Without dredging, Groton would lose ability to launch and build submarines

Attorney General William Tong yesterday applauded a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court refusing to hear an appeal in Rosado v. Pruitt, finally ending years of litigation over the lawful selection of the Eastern Long Island Sound Disposal Site for dredged materials.

Connecticut intervened in the case, defending the site selection made by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after exhaustive environmental review and public input.

A judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York first upheld the selection site in July 2020. New York subsequently appealed the decision.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit then affirmed the District Court decision in 2022. New York then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Long Island Sound dredging is crucial to Connecticut’s maritime economy, with major employers and stakeholders including Electric Boat, the Connecticut Port Authority, the Connecticut Harbor Management Association, the Cross Sound Ferry and others all weighing in in support of the dredged material site.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers had found that without dredging, the ability to launch and build submarines in Groton “would be eliminated.”

“Today’s decision ends years of litigation and delay over a matter vitally important to Connecticut’s maritime economy. Thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in revenue rely on the ability to dredge and safely deposit materials. The Eastern Long Island site was selected after exhaustive review and public input. It’s well past time to get this work underway,” said Attorney General Tong.