Leaders of the Edgemoor Port expansion project continue to discuss federal permit updates out of the public eye but say more transparency efforts are underway.
Necessary permits for the $635 million Port of Wilmington expansion project were revoked by a federal judge in October, and little information around the status of reobtaining those permits has been made available to the public.
The Diamond State Port Corporation (DSPC) Board entered executive session for close to an hour at their Monday meeting, but when they returned to the public session, only updates around a state-level permit were provided.
While state leaders have reiterated public updates cannot be shared due to the ongoing litigation, the board is preparing to launch a new website with updated documentation and points of contact around the expansion project.
DSPC Board Member David Burt says he is cognizant of the community’s perception that there is a lack of transparency within the board, but is hopeful that gap can be bridged moving forward.
“We're aware, of course, that there are a few limitations on sharing information because of litigation, because of business confidentiality, but I think the message we'd like to get out is that we actually would like to share as much information as possible so that we can relieve this perception," he said.
His comments preceded updates from Enstructure, the Port of Wilmington operator, on the proposed container terminal, which are traditionally provided by Mid-Atlantic President Bayard Hogan.
As first reported by the Delaware Business Times, Enstructure announced Friday that Hogan is no longer with the organization.
“We thank Bayard for his contributions to Enstructure Mid-Atlantic and wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Enstructure is actively working to ensure a smooth transition and will continue to focus on delivering innovative supply chain solutions for our customers without interruption," a statement from Co-CEOs Matthew Satnick and Philippe De Montigny reads.
Hogan's departure was not directly addressed at the meeting, but the leadership change was one of the concerns raised by members of the public like Jeffrey Richardson.
“Some more information about the leadership change that has occurred at Enstructure, what the implications are moving forward. I don't know where that's gonna come from, but it would be great to have some sense of this, what the meaning is of this, given that this is fairly early on in the process," Richardson said.
Richardson is chairperson of the Delaware Community Benefits Agreement Coalition, and he, along with other members of the public, are advocating for a Community Benefits Agreement with Enstructure.
Proponents of the agreement say it would help identify any potential adverse impacts of the port expansion project and create a mitigation plan for things like traffic, environmental and economic concerns.
Secretary of State Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez wrapped up the meeting with comments reiterating the DSPC Board's commitment to more community engagement moving forward.
"I think Mr. Burt gave a very appropriate statement today that more can be done to engage with the community. I think that was heard loud and clear, and this board is going to be working toward making sure that we can alleviate some of the concerns because obviously misinformation can spread much faster than we can even get the truth out, but that is something that we need to work on and and it's something that we plan to do," Secretary Patibanda-Sanchez said.
Enstructure's Chief Commercial Officer Michael Evanko provided updates on the Edgemoor expansion project, reiterating the design phase remains ongoing.
