As New York Challenges Critical Eastern LIS Dredging Site, Courtney Leads Connecticut Coalition Preparing To Fight Back

Press Release

Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) was joined by a broad range of stakeholders from Connecticut's maritime economy for a press conference to respond to New York State's legal challenge of the final EPA dredging rule for the eastern Long Island Sound approved late last year. During the press conference at New London's Union Station, Courtney shared that he was working closely with a coalition of regional organizations, the Connecticut Port Authority, Electric Boat and maritime organization to intervene in the lawsuit by filing an amicus brief in the federal court case defending both Connecticut's maritime interests and the EPA's plan. Courtney was joined by Michael Passero, Mayor of New London, and Chair, of the Southeastern CT Council of Governments; Robert Kaliszewski, Deputy Commissioner of Environmental Quality, CT DEEP; and Evan Matthews, Executive Director, Connecticut Port Authority. Representatives from other regional councils of government, Electric Boat, and the marine trades were also on hand in support of the effort.

"It would be difficult to overstate how important dredging and dredging disposal is to the maritime economy of southeastern Connecticut," said Courtney. "Without the regular dredging of ports and waterways, a vast array of economic activities in our region ranging from recreational boating to commercial maritime transportation, shipbuilding, the Coast Guard Academy, and the submarine base would simply cease. The fact that there are four councils of governments, representing over 70 Connecticut towns, demonstrates the overwhelming support and need for this dredging designation. When the EPA published the rule establishing the ELDS last year, it represented the final step in a long process to create environmentally responsible sites across the entire length of Long Island Sound. The final designation followed years of intense environmental reviews, robust public engagement, and consideration of all views on the future of dredging in our region. New York's lawsuit is an effort to overturn that deliberative process. If successful, this effort would disproportionately harm Connecticut's eastern shoreline and economy. This is too important of an issue to remain on the sidelines and our state needs to speak out strongly. I am proud of the strong support demonstrated today for the reasonable plan outlined by the EPA last year."

The state of New York is suing to have EPA's final designation establishing the ELDS overturned in a federal district court in New York. The EPA made its final designation in 2017 following years of intense environmental reviews, robust public engagement, and diligent consideration of all views about the future of dredging in the region. The final rule for ELDS was published in the Federal Register last December.

Without access to the ELDS, it is expected that transporting dredged materials to other sites will increase carbon emissions from ships and risk spills of dredged material as the transport distance is extended. In addition to the critical goal of protecting Long Island Sound and its resources, access to ELDS is vital to the local economy and that of the entire Long Island Sound region.

According to the Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP), economic activities that utilize Long Island Sound waterways contribute more than $9 billion annually in economic output. Additionally, these economic activities support more than 55,000 jobs in the Long Island Sound region. As important, our region is host to a range of federal and military facilities dependent on the viability of accessible and cost-effective placement options. These include facilities like Naval Submarine Base New London and premier submarine builder Electric Boat, with facilities in both Connecticut and Rhode Island.

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