The South Carolina Ports Authority says it will outgrow its facilities in Charleston, Georgetown and Port Royal by 2007.  And projections say South Carolina can support between 5% and 10% annual growth in shipping capacity over the next 20 years.  In the past fiscal year, shipping volume grew 5% over the previous year. 

There is an immediate and obvious need to find a way to address this growth.  The ports are too valuable.  Their current economic impact on our state exceeds $10 billion in annual sales revenue and generates $314 million in state and local taxes.  The ports employ more than 83,000 people, and they earn a combined personal income of $2.6 billion annually. 

Despite the obvious benefits our ports bring to the State, those who live around the facilities have serious, legitimate concerns about proposed expansions.  Although the current proposal reduces the original plan by more 50%, there is still controversy regarding traffic, the environment, and the quality of life for local residents.  I think the time has come for South Carolinians to begin some creative thinking on the issue of port expansion.

I have an idea that would eliminate all of these concerns for Charlestonians.  In fact, my plan for port expansion would have minimal impact on existing ports.  What I propose is a new inland port, located about 50 miles west of Charleston near the intersection of I-95 and I-26. 

            There is a successful prototype in Virginia.  The Virginia Inland Port (VIP) is west of Washington, D.C. in Front Royal, Virginia more than 200 miles from the coast.  Rail service links VIP and existing marine ports.  And the facility is located within one mile of I-66 and five miles of I-81. 

            I propose two possible locations for an inland port in South Carolina.  Both sites are on the eastern side of Interstate 95 near its intersection with Interstate 26, and both sites are near four additional United States highways.

The first option is north of the I-95/I-26 interchange between mile marker 93 (US 15) and mile marker 97 (US 301) near Santee.  US15 is 2 miles away and US176 is 3 miles away.  A CSX railway line already exists in the area.   The second option is south of the I-95/I-26 intersection between mile marker 82 (US 178) and mile marker 86 (I-26).  There is currently a Norfolk Southern rail line to St. George only a few miles away, and US Highway 78 is only 5 miles away.

Either of these locations would be ideal for an inland port that could become a model for the nation.  It is the kind of thing I had in mind when I earmarked $9.5 million in TEA-21 to develop access roads at I-26/I-95.  The Highway Department will be holding a public meeting on July 19^th at Duncan Chapel Church to reveal their plans to accomplish this.

Access is the key.  Significant railway and surface access currently exist.  And the same access that makes the locations geographically ideal for an inland port also makes them ideal for reaching a wide-ranging, qualified workforce.  Such a facility would provide much needed jobs for this rural area of the state that has been neglected for too long. 

For most people the term port is synonymous with waterways.  However, in South Carolina we need to think outside the box and expand our definition of what a port could and should be.  By doing so, we can turn a contentious debate into a creative solution.

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