ILTA, Other Trades Urge House, Senate Committees to Move Forward with Strong Water Bill Funding

August 19, 2020

Honorable John Barrasso                                                        Honorable Tom Carper
Chairman                                                                                 Ranking Member
U.S. Senate Committee on                                                      U.S. Senate Committee on
Environment and Public Works                                                Environment and Public Works
410 Dirksen Senate Office Building                                         456 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510                                                           Washington, D.C. 20510

Honorable Peter DeFazio                                                       Honorable Sam Graves
Chairman                                                                                Ranking Member
U.S. House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure    U.S. House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure
2165 Rayburn House Office Building                                     2164 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515                                                        Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Barrasso, Ranking Member Carper, Chairman DeFazio, and Ranking Member Graves:

We write to thank you for your respective committees’ continued efforts to advance water infrastructure legislation in a bipartisan fashion. The industries we represent are committed to ensuring that the transport of U.S. goods and commodities by water is done in a safe and efficient manner so that we may continue to support the economic recovery and growth of the surrounding communities and stakeholder industries.

As you work to preconference the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 and the Water Resources Development Act of 2020, we urge you to ensure the essential resources made available by these pieces of legislation are used for their intended purpose. Specifically, ensuring additional deposits into the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund are only used for harbor maintenance projects will enable long-overdue work to be done that supports safe and efficient navigation across the U.S. for vessels of differing shapes and sizes.

These dedicated funds further make certain that ports and channels are maintained at their full depth and width to accommodate a variety of commerce and waterway traffic. As economic needs continue to develop and change as they relate to port infrastructure and vessel accommodation, ensuring that vessels can safely and efficiently access these waterways and port facilities is crucial for continued commercial activity and growth.

We also urge you to maintain the adjusted cost-share for Inland Waterway Trust Fund projects. This shift will allow more trust fund dollars to flow to necessary inland waterway projects that have been, in some instances, neglected for many funding cycles.

As America plots a path to economic recovery in a COVID-19 world, we stand behind your efforts to ensure that critical water projects receive the funding they need to support local communities and key industries that are driving commerce forward. We thank you in advance for your work to negotiate a strong, bipartisan legislative package and stand ready to assist your committees.

Sincerely,
National Mining Association
American Petroleum Institute
American Chemistry Council
American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers
International Liquid Terminals Association
Industrial Minerals Association – North America
Dredging Contractors of America
National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association