Contact: Rob Ostrander 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.7627
Thursday, June 17, 2004

WASHINGTON, DC – Missouri's U.S. Senators Kit Bond and Jim Talent today were joined by agriculture and labor groups to urge the passage of bipartisan legislation to modernize the Mississippi and Illinois River lock and dam system.

"By investing in the locks today, we are securing our region's economic future for tomorrow," said Bond, who chairs the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee and introduced the bipartisan locks legislation in May. "Modernizing our lock and dam system will produce economic benefits now, including providing 48 million man-hours of construction work. This project will make U.S. producers more efficient and more competitive, while protecting jobs here at home."

“The modernization of our water infrastructure is critical to our economy,” said U.S. Sen. Jim Talent. “This legislation means jobs for Americans and it allows us to maintain our ability to efficiently move products and commodities on the Mississippi River while protecting the environment. We need to update our locks and dams on behalf of Missourians and others who depend on the rivers for their livelihood.”

Bond and Talent were joined by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) along with representatives from the National Corn Growers Association, Midwest Area River Coalition 2000, the American Soybean Association, and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, who all stressed the importance of the locks legislation. Bond added that Mississippi modernization and ecosystem restoration is central to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).

Missouri's Senators stressed that investments in the nation's water transportation system are long past due. The current water transportation system, designed for paddlewheel boats and to last 50 years, is nearly 70 years old.

Also, in the last 35 years, waterborne commerce on the Upper Mississippi River has more than tripled, growing from 27 million tons in 1960 to 84 million tons in 1995. In order to provide producers with modern options and to prepare for the expected growth, the capacity and efficiency of the water transportation system must be improved.

For Missouri, Bond and Talent said this modernization is needed to maintain the Mississippi River, which serves as the state's arteries to world markets.

The legislation, S. 2470, adopts the initial recommendations of the Corps of Engineers to increase the lock capacity on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers and begin an ambitious program of ecosystem restoration. The bipartisan bill authorizes $2.3 billion for seven new locks and $1.46 billion for ecosystem restoration. An additional $850 million will be paid from the Inland Waterway Trust Fund which is funded by private users. Half of the cost of the locks will come from the trust fund which collects barge fuel tax.