Page 18: of Marine News Magazine (February 2017)

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COLUMN OP/ED

New Year, New Opportunity

By Michael Toohey, President/CEO of the Waterways Council, Inc.

The start of a As that moves forward, WCI’s But unfortunately, in recent times, new year often goal will be to advocate strongly for waterways spending has declined and brings change, but infrastructure investment for the in- our waterways facilities are deteriorat- in the nation’s cap- land waterways transportation sys- ing. Congress has moved to correct ital, 2017 means a tem armed with key facts. America’s this underinvestment, authorizing 25 new President and inland waterways transportation sys- modernization projects valued at $8.7

Administration, tem is comprised of 12,000 miles of billion. These initiatives are to be built and a new Con- navigable waterways in 38 states. Last by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gress. Waterways year alone, this system moved more through an existing public-private part-

Toohey

Council, Inc.’s ob- than 600 million tons of freight val- nership between the public sector and jective remains the ued at $250 billion over what is, mile- those who commercially use the locks same as it has since our start in 2005: for-mile, the most fuel ef