ST. LOUIS, MO – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today spoke with many of America’s barge operators, shippers, port officials, and transportation providers at the Fifth Annual Waterways Symposium, which focused on strengthening our economy through improving and investing in America’s ports and rivers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“For America to be competitive, grow our economy and produce jobs, our waterways must be revitalized,” said Bond. “Our waterways system is critically important to the American economy now and in the future.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             During the address, Bond stressed that river transportation will expand global trade and create jobs.  For over a quarter century, commerce on the Upper Mississippi River more than tripled.  The river currently carries 60 percent of America’s corn exports and 45 percent of America’s soybean exports.  In Missouri alone, the State’s waterways transport 34.7 million tons of commodities including coal, petroleum, grain, chemicals, iron, steel, and minerals worth more than $4 billion.  Bond emphasized that foreign trade – and the commercial shipping needed to get products overseas – will continue to grow in the next 20 – 50 years, but only if we have the transportation capacity to handle it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Bond noted that during these tough times, water transportation not only makes sense economically, it also makes sense environmentally.  According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, congestion on American roads and railways will double over the next 25 years.  Increased water transportation will help reduce this congestion and emissions.  Several reports indicate that modern freight boats or barges can carry the equivalent of 1,050 trucks.  Due to various road safety restrictions, some barges can carry about 2,160 truckloads of liquid weight.  River transportation is more environmentally-friendly and waterways move goods at two-thirds the cost of railroads.  Bond also pointed out that river transportation can help our nation cope with high fuel prices and our dependence on foreign oil. 

 

 

 

 

              

 

 

 

 

            As a long-time advocate of our updating our nation’s waterways Bond worked for years to pass the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).  Signed into law in 2007, WRDA included Bond’s bipartisan legislation to modernize locks on the upper Mississippi River.  In addition to fighting to authorize the modernization of our waterways, over the years Bond has worked to secure the federal funds needed to make the new locks a reality – from the initial study and design dollars to construction dollars.  Most recently, as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Bond helped secure millions of dollars for navigation improvements along the Mississippi in the fiscal year 2009 Energy and Water Appropriations bill.  While this bill has not yet been voted on in the Senate, Bond remains optimistic about the future of America’s river transportation.  With a number of very difficult problems facing our nation – congestion, pollution, economic hardship, global competition and high fuel prices – water transportation is a win-win solution we can’t afford to ignore, stressed Bond.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Bond also expressed concern regarding the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, which Congress established in 1986 to help pay for the modernization of locks on America’s inland navigation system.  Contributions to the Trust Fund have not been adjusted since 1994.  Congress must work together on a solution to solve this problem or there will not be enough funds to build new locks.

 

 

 

 

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