Ashtabula Star Beacon – Nearly $2 million allocated in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 2011 budget will be used to dredge Ashtabula Harbor, according to U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Dredging will remove the mud and debris that fills up the bottom and sides of the Ashtabula River, which flows into Lake Erie. This should be done about every two years, according to the Ashtabula City Port Authority.

Without dredging, ships cannot access waterfront businesses.

“Ashtabula Harbor is a vital part of the commercial, historic and recreational life of northeast Ohio,” Brown said. “The Army Corps of Engineers’ annual dredging can help keep the harbor healthy and clean for generations to come.”

The Army Corps removed 635,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the Ashtabula River between 2006 and 2008, transporting it to a nearby landfill. Hazardous substances included polychlorinated biphenyls, chlorinated benzenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, other organic chemicals, heavy metals and low-level radionuclides, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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