"Waterlogged" - Editorials in @miamiherald

The dredging project will have to proceed with all deliberate speed if the Port of Miami is to be ready to receive super-sized cargo ships coming through the Panama Canal. But the economic benefits expected to come to this region, and the state, should not come at the expense of another economic powerhouse for this community — Biscayne Bay.

The dredging, no doubt, will have an impact on the bay. Local groups of environmentalists and waterfront residents want a clearer idea of the extent from the Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Protection of whether the blasting and digging will harm sealife and water quality. The Corps’ past record of dredging the bay bodes well for contained and safe blasting. Still, it seems as if some elected officials are working to thwart the administrative-hearing process to fast-track the dredging.

The state House already has passed a bill that would impose a 30-day deadline for such groups to secure a hearing. The Senate should reject its version. It puts an unfair onus on groups seeking due process to line up expert witnesses and gather relevant data, while the government’s side likely has the information to make its case at its fingertips.

Already, the local groups have secured two mediation hearings, with an administrative hearing set for August. They’ve done it the right way, and state lawmakers and port officials should respect that.