Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured a total of $4,350,000 for four Maine dredging projects in the Fiscal Year 2023 Energy and Water appropriations bill.
The omnibus funding package passed the Senate by a vote of 68-29. It will now be passed by the House before heading to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
“These critical dredging projects for Maine harbors and rivers will help address significant navigational concerns for commercial fishermen and cargo vessels as well as recreational boaters,” said Senator Collins. “Performing this maintenance on Maine’s waterways is critical to increasing safety as well as boosting our economy.”
Details on the four Maine dredging projects Senator Collins secured are below:
Isle au Haut Thoroughfare, ME
Recipient: Army Corps
Project Location: Isle au Haut, ME
Amount: $150,000
Project Purpose: To fund the next phase of environmental review and design in support of maintenance dredging of a 60-year-old federal navigation channel.
Scarborough River, ME
Recipient: Army Corps
Project Location: Scarborough, ME
Amount: $2,700,000
Project Purpose: To dredge the Scarborough River to address significant shoaling that has impeded access to the commercial pier, moorings, and boat launches.
George's River, ME
Recipient: Army Corps
Project Location: Thomaston, ME
Amount: $500,000
Project Purpose: To perform sampling, testing, and environmental coordination in support of maintenance dredging of George's River, which was last dredged in 1977.
Wells Harbor, ME
Recipient: Army Corps
Project Location: Wells, ME
Amount: $1,000,000
Project Purpose: To fully fund maintenance dredging that was partially funded in Fiscal Year 2022 to address safety issues and restore full use of the harbor for commercial and charter Fishermen.
###