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Laura Kammin, PRN’s Habitat conservation Specialist, was interviewd on GLT as a result of our press release about how Prairie Rivers Network and other conservation groups reject the barge industry-promoted proposal that will increase the taxpayer burden for constructing barge transportation network.
Prairie Rivers Network is calling on our Congressional Representatives to oppose a proposal what would shift at least $200 million/year in costs from the Mississippi River barge industry to taxpayers. Currently the expense of construction and rehabilitation of the navigation system along the Mississippi River is split evenly between industry and the federal government. The proposal would shift many industry costs onto taxpayers. Proponents of the plan argue that it is needed because industry can no longer afford to pay—the industry-funded Inland Waterways Trust Fund (funded by a fuel tax on shippers) is almost out of money. We believe that it is incumbent on industry to either produce additional revenue for the Fund (the fuel tax rate, 20 cents/gallon, has not increased since 1995) or to accept that this mode of transportation is no longer economically viable (rail is more efficient and flexible, unit grain trains get 640 ton-miles/gallon compared to 417 ton-miles/gallon for inland towing).
American Rivers * Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy * Izaak Walton League of America * Missouri Coalition for the Environment * National Wildlife Federation * Prairie Rivers Network * River Alliance of Wisconsin * Sierra Club * Taxpayers for Common Sense
Groups call on Congress to reject the barge industry-promoted proposal that will increase the taxpayer burden for constructing barge transportation network
NEWS RELEASE
June 21, 2010
Conservation and watchdog groups sent a letter to members of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee late last week detailing problems in a proposal from the barge industry to eliminate existing industry financial responsibilities for the inland barge system. The industry proposal would re-write a long-standing policy established between the users of the system and the federal Treasury for sharing the cost of navigation construction.
More press is covering the new Big Price – Little Benefit report released by Prairie Rivers Network and partners condemning proposed expansion locks along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.
Read press coverage from the Daily-Journal.com by seraching on “Prairie Rivers Network.”
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Yesterday, Prairie Rivers Network and our partners in the Nicollet Island Coalition released a report condemning proposed expansion of 7 of the 29 locks that aid navigation along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers got Congressional authorization in 2007 to double the size of the locks, at a potential cost to taxpayers of $2.2 billion. Our report shows that the modest benefits the project aims to achieve can be achieved much more cheaply through other means. View our press release here. Download the Big Price – Little Benefit report here.
Tri-States Public Radio (Macomb, IL) covered the story.
The toll on river health of the Corps-maintained navigation system on the Upper Mississippi River is tremendous – the 29 locks and dams have altered the free-flowing and dynamic river between Minneapolis and St. Louis into a static series of enormous, homogeneous reservoirs. {Continue Reading »}
Federal agencies will hold a public hearing today (Friday, February 12) on Asian carp in Chicago, from 3-6pm. The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee will discuss plans and get recommendations on Asian carp control efforts. The committee will answer questions and listen to comments from the public.
Prairie Rivers Network staffer Traci Barkley and board member Clark Bullard will be there in person to urge the committee to act quickly to stop the spread of Asian carp and other invaders between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River systems. They will also be arguing against serious consideration of a proposal to stop the spread of carp by creating a toxic zone in the Chicago shipping canals with pollution from sewage treatment plants and industrial facilities.
The meeting also will be available via live web stream at: http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/live
Those who cannot attend the meeting in person can submit questions on the website.
Visit PRN’s Asian carp posts for background information.