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Port director outlines lengthy timeline for ore-basin dredging, cites contamination and disposal constraints
Summary
Port Director Jennings told the advisory board that sediment characterization, permitting and specialized disposal requirements make dredging the ore basin a multi-year, costly project; previous White Pass dredging disposed material off-site.
Port Director Jennings told the Porton Harbor Advisory Board on Feb. 11 that dredging the harbor’s ore basin is a large, multi-step undertaking because the site is known to contain contaminated sediment and will require sediment characterization, special handling and off-site disposal.
Jennings said the project will require a sediment characterization sampling plan (SAP), permitting and cost estimates for different removal and disposal options. “It’s a lengthy process for us,” Jennings said, adding the contaminated status of the basin “definitely extends this process quite a lot” and increases costs.
Nut graf — why it matters: The harbor’s bathymetry affects what vessels can use Skagway’s docks and whether new export or bulk-handling operations are feasible. Dredging will shape the port’s ability to accommodate industrial cargo and some future port master plan options.
Key details and past work: Jennings said White Pass previously performed a localized dredging that totaled about 3,300 cubic yards; that material was disposed at a southern facility after DEC filings. A White Pass permit was noted as covering up to 11,000 cubic yards. Jennings said dredging for the ore basin will likely differ from prior small-boat in-water disposal and will require facility-specific off-site disposal because of contamination.
Timing and funding: Port staff are waiting for cost estimates and said the board should expect phased work rather than dredging the whole basin at once to limit expense. The board discussed federal funding: BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) grant guidance remains pending at the state level and the PIDP (Port Infrastructure Development Program) notice of funding opportunity may be revised under the current federal administration. Jennings said PIDP applications currently show an April 30 submission date but staff anticipate possible extensions.
Questions from board members sought specifics about how soon sampling could begin. Jennings said staff are assembling scopes and cost analyses to support the SAP; permitting and sampling scheduling mean actual construction is likely months to years away. He emphasized the need to prioritize high-priority areas to avoid doing the whole basin at once.
What remains uncertain: Estimated total cubic yards requiring dredge, full cost estimates and a final disposal site were not specified at the meeting; Jennings said those numbers will follow the sediment characterization and cost-estimate phase and that the municipality is still determining feasible phasing.
