Unions call for action on river dredging
Friday, November 20th, 2009
By: Tom MacDonald
tmacdonald@whyy.org
Both sides in the controversial deepening of the Delaware River are continuing their battle on the issue. Environmentalists filed more legal challenges in the federal courts in both New Jersey and Delaware while supporters held a rally on Thursday in Philadelphia.
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Hundreds of union workers rallied in the shadow of Pier 98, which is nothing more than a run down remnant of what was the past of the shipping business in Philadelphia. State Representative Bill Keller is a dredging supporter. He says environmentalists who are against the deepening of the river channel need to know research shows the work won't cause any problems.
Keller: There's 12,000 pieces of paper that say this dredge is safe, it's good for the economics it create jobs and has zero environmental impact. There's 12,000 pieces of paper that say that. Science says that. What do they say they want one more piece of paper, it's all bull *bleep*.
Union officials say the dredging could provide thousands of jobs and revitalize the port and the region's economy.