Since the state of Delaware took over the Port of Wilmington a few years ago, the governor and legislature have been generously investing in it. As a result, it is thriving. Rather than put money into the boondoggle of deepening the river, they should put it into the better bet of further upgrading the Port of Wilmington. No one has defined what additional ships or additional cargo would come up the Delaware if it had a 45-foot channel. The data provided to justify that claim are far from convincing.
Fishermen don t agree.
Neither do the scientists and engineers from environmental groups in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, who are concerned about saving their coastal areas. Consider that for decades industries along the Delaware and its tributaries dumped hazardous materials such as heavy metals and chlorinated hydrocarbons into this waterway. The frightening thing is that the Delaware River Port Authority s prime objective appears to be to collect the dredging spoils along southern New Jersey s shore and market the spoils as fill. One spokesman talks about selling the spoils to replenish beach sand. I can see Philadelphia developers salivating over the prospects of using the spoils to fill in southern New Jersey s inadequately protected wetlands.