Kaptur Announces $742M Investment in Critical Great Lakes Infrastructure

Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, released the following statement applauding the Biden Administration's awarding of $742 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for two of America's most critical water infrastructure priorities: the Soo Locks and Brandon Road Lock and Dam projects. Rep. Kaptur and House Democrats strongly supported the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, while 94 percent of House Republicans opposed it.

Today, the Biden Administration announced the awarding of $516.2 million for the Soo Locks project and $225.8 million for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam project from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The Soo Locks and Brandon Road Lock and Dam projects are managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, whose annual appropriations are overseen by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. As chair of the subcommittee, Rep. Kaptur has been the leading voice in Congress for significant federal investments in both projects.

"The critical role that Great Lakes waterways play in sustaining and advancing America's economic vitality cannot be overstated," said Rep. Kaptur. "As Chair of the Energy and Water Subcommittee, it has been my top priority to secure the federal resources that ensure the navigability and preservation of the Great Lakes for generations to come. The revitalization of the Soo Locks will strengthen America's commercial shipping capabilities, and support good-paying jobs throughout the Industrial Heartland. By investing in innovative new solutions at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, we will finally be able to protect the Great Lakes freshwater kingdom from the economic and ecological devastation wrought by invasive species. When we invest in infrastructure, we are investing in Middle Class workers, families, and communities. President Biden and Congressional Democrats are leading the way for the future of the American economy."

The Soo Locks, located on the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, are a vital system of water locks that facilitate maritime shipping between Lake Superior and the four other Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Approximately 80 million tons of cargo -- valued at nearly $6 billion -- pass through the Soo Locks each year. The $516.2 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act fully funds the completion of a new replacement lock and the completion of major rehabilitation at the existing lock and dam -- improving shipping times of industrial and agricultural products through the Great Lakes.

The Brandon Road Lock and Dam, located on the Des Plaines River near Joliet, Illinois, is a central connection point through which invasive Asian Carp species frequently move between the Illinois Waterway system into Lake Michigan and the four other Great Lakes, severely harming native fish species. The $225.8 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will fund the construction and deployment of state-of-the-art technologies and innovative programs that interrupt the movement -- protecting the Great Lakes' $7 billion fishing and $16 billion recreational boating industries.

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