“I applaud the District Court’s decision today, thereby reaffirming the Army Corps’s authority to move forward on the much-needed deepening of the Delaware. It's a giant matter of jobs and the residents of the Delaware Valley region have already waited far too long for this project to proceed which is essential to Pennsylvania's economy and future shipping.

“It is my hope that Delaware chooses not to appeal this decision to the Third Circuit; the effort will simply waste taxpayer time and money as this case is clear on the merits.”

Senator Specter filed an amicus curiae brief in the case, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control v. United States Army Corps of Engineers, in which he argued that the public’s interest in realizing the economic benefits that Congress intended to confer on the Delaware Valley region when it authorized and funded the project weighs heavily against the issuance of an injunction.

Senator Specter has been actively engaged with the deepening of the Delaware River’s main shipping channel for nearly his entire tenure in the Senate, and since Fiscal Year 1999, Senator Specter has helped to secure over $75 million in federal funding for the project. Deepening the channel is essential for Delaware River ports to accommodate modern, larger vessels and remain competitive in the shipping industry. A 2004 economic analysis estimated $1.15 in economic benefits produced for every dollar spent on the project. The channel’s current depth of 40 feet has been stagnant since 1941.