Inland waterways lobby outlines goals for 2006

Inland waterways lobby outlines goals for 2006    The Waterways Council warned that underfunded upgrades to the inland waterway system continue to plague the country’s biggest bulk commodity shippers.
   The council estimates that more than 600 million tons of commodities, such as grain, coal, steel, petroleum, chemicals and aggregate materials, are shipped by barge through the river system. However, aging locks and dams in the system threaten the flow of these goods, the council said.
   Thirteen lock and dam modernization projects on the system are cost-shared through the Inland Waterway Trust Fund. Shippers pay about $100 million a year into the fund.
   During the last decade, the trust fund has not been used sufficiently, causing severe delays to lock and dam replacements. For example, the modernization of the Olmsted Lock and Dam along the Ohio River should have been finished next year, but will take another 16 years based on recent expenditure rates.
   According to the council, the construction delays on the Olmsted project will result in more than $3.5 billion in lost transportation savings. “Millions of dollars get washed down the river” because of these delays, said R. Barry Palmer, president and chief executive officer of the Waterways Council.
   Grain shippers are especially sensitive to the routine breakdowns of locks and dams in the river system. “Rail just doesn’t have the capacity and there’s just no way to truck it,” said Kendell W. Keith, president of the National Grain and Feed Association.
   The Washington-based council’s purpose is to educate state and national lawmakers about the need to maintain and upgrade the country’s inland waterway freight transportation system.
   In 2005, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works program received the highest level of funding in its history, and $379 million was appropriated for inland waterways trust fund financed projects.
   The council’s goal for 2006 include:
   * Urging spending of the dedicated funds in the trust fund at no less than $150 million.
   * Advocating for a $100 million increase for critical operation and maintenance needs on the inland waterways system.
   * Pressing for authorization of lock and dam modernization projects on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers, and Bayou Sorrel on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
   * Lobbying against any new taxes or fees on the inland waterways industry.