U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., applauded the administration’s decision today to expedite federal review of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP). The target date for completing all federal permit and review decisions is now November 2012. 

Previous studies authorized by Congress concluded that deepening the Savannah Harbor to 47 feet will bring $174 million in annual net benefits to the United States. Savannah has the fastest-growing container port in the nation, but has the shallowest depth of its major worldwide trading partners. The proposed project will ensure Savannah is able to accommodate global shipping traffic once the expansion of the Panama Canal is complete in 2014. This would bring more jobs and businesses not just to Georgia, but to the entire Southeast.

“I am glad to see that the administration recognizes the importance of the Port of Savannah,”said Chambliss. “This project has been in the works for more than a decade. It is time that the planning phase come to an end, and we move to construction."

"This is a positive step by the administration in recognizing the importance of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project to our nation's economy. We must be prepared for the larger vessels of the future, and I hope we can build on this momentum and begin the actual harbor deepening in Savannah as soon as possible," Isakson said.