SC House discussing bill to undo dredging permit

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina House is discussing legislation that would supersede the state environmental agency’s authority on dredging decisions, in an effort to help undo a permit it awarded allowing Georgia to expand the Savannah port.

The measure would declare the state Department of Health and Environmental Control’s ability to make decisions on dredging suspended as of 2007. That’s when the Legislature created the Savannah River Maritime Commission and gave it authority to represent South Carolina on navigability issues in the river shared with Georgia.

But it wasn’t consulted before DHEC awarded the permit in November, two months after denying it due to environmental concerns. Gov. Nikki Haley has been under fire for asking her DHEC board to hear the appeal.

Legislators say it was a horrible economic and environmental decision.