Page 10: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2018)

A Good Day for the

Domestic Waterfront

About the Author

Joseph Keefe is a 1980 (Deck) gradu- ate of the Massachusetts Maritime

Maritime asks and Washington delivers funding for myriad

Academy and the editor of both Mari- time Logistics Professional and Marine- maritime projects, newbuilds and infrastructure renewals.

News magazines. He can be reached at ON POINT WITH JOE KEEFE [email protected]

There is something for everyone in the FY ’18 Omnibus.

The recent signing of the FY ’18 Om- ture and intermodal priorities, both on America’s deep-draft harbors and chan- cers. In the maritime environment alone, nibus Funding Bill contained a raft of the landside and the waterside. nels, is funded at $3.63 billion, with AAPA advocates that a minimum of 500 good news for the domestic waterfront, $1.4 billion coming from the Harbor new CBP of? cers are needed annually. its many stakeholders and the individual Infrastructure, Ports and Marad Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) … an But, this is a pretty good start.

parts that make it up. The American As- On the waterside, the omnibus in- increase of $100 million over last year’s Separately, a $15 million increase to sociation of Port Authorities (AAPA) cludes $6.83 billion for the U.S. Army appropriation. The bill also requires the $75 million for the Diesel Emissions was especially pleased with the package, Corps of Engineers (Corps), an increase administration to include six new stud- Reduction Act (DERA) will provide in- and they characterized the funding bill as of $789 million from ? scal 2017. The ies and ? ve new construction starts in the creased grants to eligible entities, includ- the “? rst step toward funding President’s bill funds the Corps’ navigation pro- Corps work plan. ing ports, for projects that reduce emis- goal of strengthening America’s infra- gram at $3 billion, with $123 million Other notable items in the legislation sions from existing diesel engines. But, structure. for General Investigations (GI), $2.085 included $100 million for the Port Se- the good news didn’t stop there.

The omnibus spending package will billion for Construction General (CG), curity Grant Program, and Customs and $980 million was approved for the U.S. fund the federal government through and $200 million for the Corps’ regula- Border Protection (CBP) will receive Maritime Administration (MARAD), an

September 30, 2018. Signed by President tory program. The Corps’ Operations & $14 million, a nearly 15 percent increase increase of $457 million over ? scal 2017

Trump on March 23, it contains funding Maintenance (O&M) program, which over ? scal 2017, in which $7.6 million appropriations. According to AAPA, and for a number of AAPA’s top infrastruc- pays for crucial maintenance dredging in will be used to hire 328 new CBP of? - among the MARAD programs important © Melissa Woolf/AdobeStock 10 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • APRIL 2018

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