Judge tosses federal permit for $35 million cruise terminal

By BRUCE SMITH
Associated Press

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP/WCSC) - A judge has tossed out a federal permit for a proposed $35 million cruise terminal in Charleston, saying the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not adequately review the project impacts.

The decision Thursday by U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel is a victory for neighborhood and preservation groups opposed to Charleston's expanded cruise industry.

Those groups sued saying the Corps needed to do a more extensive review of impacts on the environment and the city's historic district. The Corps said that installing five clusters of pilings beneath a building already used for maritime purposes would have little impact.

But Gergel says the analysis was flawed by limiting it to installing piers. He says he's issuing an order sending the permit back to the Corps for a wider review.

According to a statement from Mayor Joseph P. Riley, it is just a matter of time before the permit is approved.

"We will await the judge's formal ruling and the Corps of Engineers response," said the mayor. "In any event, we are confident that the permit to drive five additional pilings will be approved as it is justified. If the further analysis is required, we are confident that the permit will be supported."

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