Weekly News Summary For October 15–21, 2007:
When 200 or so river industry policy makers met in Houston recently to discuss waterway funding, it was uncertain whether President Bush was going to follow through on his threat to veto the 2007 Water Resources Development Act. The Waterways Council Inc. gathered October 1–3 for its annual meeting and symposium, which included presentations as to why a healthy lock and dam system is important and what is being done about it. WRDA, thus, was the backdrop to the presentations.
Although there appear to be more than enough votes to override the veto, appropriating funds for the individual projects will be more challenging than ever because of the message a veto sends to Congress, many fear. Mentioned one, “It’s like what Senator Kit Bond (R-Mo.) said: ‘We’ve got the license to hunt, but we still need the gun and bullets.’”
The symposium was sponsored by Waterways Council; Informa Economics, which is a consulting firm in Memphis, Tenn.; and The Waterways Journal.
Richard Calhoun, president of Cargo Carriers Inc. and a 31-year veteran in the agribusiness field, told the gathering that today’s market is the “most volatile and exciting in history.” Grain exports are currently flat, although China’s enormous growth will likely change that. Domestic use of corn and soybeans is up, and since domestic livestock production (the largest indicator of grain demand) is still positive, that demand is expected to remain strong, he said….
Several key Republicans on Capitol Hill have urged President Bush not to veto the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA).
Twenty-two senators have signed a letter asking Bush to “reconsider your staff’s recommendation to veto” the bill.
“We share your concerns regarding the work backlog at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but note that backlogs do not necessarily translate into higher priorities,” the senators said. “We must work together through the appropriations process to provide sufficient funding to ensure that we remain proactive in addressing our national water resources infrastructure. The authorization levels in this bill, including extraordinary work related to Hurricane Katrina, reflect an annual average that remains comparable to previous decades.”
Signed by two Republican House members was a letter telling the president, “even if you have reservations about signing this legislation, we urge you not to veto it, but let it become law.”
“We understand and appreciate your concern for the cost of this bill,” the two congressmen said. “However, we must remember that the conference report represents the overdue demand of three Water Resources Development Acts. In addition, these are authorizations, not appropriations. These projects represent the most current and complete list of water resource investment that you and the Congress can consider for budgeting and funding. These projects deserve to be authorized so that they can be considered in the appropriations process.”…
Consol Energy Inc. announced last week that it has acquired Tri-River Fleeting Harbor Services Inc. and Tri-River Marine Inc. The deal was closed on October 3; terms were not disclosed.
With the arrangement, Consol Energy acquires control of eight towboats that operate along the Monongahela and Ohio rivers.
“The addition of eight vessels through this acquisition will increase our efficiency and expand our fleeting services for our traditional customers along the Upper Ohio River System,” said James C. Grech, senior vice president of Consol Energy Sales Company. “It will also enable Consol to take advantage of Tri-River’s current market of transporting aggregates and materials other than coal to a new customer base.
“Consol Energy’s more than 125 years of experience along the inland rivers dovetails nicely with the successful operation of Tri-River’s assets, especially when you include our purchase of Mon River and J.A.R. assets from the Guttman Group in 2006.”
With the Tri-River acquisition, Consol Energy adds 60 new employees and increases its fleet of towboats to 27 vessels. With the purchase, no additional barges were added to Consol’s current fleet of 650 barges….
Evidence of extended drought in the Missouri River basin was apparent in September. Even with lower system releases as compared to typical years, the six Corps reservoirs on the main stem of the Missouri River lost about 1 million acre-feet (maf.) of storage during September.
“We recognize that system regulation is very important to a number of people and businesses in the basin,” said Larry Cieslik, chief of the Corps of Engineers’ Missouri River Water Management office in Omaha, Neb. “We publish a report each year that presents our plan for regulation in the coming year. This ensures that stakeholders throughout the basin are aware of the potential conditions on the river and have an opportunity to make comments on the plan if they wish to do so.”…
U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao took time from a busy agenda to tour the Seamen’s Church Institute training simulator and the adjacent River Heritage Museum October 3 during a two-day visit to Paducah, Ky.
As secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, Sec. Chao oversees 17,000 federal employees and a $60 billion budget. Formerly chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission and deputy administrator of the Maritime Administration at the Department of Transportation, she is also the only remaining original member of President George W. Bush’s cabinet.
Chao was also former director of the Peace Corps and president and chief executive officer of the United Way of America.
Chao was in town to address a Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce breakfast at the riverside Executive Inn the following day. She complimented the united effort put forth by the chamber’s Business Education Partnership program and West Kentucky Community & Technical College’s planned Energy Technology Center with programs designed to fill gaps in a growing sector of the nation’s economy….
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