Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, 55th chief of engineers and commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, signed the Chief’s Report for the Oakland Harbor Turning Basins Widening Study on May 31, 2024, during a ceremony at USACE Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The milestone represents a culmination of four years of study between the USACE San Francisco District and the Port of Oakland, the non-federal project sponsor. More importantly, the signing of the report advances the project to Congress for authorization.
Several members of the San Francisco District project team were on hand to witness the historic signing in person, among them Tommy Williams, the district’s deputy for project management (DPM), Dr. Tessa Beach, deputy DPM and planning chief, Erika Powell, project manager for the study, and Barney Wair, the study’s engineering technical lead.
“This moment is the culmination of years of hard work by our team at the Corps along with countless members of the Port of Oakland and extremely strong community engagement,” said Williams. “Today also marks the beginning of a tremendous amount of work moving forward to safely construct this project which develops a cleaner and more sustainable environment.”
The recommended plan would increase the size of the inner and outer harbor turning basins to allow post Panamax ships to operate in the harbor more efficiently and safely, providing economic benefits to the nation by allowing more efficient use of containerships. The plan also calls for the use of electric dredges during construction to limit air quality impacts and the use of all suitable material for wetland restoration.
“Investing in the Port’s turning basins is essential for ensuring a cleaner future and moving goods through the Port safety and efficiently, said Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes in an Oct. 23, 2023, press release.
Should Congress accept the recommendation and include the project in the next Water Resources Development Act, separate appropriations legislation would need to be passed to fund construction.
The signed report can be found on the San Francisco District website at: https://www.spn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects-and-Programs/Current-Projects/Oakland-Harbor-Turning-Basins-Widening/