[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 111 (Thursday, July 25, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H8520]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           MARMENT LOCKS IMPORTANT TO INLAND WATERWAY SYSTEM

  (Mr. WISE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, the Marment Locks are an extremely important 
project not only for West Virginia but actually for the inland waterway 
system. There is a lot of uncertainty because the appraisal and real 
estate acquisition process must go forward. Two hundred families have 
been waiting a long time for this to happen. In the energy and water 
appropriation bill today that passed this House there was no language 
about that, and that is because that there is a two step, there are two 
ways that we can get such a project as this moving forward, and I just 
want to assure people that the process is not stopped.
  The energy and water appropriation bill had a rule that there would 
be no new starts involved in it, neither the House, nor Senate, at this 
time. However, the other step the other way is the authorization 
process, and the water resources bill contains full authorization for 
the Marment Locks, it has passed the Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee.
  I am urging the congressional leadership, and I think on a bipartisan 
basis, to bring this to the floor as soon as possible and to end this 
uncertainty. It is definitely possible for the water resources bill to 
be enacted this year to give approval for the Marment Locks to move 
forward and end this delay and uncertainty for so many families in West 
Virginia.

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