COLLINS CALLS ON ARMY CORPS TO ADDRESS DANGEROUS CONDITIONS AT ENTRANCE TO KENNEBUNK RIVER

Washington, D.C. - In response to a request by Senator Susan Collins, the Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to direct funding towards an emergency dredging project at the mouth of the Kennebunk River. Senator Collins had asked the Army Corps of Engineers to act quickly to help alleviate the dangerous shoaling conditions in the entrance channel of the Kennebunk River at Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. Sand deposits accumulating between the two jetties at the mouth of the river now pose a serious grounding danger to boats. In the last two weeks, a number of boats, including a tour boat carrying passengers, have hit bottom.

"Unless addressed immediately, this situation could well lead to tragic consequences," wrote Senator Collins in a letter to the head of the Army Corps of Engineers. "I am extremely concerned for the safety of the operators and passengers of boats using this passage. The jetty channel has become too narrow to safely allow the passage of two large vessels at the same time, and it is only a matter of time, given the volume of large vessel traffic, before a vessel is either lost or severely damaged.

"In addition, I am concerned that a large vessel could hit the shoals and block the harbor entrance. The possible environmental damage to the river, the nearby beaches, and the Maine coast would be considerable."

The Army Corps of Engineers had already recognized that the mouth of the Kennebunk River has become a hazardous situation at low tide as a result of the rapidly deteriorating conditions. A full dredging project was scheduled to begin as early as November 15th. But Senator Collins asked that the work be done immediately, possibly using the Army Corps' dredging vessel, the Currituck, which is currently working on a similar emergency dredging problem less than five miles away at Wells Harbor. The Army Corps of Engineers today assured Senator Collins that it will do everything possible to make this happen. New plans are now under way to bring the Currituck to the Kennebunk River as early as the beginning of July, although the plans are contingent on the approval of revised permits to accelerate the project.

"The Kennebunk River is home to a large fishing fleet, numerous tour boats, and many recreational mariners. It is also a popular harbor for visiting boaters from throughout the world," wrote Senator Collins. "It is vital that the dredging is done in time for the peak of the fishing and tourist season. A further delay would be a heavy blow to the residents and the local economy."

Senator Collins points out that numerous tour boats are already reducing their scheduled and advertised trips because of the danger posed to their passengers and the vessels. Some tour operators have cancelled up to two scheduled trips a day. One of the operators reported that a cancelled two-hour trip can cost him up to $5,500. Many of these tour operators, as well as the owners of fishing and recreational vessels, face repair costs averaging $3,000-5,000 to their boats per grounding due to these harbor conditions.

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