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Bay Savers asks Port St. Joe for $50,000 toward Corps study; commissioners condition support on county commitments and pollution scope
Summary
Bay Savers urged the Port St. Joe commission to consider a $50,000 contribution toward a $300,000 Army Corps survey to study freshwater intrusion and bay protection; commissioners praised the effort but said funding should be contingent on county commitments and broader pollution mitigation, including concerns about Eastern Shipbuilding.
Bay Savers will present to the Port St. Joe City Commission on April 21 seeking roughly $50,000 toward a Corps of Engineers surveying/study contract that would cost about $300,000 in total, a commissioner said at the April 7 meeting.
Bay Savers has already raised some funds and is asking affected local governments for matching commitments to pay for half the study. The study would evaluate freshwater intrusion and other conditions that affect the bay, the commissioner said.
Several commissioners signaled support for protecting the bay but warned they will not simply pay a modest portion without assurances the study addresses broader pollution sources identified by commissioners — specifically concerns raised about Eastern Shipbuilding, a floating dry dock concept and potential contaminants at the old mill site. One commissioner said he would not support funding until the county demonstrated it had committed its share.
“I’m all for protecting the bay… but I don’t want to just put a little band-aid on the bay,” a commissioner said, urging Bay Savers to include pollutant risks and industrial sources in its presentation.
Bay Savers president Keith Neil is scheduled to brief the commission on April 21 and the commission will consider any funding request after that presentation.
