OBAMA SIGNS LOCK & DAM BILL INTO LAW

Lindsay Mitchell

Jun 10, 2014  |  ICGA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Lindsay Mitchell
                    (309) 557-3257

 

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.— Today, President Obama signed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act into law, signaling agreement that updating locks and dams, not just maintaining them, needs to be a priority for America.

The bill reforms the funding mechanism for Olmsted Lock and Dam completion, authorizing 85 percent of the funding to come from the federal government and only 15 percent from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund.  This reduction in Inland Waterways Trust Fund monies going to Olmsted, frees up money to begin construction on locks and dams on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.

“We are happy that WRRDA is now signed into law; however, we’ve been in this position before.  Our locks and dams are antiques and we have to modernize them.  Authorizations to do so are nice, but we will never get anywhere without funding,” said Illinois Corn Growers Association President Gary Hudson.

“Illinois corn farmers just cannot understand why Congress does not make building new locks and dams a priority.  Farmers and other U.S. industry have the means to increase our exports and build economic activity within the U.S., but we simply cannot export more goods without upgrading our locks and dams.  The funding to accomplish these goals will come from a barge user fee that industry supports, but is noticeably absent from this bill,” he said.

The Illinois Corn Growers Association along with their partners in the Waterways Council, Inc, will continue to work for new locks and dams, including appropriations for the funding authorized in WRRDA 2014 and an increased user fee that will raise the money needed for major construction and upgrades.

 

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