Leadership Quote by Robert Brady

That opening "Furthermore" is doing more political work than the rest of the sentence combined. Robert Brady isn`t just relaying a finding; he`s staging a defense. The line is built like a courtroom brief: two state agencies, two separate evaluations, one verdict: "not toxic". It`s bureaucratic chorus as credibility, a move designed to pre-empt suspicion before it hardens into opposition.

The context is the perennial flashpoint around dredging sediment: communities hear "dredge" and picture poisoned sludge, tainted fisheries, backroom deals with contractors. Brady answers that reflex with institutional validation, leaning on the sober authority of environmental regulators. Notice the phrasing: "evaluated" and "found" are procedural verbs, implying due process rather than political preference. The point isn`t just safety; it`s legitimacy.

The subtext, though, is that safety is being defined at the lowest level needed to keep the project moving. "Not toxic" is a narrow, legalistic threshold that sidesteps messier questions: safe for whom, under what conditions, and for how long? It doesn`t address resuspension during dredging, cumulative contamination, or the distrust that often shadows projects affecting waterways and working-class shore communities.

It also quietly relocates responsibility. If the sediment later proves problematic, the blame can be routed back to the agencies and their assessments. Brady`s intent is clearance: to turn a potentially emotional, environmental debate into an administrative box-checking exercise that permits action without reopening the entire argument.