Ports urge Senate reauthorization of Water Resources Development Act

Ports urge Senate reauthorization of Water Resources Development Act    The American Association of Port Authorities urges the Senate to move forward with the reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act.
   The Water Resources Development Act sets the budget and policies for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ harbor maintenance and dredging programs. But port authorities worry that reenactment of the legislation as proposed will shortchange these activities.
   “Our nation’s deep-draft navigational is at a crossroads, and its future has the potential to be bright or to be bleak,” said Mike Leone, chairman of the AAPA’s board at a March 30 hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
   “The Corps of Engineers has a key role to play in this process, and the direction of the Corps is given by Congress in WRDA (Water Resources Development Act) legislation will be critical to the future of the maritime transportation system,” Leone said.
   American ports are concerned about the ability of their channel depths to serve increasingly deeper draft vessels. The AAPA estimates that deep-draft construction projects will require about $500 million in 2005, which is $200 million more than President Bush’s proposed fiscal year 2005 budget proposal and $40 million less than fiscal year 2004 enacted level.
   Leone also referred in his testimony to the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and the AAPA’s alarm that the fund is increasingly being used by the government for other purposes. The Bush administration estimates the fund will increase to more than $2.6 billion in fiscal year 2005.
   “While these funds are dedicated to the maintenance of federal navigation channels, their utilization has not kept pace with their collection or with the maintenance dredging needs at the ports,” Leone said.
   The AAPA testimony also requested changes to the nation’s water resources policy:
   * Amend the act to reference partnership agreements between the Corps of Engineers and local ports, and improve the process for negotiating and implementing agreements.
   * Adopt a provision to allow ports credit for in-kind services during project construction.
   * Amend Section 208 to state that ports may assess fees to recover the costs of their services.
   * Add language that gives the Corps of Engineers should exercise authority to direct the removal and/or relocation of utilities within navigation channels.
   * Replace Section 101(e)(2) with language to allow for the purchase of indemnification insurance for both the federal government and the port as an acceptable project costs.
   * Enact congressional policies to ensure an adequate capacity and availability of dredging equipment to meet needs.