The Edgemoor Container Terminal project remains a contentious subject between state legislators and Gov. Matt Meyer’s administration following the first Port of Wilmington Expansion Task Force meeting.
The task force was revived just two weeks ago by the General Assembly. While its previous iteration was established in 2015 to explore the feasibility of increasing the Port's capacity for expansion, the new version of the body is tasked with "monitoring the ongoing efforts of the Diamond State Port Corporation Board and Enstructure to meet the goal of beginning construction of the new port terminal as soon as possible."
The Diamond State Port Corporation Board (DSPC), which oversees the Port of Wilmington and the proposed expansion project, has been its own point of controversy between Gov. Meyer and State Senate leadership since his inauguration day in January.
Back-and-forth between Senate leadership and Gov. Meyer ensued for months over the ability to withdraw nominations made by former Gov. Bethany Hall-Long to the DSPC during her two-week tenure as Delaware's chief executive.
Ultimately, an opinion issued by the Delaware Supreme Court allowed Meyer to withdraw those names, but the board's makeup is far from resolved.
While the State Senate approved three of Meyer's nomination — including former New Castle County Board of Adjustment Chair and corporate counsel to the DuPont Company David Burt, Business Agent for the International Longshoreman’s Association Local 1883 Ronald "Kimoko" Harris and former Delaware Board of Pilot Commissioners Chair Robert "Jerry" Medd — the Senate Executive Committee preemptively rejected Meyer's two other nominations: former Port of Wilmington and DSPC Executive Director Gene Bailey and former Delaware Department of Transportation Secretary Jen Cohan.
In an interview with Gov. Meyer and Delaware Public Media conducted prior to the task force's meeting on Wednesday, the governor noted Bailey and Cohan were both Republicans, and Delaware Code requires a certain number of members of each major political party to be members of the DSPC Board.
"We've maxed out on the number of Democrats. It's notable that the two people the Senate Executive Committee rejected and refused to hear are Republicans, which I think is abhorrent. It's against the spirit of the Port," Gov. Meyer said. "It should not be the Democratic Party's Port — it need's to be Delaware's Port. And that means that Democrats and Republicans need to serve on that Port board, and for me to have nominated two Republicans and have the Executive Committee refuse to even hear them... its abhorrent. It's terrible for the Port. We're looking forward not back — we've got to make the Port happen, and we're going to do that."
Gov. Meyer said he does not yet have an idea of when he will make his two new nominations.
Following the General Assembly's approval of reinstating the Port of Wilmington Expansion Task Force, Gov. Meyer's Deputy Chief of Staff Nick Merlino said in a statement: "Under Delaware law, there's only one port board. We’ve talked about getting this expansion done for over 10 years now. Adding yet another task force is not how we efficiently expand the port or manage taxpayer money. The Governor, as he said... during his State of the State address, is committed to getting this done."
The task force held its first meeting Wednesday morning with the notable absence of Meyer's five cabinet secretaries appointed to the board.
The bulk of the meeting was spent receiving updates from Enstructure representatives — the operator of the Port of Wilmington and partner on the expansion project.
Enstructure says stakeholders are actively working to reinstate previously revoked permits that are necessary to advance the project and that construction on the terminal is expected in the second quarter of 2026 with operations commencing in quarter three of 2028 — designs for the expansion are already underway.
The representatives also say that there are no issues with any federal funding for the current Port of Wilmington or the new $635 million container terminal as of now.
But several members made it a point to note the lack of representation from the governor's administration at the meeting, including Co-Chair and State Sen. Darius Brown (D-New Castle).
"A lot of the questions that were asked today, this morning, unfortunately, those that could answer those questions are not here. Their name plates are here, their seats are here, but they are not here. And so I think a picture says a thousand words in regard to that," Sen. Brown said "I was told that Matt Meyer would not allow his cabinet secretaries to participate in today's Port Expansion Task Force meeting. This administration has chose to mark its 100th day in office by not showing up for hard working Delawareans that are the backbone of our state economy."
Sen. Brown went on to say although he was "warned" by his colleagues about the governor's "adolescent handling of important matters in the state," he still wanted to give Gov. Meyer the "benefit of the doubt."
"But this behavior is as if the high school nerd has become the prom king, and it is unacceptable. Using egg timers when meeting with legislators, cozying up to business interests opposing Delaware's Port expansion, indecisiveness on state revenue, frequent executive orders to get media attention and cussing in press releases to get national news coverage is not an effective way to build the Delaware economy. The executive office is not a dictatorship, and Matt is not king. The executive branch and legislative branch must work together to bring this port expansion to fruition," Sen. Brown added.
"I remain hopeful that this administration will mature sooner rather than later and that the governor would stop listening to bad advice. I look forward to the cabinet secretaries attending the Port of Wilmington Expansion Task Force meeting in May."
In a statement responding to Sen. Brown's remarks, spokeswoman for Gov. Meyer Mila Myles said: "There is only one Port board. And that board is focused on operating and expanding our existing port to benefit all Delawareans. Unfortunately, there is now an attempt to make a second port board without the collaboration or participation of the Meyer Administration. The Port must be expanded, and done so with accountability and transparency. Not needless bureaucracy."
Future Port of Wilmington Expansion Task Force Meetings or DSPC Board meetings have yet to be posted to the state's public meeting calendar.
