Post and Courier – 12/14/09

Getting help

The Savannah River Maritime Commission, the group that represents South Carolina's port interests on the Savannah River, recently selected national consulting firm Malcolm Pirnie to help determine whether deepening the waterway would help or hurt the state's maritime business.

Lawmakers have expressed concern that the Georgia Ports Authority's Garden City Terminal, which competes for container business with the S.C. State Ports Authority, could become an even bigger player after dredging. That, they worry, could eliminate the need for the jointly owned Georgia-South Carolina terminal being proposed for Jasper County.

Malcolm Pirnie, which has an office in Charleston, would help the South Carolina group assess background materials and reports prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It also would advise the commission on both the environmental and economic impacts of dredging the river.

The selection now goes through the state procurement process.

Commission chairman Dean Moss said Malcolm Pirnie will receive no more than $190,000 for its work on the project.

"They were the one firm that clearly did not have any direct conflicts of interest," Moss said. "They have not worked for South Carolina, Georgia or the corps but have worked with other ports throughout the country."