Jacksonville, FL — Academics, environmentalists, business and government were all represented at a town hall meeting held March 9 at the University of North Florida. Each had the chance to present their view on the proposed dredging of Jacksonville’s port from 40 to 47 feet and to answer questions from the public.
The town hall hosted approximately 200 people and by the end of the evening, it was standing room only. Jacksonville mayoral candidate Bill Bishop was in attendance, as well as officials from Putnam County, environmentalists, and port dock workers still in their bright orange work vests.
JaxPort CEO Brian Taylor told the crowd the port is requesting the dredging in order to accommodate the new mega ships being built. He said JaxPort is the fourth fastest growing port in the United States and it provides good jobs. Truckers working at the port earn $3K more than the average Jacksonville income, and more jobs are expected.
The Army Corps of Engineers Eric Bush talked about Corps’ port analysis, saying the Corps found the economics justified and the environmental impact minimal. He said the model shows $2.70 return for every dollar spent.
But a few panelists disagreed. Dr. Quint White of Jacksonville University’s Marie Science Institute said the Corps’ model has been used over 200 times “with no verifiable result.” Lisa Rinaman, the St. Johns Riverkeeper, said she believes the Corps underestimated the impacts of increased salinity on the St. Johns River that dredging will cause.
University of North Florida sociology professor Dr.Jaffe, who hosted the event, also questioned the economics. “Never in the history of infrastructure projects have costs been overestimated,” he said. “Be skeptical.”
Despite the differences of opinion, the meeting ended on an up note. Dr. White thanked the crowd and said he was impressed with the public interest and turnout. “This is wonderful. Please stay engaged,” he said.
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