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Guest Commentary March 4, 2002
A Story for the Mississippi River
The Honorable Jo Ann Emerson
When speaking of the Mississippi, Mark Twain said, the river is a "wonderful book (with) a new story to tell every day."
This [past] week as the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) testified before the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, the words of Mark Twain seem to resonate and underscore the importance of the "next chapter" of the Mississippi River and other waterways throughout the nation. During Congressional hearings the Corps highlighted the importance of the operation and maintenance of our locks, dams and levees and the role our waterways play in promoting and enhancing economic development and trade opportunities in the global marketplace.
Currently the Corps operates and maintains 25,000 miles of inland, intercoastal and coastal waterways and channels in the U.S. including 12,000 miles of commercially active inland and intercoastal waterways. Through state and local partnerships, the Corps serves 41 states and 926 harbor projects -- including projects underway in New Madrid, Mississippi, Pemiscot and Cape Girardeau counties.
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In addition to providing states with the ability to invest in critical flood prevention and recreational projects, the Corps works to enhance strategic economic opportunities for towns along the Mississippi River. Commodities of great value to the global marketplace like coal, petroleum, industrial metal, minerals and a whole host of agriculture products flow down our waterways every year. Farmers utilize the waterways because of their geographical proximity to farms and processing facilities. The result is that more than 68% of our corn exports and 71% of our soybean exports in the nation move by inland waterways.
While our current highway system in Missouri is in dire need of improvement and repair, farmers benefit from and depend on the waterways for low cost transportation in order to be competitive in world export markets. A quarter of the price farmers receive for export grain and soybeans depends on low-cost river transportation. One barge can move 22,500 tons of cargo, while on land it would take 225 rail cars or 870 tractor-trailer trucks. The barge moves that same amount of cargo at a savings of $10.76 per ton -- that works out to $7 billion a year. The savings keeps food costs lower for consumers and for farmers who are suffering from historically low prices, those are savings that are easy to see, touch and feel. In addition to the lower costs, waterway transport is quieter than trains or trucks, the emissions are lower than rail or trucks, and barge transportation is the safest mode of the three modes of transportation.
Although waterway transport is more affordable and has substantial benefits to rail and road transportation, the structure of our waterways is in need of maintenance and repair. The Corps notes that 51% of its lock chambers are 50 years old, that waterway traffic is projected to increase by about a third to over 830 million tons by 2020, and that locks should be modernized and properly maintained to avoid delays and congestion. Like some have said, "The costs of maintaining our waterways, airports, and air traffic control systems...are substantial. However, the price of not keeping up with transportation system demand is decreased productivity, products that are less competitive, and a lower standard of living."
As hearings resume and work on the budget for the Army Corps of Engineers continues, we'll continue to work toward a budget that promotes affordable transportation and enhances economic development opportunities for our region. Doing so, will allow us to add to the book of which Mark Twain spoke -- and make it a worthwhile story for the future of Southern Missouri.
Jo Ann Emerson, a Republican, represents the 8th Congressional District of Missouri in the U.S. House of Representatives. The above commentary has been adapted from a weekly column Rep. Emerson issues, March 1, 2002. To contact her, Click Here.
The above column has been distributed by PoliticsOL.com.
