Southport City to join regional outreach and send comments on Wilmington Harbor dredging draft EIS

The Southport City Board of Aldermen directed staff to continue engagement on the Wilmington Harbor '403' dredging project and to file official comments to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) ahead of the project’s Dec. 20 deadline.

City Manager Noah told the Board the city remained engaged following a special Dec. 2 meeting and that staff will “be continuing progress on that, sending in our official comments to DEQ on that project going forward.” The manager said staff and elected officials are coordinating with regional partners and that Bill Carey has been asked to help draft a joint letter for cities along the Lower Cape Fear to consider signing.

Aldermen described outreach to neighboring communities — including Wilmington, Bald Head and St. James — and reported positive responses. One Alderman said companion resolutions are being added to other towns’ agendas.

During discussion Alderman Spencer raised potential fiscal and infrastructure concerns tied to the project and cited high estimates of local impacts, saying “estimates as high as 40 to $60,000,000” (transcript phrasing). That claim was presented as a concern and was not substantiated in the meeting record; no supporting study or formal cost estimate was provided during the discussion.

The Board’s next steps, as outlined in the meeting, are for staff to prepare Southport City’s individual comments to the DEQ consistency review of the draft EIS and to pursue a coordinated regional submission to strengthen community concerns.

The meeting record shows continuing outreach and staff follow‑through rather than a final policy vote at this session.