Page 21: of Marine News Magazine (May 2020)
Inland Waterways
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shippers can compete in the domestic and international mar- Ì?À?Õ}?ÊÓä{xÊVÕ?Õ>Ì?ÛiÞÊÜ?Õ`Ê}À?ÜÊÌ?iÊÜ>ÌiÀÜ>ÞýÊV??- ketplace. More than 541,000 family-wage jobs depend on the ÌÀ?LÕÌ???ÊÌ?Ê1°-°Ê}À?ÃÃÊ`??iÃÌ?VÊ«À?`ÕVÌÊLÞÊÓä¯ÊÌ?ÊfÈ{ÊL?- inland waterways, and the cargo moving on the system does ???®Ê>?`Ê??VÀi>ÃiÊÜ>ÌiÀÜ>ÞÃ?Ài>Ìi`Êi?«?Þ?i?ÌÊLÞÊ£?¯°Ê so in the most energy-ef?cient, environmentally friendly and ??ÛiÀÃiÞ]ÊÀi`ÕVi`Ê??ÛiÃÌ?i?ÌÊÜ?Õ`Ê`iVÀi>ÃiÊÌ?iÊ?>À?iÌÊ safest way compared to other modes. Û>ÕiÊ?vÊÌ??ÃiÊV????`?Ì?iÃÊLÞÊfxnÊL????]ÊÌ?iÊÃÌÕ`ÞÊÃ>Þð
Currently, 18 projects valued at over $7.2 billion are autho- UÊ/?iÊ??>?`ÊÜ>ÌiÀÜ>ÞýÊ??vÀ>ÃÌÀÕVÌÕÀiÊ?ÃÊ>}??}Ê>?`Ê rized for construction, or currently under construction, on the ?ii`ÃÊ?>?ÀÊÀi?>L??Ì>Ì???Ê>?`ÊV??ÃÌÀÕVÌ???ÊÌ?ÊÀiÃÌ?ÀiÊ?ÌÃÊvÕÊ inland waterways transportation system that could be eligible V>«>L??ÌÞ]Êv?ÀiÃÌ>Ê?>?ÀÊ`?ÃÀÕ«Ì???ÃÊ>?`Ê«À?Û?`iÊ?««?ÀÌÕ- for consideration in an infrastructure package. Of those, six ??Ì?iÃÊv?ÀÊ}À?ÜÌ?°Ê?ÀÊV?À?]Ê`i>ÞÃÊ??ÊÌ?iÊ?ÃÃ?ÃÃ?««?Ê,?ÛiÀÊ projects with a current total estimated cost of approximately V?Õ`Ê?>ÛiÊÕ«ÊÌ?Ê>Êfä°Ó{Ê«iÀÊLÕÃ?iÊ?i}>Ì?ÛiÊ??«>VÌ° $2.2 billion are or could be under construction, considered UÊ7??iÊÌ?iÊ1??Ìi`Ê-Ì>ÌiÃÊVÕÀÀi?ÌÞÊ?>ÃÊ>Êfx°ÎxÊ«iÀÊ?iÌ- “shovel ready,” in a short period of time. À?VÊÌ??Ê>`Û>?Ì>}iÊ?ÛiÀÊ À>â?ÊÜ?i?ÊÃ??««??}ÊÃ?ÞLi>?ÃÊ??ÊÌ?iÊ
In 2018, during the process to move a Water Resources De- ??>?`ÊÜ>ÌiÀÜ>ÞÃÊÃÞÃÌi?ÊvÀ??Ê>Ûi?«?ÀÌ]Ê?Ü>]ÊÌ?Ê-?>?}- velopment Act (WRDA) 2018 in the Senate, Senator John ?>?]Ê ???>®]Ê>}??}Ê1°-°ÊÜ>ÌiÀÜ>ÞÃÊ??vÀ>ÃÌÀÕVÌÕÀiÊÜ?Ê??VÀi>ÃiÊ
Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Ì?iÊ«À?ViÊÌ?ÊÌ?iÊi?`?ÕÃiÀ]Ê?ÜiÀÊÌ?iÊ`i?>?`Êv?ÀÊ1°-°Ê}À>??ÃÊ>?`Ê
Public Works Committee, delivered remarks on the Senate Ã?ÞLi>?Ã]Ê>?`Ê?>?iÊÌ?i?ÊiÃÃÊV??«iÌ?Ì?ÛiÊ??Ê}?L>Ê?>À?iÌð ?oor on infrastructure that resonates today. “Over the past The nation continues to combat COVID-19 and protect its 50 years, our country has gone from a construction society citizens from the virus and further harm. But when we turn the to a consumption society – and as a result our bridges, roads, corner toward recovery, let’s look to the future of America and dams, and waterways have suffered....[this bill] grows the to strengthening its critical infrastructure. A modern, more ef?- economy and creates jobs.” he said. cient inland waterways system will continue to deliver key com-
The same could be said about an emergency supplemental modities, but also the promise of a much stronger economy. funding bill. The inland waterways are the bene?ciary of that funding, but the nation itself reaps the overall economic and quality of life bene?ts.
On the waterways, as we begin to see agriculture exports pick up the pace, we recall the August 2019 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) study that quanti?ed the cost-savings and competitive advantages that would accrue from investing in long-delayed improvements to inland waterways locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois River system. The study,
Importance of Inland Waterways to U.S. Agriculture, addressed the critical connection between the inland waterways and the competitiveness of American agriculture in global markets.
The study highlighted that
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