :bonk: :bonk:

If Massachusetts were involved in this lawsuit, I would SERIOUSLY be in favor of sticking it to them. Just for having the most ridiculously unspellable name of any of the 50 states.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

If Massachusetts were involved in this lawsuit, I would SERIOUSLY be in favor of sticking it to them. Just for having the most ridiculously unspellable name of any of the 50 states.

We already have carp. And the Big Dig. So there.

[scandal 951]

We already have carp. And the Big Dig. So there.

Yeah, you've got baked beans too. Big Deal.

[luckytxn 2,264]

When we dredged the Houston ship channel the last time (and it has to be done every so often) some environmentalists showed up and voiced concerns but they were just laughed at and ignored.