Text: SCR00103 Text: SCR00105 Text: SCR00100 - SCR00199 Text: SCR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. ___ 1 2 BY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE 1 3 (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3012) 1 4 A Concurrent Resolution urging the United States 1 5 Congress provide funding for the modernization of 1 6 lock and dam infrastructure on the Upper Mississippi 1 7 and Illinois Rivers Inland Waterways Transportation 1 8 System. 1 9 WHEREAS, over 360 miles of the Upper Mississippi 1 10 River and 11 navigation locks and dams are contained 1 11 on the border of or in the state of Iowa; and 1 12 WHEREAS, there are approximately 70 manufacturing 1 13 facilities, terminals, and docks on the waterways of 1 14 Iowa, providing thousands of jobs in this state; and 1 15 WHEREAS, the construction of the lock and dam 1 16 system has spurred economic growth and a higher 1 17 standard of living in the Mississippi and Illinois 1 18 river basin, and today supplies more than 300 million 1 19 tons of the nation's cargo, supporting more than 1 20 400,000 jobs, including 90,000 in manufacturing; and 1 21 WHEREAS, more than 60 percent of American 1 22 agricultural exports including corn, wheat, and 1 23 soybeans are shipped down the Mississippi and Illinois 1 24 rivers to foreign markets; and 1 25 WHEREAS, Iowa agricultural producers, industry, and 1 26 consumers rely on efficient transportation to remain 1 27 competitive in a global economy, with efficiencies in 1 28 river transport offsetting higher costs compared to 1 29 those incurred by foreign competitors; and 1 30 WHEREAS, the Upper Mississippi and Illinois lock 2 1 and dam system annually saves our nation more than 2 2 $1.5 billion in higher transportation costs; and 2 3 WHEREAS, approximately 17 million tons of 2 4 commodities and products including grain, coal, 2 5 chemicals, and aggregates are annually shipped to, 2 6 from, and within Iowa by barge, representing $2.7 2 7 billion in value; and 2 8 WHEREAS, shippers moving by barge in Iowa realize 2 9 an annual savings of approximately $170 million 2 10 compared to other transportation modes; and 2 11 WHEREAS, Iowa docks ship commodities and products 2 12 by barge to 14 states and receive commodities and 2 13 products from 18 states; and 2 14 WHEREAS, river transportation is the most 2 15 environmentally benign form of transporting 2 16 commodities and products, creating minimal levels of 2 17 noise pollution, and emitting 35 to 60 percent fewer 2 18 pollutants than trucks or trains, according to the 2 19 United States Environmental Protection Agency; and 2 20 WHEREAS, decreasing river transport capacity would 2 21 add millions of trucks and railcars to our nation's 2 22 transportation infrastructure, dramatically increasing 2 23 air pollution, traffic congestion, and highway 2 24 maintenance costs; and 2 25 WHEREAS, lakes and wildlife refuges created by the 2 26 lock and dam system provide habitat and breeding 2 27 grounds for migratory waterfowl and fish; and 2 28 WHEREAS, the lakes and 500 miles of wildlife refuge 2 29 along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois river basin 2 30 support a $1 billion-a-year recreational industry, 3 1 including hunting, fishing, and tourism; and 3 2 WHEREAS, many of Iowa's locks and dams are more 3 3 than 60 years old and only 600 feet in length, making 3 4 them unable to accommodate modern barge tows of up to 3 5 1,200 feet long, nearly tripling locking times and 3 6 causing lengthy delays and ultimately increasing 3 7 shipping costs; and 3 8 WHEREAS, the expansion and modernization of locks 3 9 has been proven nationwide as the best method of 3 10 optimizing efficiency, reducing congestion, and 3 11 providing for additional safety of inland waterway 3 12 administration; and 3 13 WHEREAS, failing to construct 1,200-foot locks will 3 14 force agricultural producers and industry to use more 3 15 expensive alternative modes of transportation, 3 16 including road and rail systems; and 3 17 WHEREAS, according to the United States Army Corps 3 18 of Engineers, congestion along the Upper Mississippi 3 19 and Illinois rivers costs agricultural producers and 3 20 consumers in the basin $98 million per year in higher 3 21 transportation costs; and 3 22 WHEREAS, upgrading the system of locks and dams on 3 23 the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers will provide 3 24 3,000 construction and related jobs over a 15-year to 3 25 20-year period; NOW THEREFORE, 3 26 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF 3 27 REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, That the General Assembly 3 28 recognizes the importance of the Upper Mississippi and 3 29 Illinois Rivers Inland Transportation System to the 3 30 economic prosperity and ecological vitality of the 4 1 state, the region, and the nation, and urges the 4 2 United States Congress to provide immediate funding to 4 3 modernize its lock and dam infrastructure. 4 4 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the 4 5 Senate send copies of this concurrent resolution to 4 6 the President of the United States; the Chief of 4 7 Engineers and Commander of the United States Corps of 4 8 Engineers; the President of the United States Senate; 4 9 the Speaker of the United States House of 4 10 Representatives; the Chair of the Senate Committee on 4 11 Commerce, Science, and Transportation; the Chair of 4 12 the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, 4 13 Nutrition and Forestry; the Chair of the House of 4 14 Representatives Committee on Transportation and 4 15 Infrastructure; the Chair of the United States House 4 16 of Representatives Committee on Agriculture; and 4 17 Iowa's congressional delegation. 4 18 SCR 104 4 19 da/cc/26
Text: SCR00103 Text: SCR00105 Text: SCR00100 - SCR00199 Text: SCR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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