Ten letters to House and Senate leaders were disclosed Thursday by the Army Corps of Engineers in a filing in U.S. District Court in South Carolina, where environmentalists are suing over the project.
The letters by Jo-Ellen Darcy, assistant Army secretary for civil works, claim an exemption that would allow dredging to begin without state permits from Georgia and South Carolina. The letter says Congress would consent to the exemption by funding construction.
The Port of Savannah wants deeper water to accommodate supersized cargo ships. But permitting efforts in South Carolina are tied up in court.








