Inland waterways group praises Congress for Energy bill’s passage

Inland waterways group praises Congress for Energy bill’s passage    A group of proponents for efficient inland waterway freight transport praised Congress for the passage of the fiscal year 2004 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill.
   The legislation sets funding totals for lock and dam improvements on the nation’s waterways at $271 million for fiscal year 2004, the largest amount since 1993.
   Waterways Work!, an industry group that supports increased spending on inland waterway improvements, had recommended that Congress allocate $300 million per year for a period of 10 years from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund to complete projects efficiently.
   The Inland Waterways Trust Fund, established in 1986, assesses a 20-cent-per-gallon diesel fuel tax on barge and towing operators on the inland waterway system. The federal government provides matching funds and the trust fund is spent on congressionally authorized lock and dam projects. The trust fund currently has a surplus of about $400 million.
   “We urge continued spending of the dedicated funds in the Inland Waterways Trust Fund to keep our national waterways system efficient, and our nation’s transportation system economically competitive,” said Barry Palmer, president and chief executive officer of Waterways Works! in a statement.