Boat sinks as dredging project on hold
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla.— A new $1 million boat sank in St. Augustine Inlet while a dredging project waits in limbo.
The boat sunk in an area scheduled for dredging when the captain didn’t see a temporary buoy, according to an article in the St. Augustine Record. Last year, two private boats also ran aground in the inlet.
The area is a part of a $6 million dredging project, which will move sand from the inlet to St. Augustine Beach. The project was slated to start last fall, pending approval from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
In April, the South Ponte Vedra-Vilano Beach Restoration Association asked DEP for a 30-day period to file a petition challenging the permit., citing potential erosion on private property.
According to the article, the Corps of Engineers spent $1 million on scientific studies disproving that notion.
A delay could push the channel dredging into 2012.
For more information, read: $1M boat sinks at inlet
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