Copyright Charleston Post and Courier
In his big introduction to about 1,100 business, industry and labor leaders across our state, brand-new S.C. Ports Authority CEO Micah Mallace explained that the agency is reviewing its capital expenditures for the time being and focusing on one primary goal: "above-market growth, nothing else." If achieved, this growth will benefit not only the hundreds employed by the authority itself but also thousands employed by businesses involved with the logistics of shipping or that make or buy goods that move across its docks. "Ultimately, the port is intended to be a force for good," Mr. Mallace told industry leaders Tuesday during his first State of the Port address — an address he had only three weeks to prepare for following his Oct. 6 hiring. He told three brief anecdotes about people whose livelihoods hinge on the port's operations, adding, "Economic opportunity is created through the business that the community in this room does together." His words undoubtedly were well-received across much of South Carolina, where about one of every nine jobs is somehow tied to the port's operation, the success of which is intertwined with the overall economic vitality of our state. It's less clear how this renewed focus on growth might impact the port's closest neighbors in the Charleston region, however. Two major capital expenditures — the Navy Base Intermodal Facility and a planned barge operation between the Wando and Leatherman terminals — have significant local implications. The intermodal facility is over budget and behind schedule, and Mr. Mallace said only that it will open "at the right time," without mentioning any time frame. The barge project was not mentioned at all. Both are significant because both hold the potential to move significantly more containers in and out of our region by means other than trucking. The intermodal facility will move them via rail rather than Interstate 26, which remains congested during parts of the day despite recent widening projects that added new lanes in spots. The barge operation promises to significantly reduce the number of trucks using Interstate 526 between Mount Pleasant and North Charleston. Of course, running more trains out of the intermodal facility, particularly out its southern end, also could have implications on neighborhoods near the Charleston-North Charleston city limits. All that has been placed in the back seat for now and will be reassessed. Meanwhile, Mr. Mallace said the authority plans to use its acreage creatively to generate more growth and offer white-glove service to shipping lines. Both steps sound like promising strategies to grow the number of containers and automobiles passing across our docks, but when that growth materializes — as we both hope and believe it will — there will be repercussions locally that should be acknowledged and, whenever practical, mitigated in some way. Former CEO Barbara Melvin seemed to understand this well, and she made strides in improving relationships during her brief tenure. But since we still don't know why the Ports Authority’s board ran her off, we don't know what specifically Mr. Mallace will be expected to change — or how that change will affect those neighboring the port's terminals. Our concerns are heightened because none of the Ports Authority board's nine current members resides in the Charleston region. Not that the interests of the Charleston region should take precedence over the state's, but the Ports Authority should strive for a better balance than it has struck in the past. If that is achieved, then all of us can enjoy the port's growth without worrying that any of our neighbors are paying too high a price for it. Click here for more opinion content from The Post and Courier.
