New York State should recognize the reasonable accommodations made by the Environmental Protection Agency and end its threats to try to use the courts to block a dredging disposal plan critically important to its neighbor, Connecticut.

On Friday, the EPA designated a 1.3-square-mile area between the mouth of the Thames River and the western tip of Fishers Island as the disposal site for dredged materials. A new location is necessary because on Dec. 23 the permits to utilize the two existing disposal sites in eastern Long Island Sound — one adjacent to the new location, the other Cornfield Shoals off Old Saybrook — expire.

Providing a location to dispose of dredged materials is critical for southeastern Connecticut. Because of the currents that carry sediment and the nature of shoreline development over the last century, about 80 percent of the dredged materials that the EPA expects will need to be disposed of over the next 30 years will come from Connecticut’s eastern shores.

Crews must periodically dredge shore areas to keep navigation channels and marinas open, the U.S. Naval Submarine Base and Electric Boat shipyard in Groton operating, and large freighters bringing their loads to the New London port. It is not economically practical to require transport of the materials to the western Sound.

New York State environmental officials have complained about the plan, questioned its need, and called for re-use of the material, such as restoring beaches and wetlands. But the Army Corps of Engineers concluded reuse cannot accommodate all disposal needs.

Reacting to New York’s concerns, the EPA shrunk the disposal area from the 2-square-mile site originally proposed. And the location was moved west, out of New York waters. A Regional Dredging Team, including representatives from New York, will review each dredging project for potential reuse of the material.

No plan is perfect, but this strikes a reasonable compromise between Connecticut’s needs and New York’s concerns.

“We are currently reviewing the EPA's decision and determining the appropriate next steps, including initiating appropriate legal action,” read a statement from Linda M. Baldwin, general counsel for the New York Department of State.

That review should lead to the conclusion that the plan is reasonable, safely outside of New York waters, and should be allowed to proceed without a legal challenge.

Editor's note: The editorial was amended to describe the correct location of the planned disposal location for dredged materials.