Page 26: of Marine News Magazine (February 2015)

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COLUMN OP/ED

A Gift to the Nation’s Waterways

By Michael J. Toohey

The nation and its inland waterways WRRDA. The Lower Mon project is funded to at least received a great gift at the end of 2014. $9 million. •

On December 16, 2014, the Senate vot- No less than $1.1 billion is provided from the ed 76-16 to pass H.R. 5571, tax extend- Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, a $100 million ers legislation that included a 9-cent increase above FY ’14 and $185 million higher increase in the inland waterways diesel than the Administration proposal. • user fee. The increase will be effective No funding is provided for construction of

April 1, 2015 and funds – around $40 hydrologic separation measures related to Asian carp.

million from industry levies – will be deposited into the

Inland Waterways Trust Fund for the bene