Columbia, S.C. - Governor Henry McMaster today released the following statement in response to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers naming the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project one of six new starts and allocating $17.5 million in construction funding in its Fiscal Year '17 Work Plan.

“Getting the Charleston port's harbor deepening project included in the Corps of Engineers' 2017 Work Plan - when important projects all over the country were fighting for the same dollars - is a major breakthrough for our State. This will supercharge our already vigorous economic growth opportunities. This reflects a solid and sustained team effort by our State and congressional leadership, including powerful persuasion by Senator Lindsey Graham. Our competitive edge in the world's economy just got stronger."