[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 152 (Tuesday, November 4, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S11706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      BILOXI HARBOR NAVIGATION ACT

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the consideration of calendar No. 238, S. 1324.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1324) to deauthorize a portion of the project 
     for navigation, Biloxi Harbor, Mississippi.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the bill?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, today the Senate is considering S. 1324, a 
bill introduced by Senator Lott to deauthorize a portion of the project 
for navigation at Biloxi Harbor, MS. The Senate Committee on 
Environment and Public Works unanimously approved this measure on 
October 29, 1997.
  This technical legislation is necessary as the Mississippi Department 
of Transportation intends to replace an existing bascule bridge, which 
spans a segment of the Bernard Bayou Federal navigation channel in 
Biloxi Harbor, with a fixed span bridge. Construction of the fixed span 
bridge would obstruct the navigation channel, which was authorized as 
part of the 1960 River and Harbor Act. However, the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers has determined that there is no current or expected 
commercial navigation along the channel.
  Thus, deauthorization of a portion of the Bernard Bayou Federal 
channel appropriately addressed an artifact of the 1960 authorization 
and allows for construction of the fixed span bridge. The Army Corps of 
Engineers has informed the Congress that it has no objection to 
deauthorization of the Bernard Bayou Federal navigation channel segment 
identified in S. 1324. Mr. President, I encourage Senate adoption of 
this necessary measure.
  I ask unanimous consent that a letter from June O'Neill of the CBO to 
me be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                    U.S. CONGRESS,


                                  Congressional Budget Office,

                                 Washington, DC, October 31, 1997.
     Hon. John H. Chafee,
     Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works, U.S. 
         Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
     prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 1324, a bill to 
     deauthorize a portion of the project for navigation, Biloxi 
     Harbor, Mississippi.
       If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
     pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Gary Brown.
           Sincerely,
                                                    James. L. Blum
                                            (For June E. O'Neill).
       Enclosure.


               congressional budget office cost estimate

     S. 1324--A bill to deauthorize a portion of the project for 
         navigation, Biloxi Harbor, Mississippi
       CBO estimates that enacting the bill would have no impact 
     on the federal budget. The bill contains no intergovernmental 
     or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded 
     Mandates Reform Act of 1995, and would impose no costs on 
     state, local, or tribal governments.
       S. 1324 would deauthorize a portion of the project for 
     navigation of Bernard Bayou Channel, Biloxi, Mississippi, 
     that was authorized by the River and Harbor Act of 1960. The 
     deauthorization would allow the Mississippi Department of 
     Transportation to replace the existing bascule bridge 
     (drawbridge) that spans that channel with a fixed-span 
     bridge. Any costs associated with constructing a bridge would 
     be incurred voluntarily by the state of Mississippi.
       If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
     pleased to provide them. the CBO staff contact is Gary Brown. 
     This estimate was approved by Robert A. Sunshine, Deputy 
     Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
considered read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill 
appear at the appropriate place in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is 
so ordered.
  The bill (S. 1324) was read the third time and passed, as follows:

                                S. 1324

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION. 1 BILOXI HARBOR, MISSISSIPPI.

       The portion of the project for navigation, Biloxi Harbor, 
     Mississippi, authorized by the River and Harbor Act of 1960 
     (74 Stat. 481), for the Bernard Bayou Channel beginning near 
     the Air Force Oil Terminal at approximately navigation mile 
     2.6 and extending downstream to the North-South \1/2\ of 
     Section 30, Township 7 South, Range 10 West, Harrison County, 
     Mississippi, just west of Kremer Boat Yards, is not 
     authorized after the date of enactment of this Act.

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