Jasper County port project agreement

Under the intergovernmental agreement to be signed by both states’ port authorities and Georgia Department of Transportation, a new group, the Jasper Ocean Terminal Joint Project Office (JPO), will be formed to move the project forward.

The JPO will be overseen by a six-member board, four from the states’ existing ports authorities. Each governor appoints one member, while the chairman of both states’ ports authorities will appoint two members from their respective boards. The chief executive of each state’s port authority will serve as ex-officio members of the group.

“This agreement creates the framework for how South Carolina and Georgia will work together in the future as we explore all the details and options for a proposed new port terminal in Jasper,” said Bill H. Stern, chairman of the South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA) and a member of the Task Force. “The agreement is a prudent, fail-safe solution for all parties on both sides of the river to begin the planning process.”