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