The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Mobile District is correcting what it said are recent misleading claims about Mobile Harbor dredging and the district’s decision not to hold a formal public hearing.
The USACE said the Mobile Harbor deepening and widening project is complete. The Corps is now in the yearly operations and maintenance phase, which means the district must keep the federal shipping channel at its authorised depth so ships can move safely and the Port of Alabama can continue to support trade and national security.
"Recent claims suggest the corps refused to hear from the public," the USACE Mobile District said in a statement on Tuesday, August 11. "That is simply not true."
"The corps reviewed the public hearing requests, written comments, and the existing record. After that review, the district determined the requests did not raise new facts, new information, or unresolved issues that required a formal public hearing. The district made that decision in writing under 33 C.F.R. § 327.4."
"Public input matters, but repeating the same claim does not make it new information," said Colonel Kelcey R. Shaw, Mobile District commander. "The corps reviewed the record, followed the law, and made the decision based on facts."
The USACE said that a formal public hearing is not the only way the public can be heard, and that it also offered to meet with local non-profit Mobile Baykeeper through the planning and environmental division staff.
"Another claim is that Mobile Baykeeper submitted a new technical report and the corps ignored it," the district added. "That also leaves out key facts.
"The technical paper was not new to the district. It was provided to the corps in October 2025. The district reviewed it then, reviewed it again when it was resubmitted, and discussed the same issues with Mobile Baykeeper in previous meetings.
"The district’s decision was not based on how many pages were submitted. It was based on whether the requests raised new facts or unresolved issues that required a formal public hearing."
The USACE has also rejected the claim that dredged material management is a simple choice between "mud dumping" and "proper disposal."
"That is not how this works," the Mobile District said. "Dredging is needed to keep the federal shipping channel safe and open. Where dredged material goes depends on many factors, including the type of sediment, water conditions, permits, available sites, environmental requirements, cost, and whether a site has enough capacity."
“This is not a choice between the port and the bay,” Shaw said. “Our job is to keep the federal channel safe while making science-based decisions that protect Mobile Bay."
Thin-layer placement is not currently proposed for the present maintenance dredging cycle. However, the corps is not removing any legally available and environmentally reviewed option from future use.
In Mobile Harbor, thin-layer placement has been evaluated and identified as beneficial use of dredged material.
"It is not the opposite of beneficial use," the district said. "It is one of the tools used to manage suitable sediment in a controlled way. Thin-layer placement was not created by the corps alone. It was developed through a multi-agency working group that included federal and state agencies, scientists, and environmental stakeholders, including Mobile Baykeeper. That process identified thin-layer placement as an acceptable beneficial use practice for Mobile Bay."
"Sediment is not automatically waste,” Shaw said. “In the right place, with the right material and proper controls, sediment can be a resource. It can help support wetlands, shorelines, habitat, and the long-term health of the bay."
The district said it understands concerns about water quality, oysters, seagrass, fisheries, and coastal communities. Those concerns are why dredged material decisions are based on science, permits, environmental review, agency coordination, and site-specific conditions.
"The corps remains committed to increasing beneficial use where it is practical, permitted, funded, and environmentally sound," the district said. "Beneficial use may include marsh creation, shoreline protection, habitat restoration, upland placement, confined placement, and thin-layer placement when appropriate."
