Congressman Gibbs Pushes for Timely Dredging at Cleveland Port Meeting
Washington D.C.—Congressman Gibbs released the following statement after meeting with the Port of Cleveland officials, Ohio EPA Director Craig Butler, and Major General Peabody of the United States Army Corps of Engineers:
Today’s meeting has been part of an ongoing effort by Congressman Gibbs to help facilitate the discussion on how and when the Cleveland Port will be dredged. Congressman Gibbs visited the Cleveland Port in August of 2014 to ensure proper procedures are executed.
“This morning, I met with the CEO of the Port of Cleveland, Will Friedman, Director of Ohio EPA (OEPA), Craig Butler, and Major General Peabody of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). We discussed the importance of finalizing the Port dredging procedures in a timely manner. We can all agree the Port must be dredged in the most cost effective way while also maintaining Lake Erie’s water quality,” said Gibbs. “We made progress on today's meeting, and developed concepts that will need further consideration. We have a commitment from the involved agencies to continue working towards a solution for the 2015 dredging season.”
“On behalf of the Port of Cleveland I want to sincerely thank Congressman Gibbs for his strong commitment to resolving this issue, which is so critical to jobs and the economy in the Cleveland area and all of Ohio,” said Friedman. “Our Port stands ready to manage the dredge material in a safe and cost-effective manner, and we look forward to reaching a fair and reasonable cost-sharing agreement with the Army Corps to finally eliminate uncertainty around dredging in Cleveland.”
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Below is a list of those who attended the meeting along with staff:
USACE Attendees:
MG Peabody, Deputy Commanding General, Civil and Emergency Operations
HQs USACE BG Kaiser, Commander, Great Lakes Ohio River Division
Mr. David Dale, Director of Programs, Great Lakes and Ohio River Division
Ms. Marie Strum, Detroit District, USACE
Mr. Ron Kozlowski, Buffalo District, USACE
Ms. Michelle Barczak, Buffalo District, USACE
USACE CPT Christian Johnson, aide to MG Peabody
CPT Malissa Gallini, aide to BG Kaiser
Ohio EPA Attendees:
Craig Butler, Director
Karl Gebhardt, Deputy Director,c Water Programs
Tracy Freeman, Legislative Liaison
Kurt Princic, Chief, OEPA Northeast District Office
Port of Cleveland Attendees:
Will Friedman, President and CEO, Port of Cleveland
Marc Krantz, Board Chair, Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority
James White, Director, Sustainable Infrastructure Programs, Port of Cleveland
Bill Hanka, Hanka Advisors
Rich Worthington, Steinberg & Associates
Sen. Portman Staff:
Caryn Candisky, District Director
Rep Gibbs Office Attendees:
Dallas Gerber, State Director
Corry Marshall, Chief of Staff
Meredith Gourash, Legislative Director