PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 21, 2020
The U.S. Department of Transportation has again turned down a request for money to help pay for dredging around piers and wharves in Portland Harbor. Dan Haley Jr., chair of the Board of (Portland) Harbor Commissioners, said the cost of dredging the harbor and disposing of the waste will run about $30 million. The state, cities of Portland and South Portland, and wharf owners would all contribute, but most of the money would come from the federal government. As much as 25 percent of the space around piers has been lost because of the silt buildup.