The start of a
new year often
brings change, but
in the nation’s cap-
ital, 2017 means a
new President and
Administration,
and a new Con-
gress. Waterways
Council, Inc.’s ob-
jective remains the
same as it has since our start in 2005:
to advocate for a modern, effi cient and
reliable inland waterways transporta-
tion system. For WCI, achieving this
means working from our “three-legged
advocacy stool” approach to educating
these new Washingtonians through di-
rect lobbying, stakeholder support and
outreach, and media relations.
As the 115th Congress works on
its immediate issues of healthcare and
tax reform, the framework for an in-
frastructure package is being discussed
as well. Ahead, the Trump Adminis-
tration is expected to announce a plan
for infrastructure improvements.
As that moves forward, WCI’s
goal will be to advocate strongly for
infrastructure investment for the in-
land waterways transportation sys-
tem armed with key facts. America’s
inland waterways transportation sys-
tem is comprised of 12,000 miles of
navigable waterways in 38 states. Last
year alone, this system moved more
than 600 million tons of freight val-
ued at $250 billion over what is, mile-
for-mile, the most fuel effi cient, saf-
est, and environmentally responsible
mode of goods transport.
Rivers represent the silent “R” in a
national transportation policy that has,
in recent decades, focused on Roads,
Rails, and Runways. Historically, how-
ever, the U.S. has always recognized
the vital contribution that waterborne
transportation makes to overall pros-
perity. Public expenditures to maintain
navigation channels and build related
infrastructure were among the nation’s
earliest investments and similar invest-
ments are just as critical to an effi cient
21st century freight system.But unfortunately, in recent times,
waterways spending has declined and
our waterways facilities are deteriorat-
ing. Congress has moved to correct
this underinvestment, authorizing 25
modernization projects valued at $8.
billion. These initiatives are to be built
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
through an existing public-private part-
nership between the public sector and
those who commercially use the locks
and dams. While many entities gain
from these projects, barge operators
are the only direct contributors to the
Inland Waterways Trust Fund through
their payment of a 29-cent-per-gallon
diesel fuel tax. Typically, the trust fund
provides 50% of construction funding,
while the remaining 50% comes from
general treasury funds.
In 2014, the National Waterways
Foundation commissioned a study by
researchers at the Universities of Ken-
tucky and Tennessee that analyzed the
economic impacts of preserving the
current inland waterways transporta-
tion system and expediting the con-
struction of the Congressionally-au-
thorized lock and dam modernizations
so that they would be completed in 10
years rather than the current estimate of
more than 20 years. The study results
suggest that preserving the current sys-
tem is critical, helping to sustain nearly
541,000 full-time jobs and $21 billion
in annual incomes. Moreover, accord-
ing to the study, expediting the mod-
ernization so that it mirrors President
Trump’s 10-year timeframe will hasten
the addition of another 35,000 jobs to
this total, add $14 billion in additionalCOLUMN OP/ED
New Year,
New Opportunity
By Michael Toohey, President/CEO of the Waterways Council, Inc.
Toohey18 MN February 2017