Oberstar's Waterways Bill Wins Final House Passage

Press Release

Oberstar's Waterways Bill Wins Final House Passage

A major waterways bill that will include funding for a second lock at Sault Ste. Marie has won final passage in the U.S. House of Representatives by a veto proof margin. Earlier this week, the House approved the final conference report on the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA) by a vote of 381 to 40. Congressman Jim Oberstar is a primary sponsor of the $20 billion piece of legislation, which upgrades the infrastructure for waterborne commerce on the nation's waterways, while protecting the clarity and quality of those waters. The Senate is also expected to approve the legislation by a wide bipartisan margin when it reconvenes after the August recess.

Passage of WRDA is long overdue. For the past six years, the Republican-led Congress has been either unwilling or unable to enact legislation to invest in the transportation infrastructure that moves waterborne commerce in the United States. "It was almost seven years ago that a seed was planted for the next WRDA bill," said Oberstar. "With several bills not coming to fruition, the plant has overgrown its pot. If WRDA was a library book, it would be so far overdue, there wouldn't be the normal fine - the patron would be asked to pay for a replacement."

For the Great Lakes, WRDA authorizes $341 million to construct a second lock to accommodate modern ships at Sault Ste. Marie. Another $134 million will be authorized to make other repairs and upgrades on the St. Lawrence Seaway. Additionally, as dredging on Great Lakes harbors has not been done in earnest for the past six years, WRDA directs the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to begin those projects as soon as possible.

"Global warming and extended drought conditions have caused water levels across the Great Lakes to drop to historic lows. If we do not begin dredging now, products like taconite, coal and grain will become too expensive to ship on the Great Lakes," said Oberstar. "Vessels carrying iron ore from the upper lakes to the lower lakes' steel mills have gone out 7500 tons light; that means two or three extra voyages each season."

Oberstar also used the WRDA bill to direct government agencies to combat the spread of invasive species. WRDA mandates the development of an emergency plan to halt the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), which is also known as the "fish virus." VHS is not a threat to humans, but could potentially devastate the fish populations of the Great Lakes. Oberstar's amendment directs the Corps to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Environmental Protection Agency to develop an action plan.

For the Mississippi River, WRDA will require the Corps to construct an electrical barrier to keep Asian carp from spreading north of Iowa.

Navigation on the Mississippi River is another high priority of WRDA. Only one of the locks on the Mississippi River can accommodate modern-sized barges. To get grain downriver, shippers must divide their chains of barges to get them through the locks, adding 40 additional hours of shipping time to New Orleans. "Grain moves on international markets by margins as thin as an eighth of a cent per bushel. We have to do all we can to lower shipping costs for Minnesota grain so it can be competitive around the world," said Oberstar.

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