Weekly News Summary for March 26-April 1, 2007:
The Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA 2007) was approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee March 15, one day after the legislation was approved by the House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee and two days after the bill was introduced by Rep. James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the committee.
The legislation (H.R. 1495) authorizes approximately $14 billion for water resources studies and construction projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“The legislation gives the Army Corps the tools it needs to do a better job of meeting its responsibilities, and it provides some of the essential resources to restore the Gulf Coast region,” Oberstar said. “WRDA legislation has been considered in the last three Congresses, but not one bill has been enacted in the past six years. There is pent-up demand and urgent need to address the nation’s water-resources needs, and this legislation represents our investment in the future of the country.”
The committee chairman urged the Democratic leadership to schedule the bill for House floor consideration before the next district work period that begins April 2.
The measure would authorize 50 projects with Chief of Engineers reports relating to flood-damage reduction, navigation, hurricane and storm damage reduction, and environmental restoration. In addition, the bill authorizes three other projects, including $1.8 billion for navigation improvements and $1.8 billion for ecosystem restoration on the Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway….
The New Orleans Engineer District is inviting the public to provide ideas on environmental impacts of the replacement of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock, also known as the Industrial Canal Lock, in New Orleans.
The district will hold an open house and public meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m. April 4 in the cafeteria trailer of Holy Cross School, 4950 Dauphine St., New Orleans.
“We need the public’s facts and ideas to help frame a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) on how to update or improve plans to address the environmental impacts,” said Larry Poindexter, the Corps’ project manager.
In particular, comment is solicited on methods of dredging, the disposal of dredged material and related issues, and on the alternatives of cast-in-place or float-in construction of the lock itself, according to Corps spokesman John Hall.
All parties are invited to participate in the scoping process by identifying any additional concerns on issues, studies needed, alternatives, procedures and other matters related to the scope of the SEIS.
The original EIS in 1998 recommended building the new lock between North Claiborne and Florida avenues, extending the Mississippi River flood protection levees and floodwalls to Florida Avenue, replacing the St. Claude Avenue Bridge, modifying the Claiborne Bridge, and implementing a community impact mitigation plan and a fish and wildlife management plan.
The present lock is 86 years old and its 75- by 640-foot chamber causes delays in barge and other lock traffic during high-water season on the Mississippi River. Some delays exceed 24 hours, the Corps noted….
Strategic concerns of an aging inland waterway infrastructure and questions about future funding require stakeholders to join together to work with Congress, said Craig E. Philip, president and chief executive officer of Ingram Marine Group, speaking to the recent Mississippi Valley Trade & Transportation Conference in New Orleans.
“During the past four years, Inland Waterway Trust Fund (IWTF)-related appropriations [from Congress] have finally exceeded user-tax payments,” Philip said. That was the good news, he said.
Then came the bad news: “Based on current trends, the IWTF will approach depletion within five years,” Philip said. The IWTF is funded by a 20-cents-per-gallon user tax on marine diesel fuel for commercial users. It collects about $100 million per year, which Congress is mandated to match dollar-for-dollar to fund infrastructure projects.
Funding prospects are even more troubling when one considers that an aging infrastructure will require more maintenance and repairs in the years to come, Philip said….
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed with a company based in Gatlinburg, Tenn., and Aiken, S.C., to pursue the construction of a hydroelectric power plant at the Melvin Price Dam near Alton, Ill.
Price Dam Partnership Ltd. is the company pursuing the project. Its spokesman, James Price, does not expect the proposed plant to affect barge operations.
“The purpose of the dam is navigation, and that won’t change,” Price said. “The same amount of water will pass Price Dam in the future as does now.”
Construction of the plant won’t impact navigation and won’t affect the Corps’ ability to regulate water levels, according to Corps spokesman Alan Dooley.
“This can have no impact on the authorized purpose of Mel Price, which is to support pool and navigation. We won’t store excess water for them, nor will we let the operation unnecessarily lower the pool,” Dooley said….
Blessey Marine Services christened its 47th boat February 27 in New Orleans.
The new 1,700 hp. vessel, built by Verret Shipyard in Plaquemine, La., was supposed to have been the last of a three-boat contract, but after receiving the first two, Blessey asked that it be put on hold. When Verret got the go ahead, the shipyard put aside other Blessey work and knocked the boat out in 150 days, said Ted Verret, head of the yard.
“Walter Blessey (owner and chief executive officer) told us they needed the boat right away, so we got right on it,” he said. “It’s not that we ran up a lot of overtime, either. I guess everybody was just more focused, and that allowed us to finish it quicker.”
The recently christened vessel is named Capt. Lance Dragon after a Blessey captain who is in his 12th year with the company….
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