Bill would end dredging on Panhandle river

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - Florida congressional leaders have introduced legislation to end dredging on the Apalachicola River. <br> <br> They say spending $20 million to clear the way for barges that don&#39;t use the river anymore doesn&#39;t make sense. <br> <br> The Army Corps of Engineers has for years scooped out a channel in the river to make it navigable for barges. But environmentalists say the dredged sand piled on the banks hurts the region&#39;s ecosystem. <br> <br> The river was recently called one of the nation&#39;s most endangered by the conservation group American Rivers. <br> <br> Both the Florida House and Senate have introduced bills to remove the corps&#39; authorization to dredge on the river <br> <br> The bills would also provide federal money to help clean up the area. <br> <br> Governor Bush and the state&#39;s independently elected Cabinet have also expressed support for ending the dredging.

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