URUGUAY

Despite a history of acerbic relations over dredging with their neighbor Argentina Uruguayan officials are considering a proposal to make a joint purchase of a dredge. The machine would be purchased using savings made after Argentina forced the end of a dredging contract two years ago. Uruguay has long complained that Argentina won’t allow the expansion of the Martin Garcia Channel which the two countries share custody of but which Uruguay is more reliant on. The two countries had a kerfuffle over a dredging contract when the contractor a subsidiary of Boskalis International was accused of bribery attempts. Since the contract was terminated the two countries have been using their own dredges to maintain the depth of the channel with mixed results: there have been a number of ship groundings in recent months. According to the Buenos Aires Herald Argentine officials say there have been enough savings since the end of the contract that the two countries are now considering purchasing a $30 million shallow-water dredge. That cost could be recuperated with just four years of savings from not contracting a professional dredging company.