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Marinas and harbor managers seek state help as dredging costs rise
Summary
Marina operators, the Connecticut Marine Trades Association and harbor commissioners backed SB 1242 to expand and fund small-harbor dredging assistance, citing rising testing, permitting and disposal costs and long permitting timelines that threaten slips and local economies.
Marina operators and the Connecticut Marine Trades Association told the committee SB 1242 would create or fund an account to help small harbors and private marinas cover increased dredging costs driven by tighter disposal rules and permitting.
Witnesses described three federal disposal sites for dredge spoils and said objections, consistency reviews and testing requirements have constrained access to the nearest sites and increased the cost of disposal. David Boomer (speaking for the marine trades), marina managers and harbor commissioners said the result is heavier use of costly on‑land disposal or beneficial‑use projects and that some marinas may be forced to close without assistance.
Speakers also described permitting timelines that can span multiple years; one witness said his marina's permitting process had taken roughly four years, with another describing multi-year delays in samples, permitting and bond-commission approvals that can interfere with seasonal windows for dredging. The committee discussed prioritization criteria and the port authority's role administering funds and asked proponents to provide details on allocation, prioritization and program design.
The committee asked the Port Authority and proponents to provide implementation procedures, priority-setting criteria and estimates of incremental costs for review.
