Ua ʻae ka US Army Corps of Engineers ʻaʻole ia e hoʻohana i nā hopper dredges ma Brunswick Harbour i ka wā puna a i ʻole nā mahina kauwela a hiki i ka hana ʻana i kahi loiloi kūlohelohe o nā hopena e hiki mai ana, One Hundred Miles (OHM) a me ka Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC).
Mai ka makahiki 2021, ua hakakā ʻo OHM lāua ʻo SELC i nā hana a ka Corps e wehe i nā palena lōʻihi e pāpā ana i ka mālama ʻana ma waena o ʻApelila 1 a me Dekemaba 14, e komo pū ana i ka wā puna a me ke kauwela no ka nui o nā honu kai, ʻoi aku ka nui o nā wahine nesting, ma ka moku o Georgia. nā kahawai.
I Dekemaba 2022, ua hoʻopiʻi ʻo OHM lāua ʻo SELC i kahi hoʻopiʻi ma ka ʻAha Apana ʻAmelika no ka Apana Hema o Georgia, me ka hoʻopaʻapaʻa ʻana ʻaʻole i hoʻokō ʻo Corps i kahi loiloi kūlohelohe kūpono o ka dredging a puni ka makahiki, e like me ke koi ʻia e ka National Environmental Policy Act.
Ma muli o ka hoʻopiʻi ʻana, ua hoʻolaha ka Corps ʻaʻole e neʻe i mua me ka hopper dredging a puni ka makahiki ma ke awa ʻo Brunswick i kēia manawa a e hana ʻo ia i kahi loiloi piha i nā hopena o ke kaiapuni i nā honu kai, nā lawaiʻa, a me nā holoholona hihiu ʻē aʻe.
Hoʻohana ʻo Hopper dredging i nā ʻume wai e omo ai i ka lepo mai lalo o ke awa, a ʻo ke ola kai - me nā honu wahine e noho nei i ka wā puna a me ke kau hoʻopulapula - e pepehi pinepine ʻia a ʻeha paha i ke kaʻina hana, wahi a OHM.
No ka pale ʻana i kēia mau hopena, ua kaupalena ka Corps i ka hopper dredging ma nā awa o Georgia i nā mahina hoʻoilo no nā makahiki he ʻekolu i hala iho nei - kahi hana hoʻopiʻi a OHM a me SELC i ʻimi e mālama.