Locks and dams matter.
Improving the Illinois, Mississippi, and Ohio River system has been an Illinois Corn Growers Association priority for over 20 years. Waterways infrastructure gives Illinois farmers and other Illinois industries a competitive advantage over other states in transportation of grain and other agricultural products. However, in the last 50 years, these locks and dams have become dilapidated and outdated. The crumbling lock and dam system costs Illinois corn farmers every day in lost efficiency getting their product to global marketplaces.
Improving our lock and dam system NOW is critical not only for Illinois farmers but also for all Illinois citizens, for our country, and for our world.
Ensuring Cleaner Air: Inland waterways transport generates fewer emissions than rail or truck. The emission comparison between inland towing, rail and truck transportation shows that fewer air pollutants are generated by moving products on American’s inland navigation system.
Saving Energy: Transporting freight by water is the most energy-efficient choice. The most energy-efficient way to move commodities such as coal, grain, iron, steel, aggregates, petroleum and chemical products is to use the nation’s navigable rivers. Barges can move one ton of cargo 576 miles per gallon of fuel. A rail car would move the same ton of cargo 413 miles, and a truck only 155 miles.
Protecting Communities: Inland waterways transport moves hazardous materials safely. All transport modes work hard to prevent accidents, human errors and other causes of spills, including groundings in the case of barge transportation. Overall, spill rates are very low – with trucks losing only 6.06 gallons per one million ton-miles, rail cars only 3.86 gallons and barges 3.6 gallons per one million ton-miles.
Peter H. Stephaich is Chairman and CEO of Blue Danube Incorporated and Campbell Transportation Company. Currently, he is also Chairman of the Board of the Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI). WCI is...
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The Waterways Council Inc (WCI) is holding a national conference this week in Washington, D.C. On the agenda is an address by Secretary of Ag Sonny Perdue and by officials from the Army Corps of...
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U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth will receive the Waterway Council Inc’s (WCI) 18th Annual Leadership Service Award on Tuesday evening, February 12, 2019, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington,...
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The Illinois Waterway, which provides a navigable connection between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, includes eight lock and dam sites which are long overdue for significant repairs. In...
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The Senate approved America's Water Infrastructure Act, which includes the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018 this week by a vote of 99 to 1. S. 3021 authorizes Corps of Engineers'...
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House and Senate committee leaders reached a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on 2018 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) legislation earlier this week, known as the America’s Water...
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Thanks to Jim Tarmann for this editorial on Olmsted’s first historic lockage. Last week on August 30, 2018, after more than 30 years in the making, we cut the ribbon for one of the largest...
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Last week, leadership from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and leadership from IL Corn and American Commercial Barge visited LaGrange Lock and Dam. The dam was built in the 1930s for 50 years of...
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At the end of June, the Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources took a group of journalists on a tour of the Mississippi River. They wanted to understand the issues impacting climate and...
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This week, the House of Representatives approved the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018 that authorizes Corps of Engineer’s work on locks and dams, dredging and other water resources...
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For years (and years, and years, and years) we have asked for the funds to modernize our inland waterway transportation system. For years, our government has failed to appropriate the funds...
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During yesterday’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing in Washington, DC, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos and Congressman Rodney Davis reminded the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) that...
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An op-ed by US Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue concerning the recently proposed infrastructure plan by the Trump Administration. Originally published by Des Moines Register...
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The Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI), is expressing worry that the President’s budget request is inadequate for waterways infrastructure improvement needs, running contrary to what Mr. Trump had...
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R.D. James was confirmed On January 25, 2018, by the full Senate as Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works (ASA (CW)). His nomination had been favorably reported by both the Senate...
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Ten Senators from seven states sent a letter to OMB Director Mick Mulvaney requesting immediate attention to Mississippi & Illinois River lock modernization and ecosystem restoration in the...
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At a recent hearing conducted by the U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works (EPW), Senator Tammy Duckworth (IL-D) exhibited leadership in advancing the case for long-overdue...
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Last week, members of the Waterways Council, Inc, and stakeholders in the upper Mississippi River Basin transportation system evaluated the needs of the system, economic climate, and the impact of...
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While the U.S. continues a decades-long trend of not reinvesting and upgrading our vastly important river infrastructure, the new Panama Canal expansion has contributed to a record 403.8 million...
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Want to see the potential impacts of a lock or dam failure on the Missisippi or Illinois River? Look no further than a case study on the very close Ohio River at Lock 52. Broken wickets that can...
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