Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and U.S. Rep. Henry Brown (R-Hanahan) today announced they have obtained approval for $250,000 in federal funding to complete the dredging of the Steel Mill Channel in Georgetown. The work is expected to proceed within the next month in conjunction with other dredging activities currently ongoing in Georgetown Harbor. The channel is currently not navigable to ships carrying cargo. Dredging will make the former mill location more attractive to future buyers who would operate the mill. “These funds will allow the dredging of the harbor to go forward,” said Graham. “There’s a lot of good reasons to dredge the harbor, one of the most pressing is to make it more attractive for a new employer to locate at Georgetown Steel. Delaying the dredging operations will result in increased costs and we could possibly lose a window of opportunity to secure a new employer. There’s no doubt the area has been hard hit and is in need of new jobs.” “I want to personally thank my colleagues, Sen. Fritz Hollings and Congressman Henry Brown, for all the work they put toward this effort,” said Graham. “It would not have been possible without a team effort.” Rep. Brown said, “I am very pleased that the Army Corps of Engineers has been so cooperative and will finish dredging to the pier area near Georgetown Steel. This is so important to the economic and commercial viability of this region. With the channel reopened to water traffic in the next few weeks, this project should provide the necessary incentive for a buyer to acquire the Georgetown Steel property and get it fully operating again. As a result, we can look forward to the return of job stability and economic growth for the Georgetown area.” #####