Page 68: of Marine News Magazine (November 2017)

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INLAND WATERWAYS OUTLOOK but aging, lock and dam infrastructure Dam which was authorized in 1988, the fact that these issues are no lon- on the inland waterways system. In but will not open until next year. Once ger hypothetical. By October 12th, as service since 1928, Locks and Dams Olmsted is ? nished, Locks and Dams many as 51 towboats and 564 barges 52 and 53 on the Ohio River are to 52 and 53 will be removed. were waiting to transit the lock. With be replaced by the Olmsted Lock and But, the casualty further highlights a full harvest of grain and other com- modities backed up like a massive truck wreck along the inland inter- state corridor, foreign competitors all over the Americas – north and south – are eying new markets.

“Lower Mon is the #2 priority project after Olmsted,” remarked Pe- ter Stephaich, Chairman & CEO of

Campbell Transportation Company,

Inc., based in Houston, PA, near Pitts- burgh, and a member of WCI’s Execu- tive Committee. “We fully expect to see (Lower Mon) get completed, not- withstanding the budget proposals.”

Mike Monahan, Campbell’s presi- dent, and a member of the Inland

Waterways User Board, likened the current funding system to a home- builder asking for a bank loan to build a foundation, but telling the loan of? cer that construction may or may not continue with ? ooring and framing, and that the homeowner may apply for more money again next year to proceed with electric and plumbing. “That’s exactly what we’re doing with funding locks and dams,”

Monahan said.

On the other hand, this is a new

President, with different approaches to governing and spending. It remains unknown how much the new Admin- istration might seek to upend predict- able legislative momentum, especially in this ? rst budget year. This Presi- dent was elected with expectations about swamps and swamp behaviors.

The Report on HR 3266 com- ments that “the (Appropriations)

Committee welcomes a dialogue with the new Administration to reach a mutually agreeable way to compre- hensively plan for all initiated proj-

November 2017

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