[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 72 (Thursday, May 20, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6002-S6006]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BOND (for himself, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Talent, Mr. 
        Grassley, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Fitzgerald, and Mr. Pryor):
  S. 2470. A bill to enhance navigation capacity improvements and the 
ecosystem restoration plan for the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois 
Waterway System; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, today, I join my colleagues, Senators 
Harkin, Durbin, Talent, Grassley, Coleman, Fitzgerald and Pryor to 
introduce bipartisan legislation to provide transportation efficiency 
and environmental sustainability on the Mississippi and Illinois 
Rivers.
  As the world becomes more competitive, we must also. In the 
heartland, the efficiency, reliability, capacity, and safety of our 
transportation options are critical--often make-or-break. As we look 50 
years into the future, and as we anticipate and try to promote 
commercial and economic growth, we have to ask ourselves a fundamental 
question: should we have a system that permits and promotes growth, or 
should we be satisfied to restrict our growth to the confines of a 
transportation straight jacket designed not for 2050, but for 1980?
  Further, we must ask ourselves if dramatic investments should be made 
to address environmental problems and opportunities that exist on these 
great waterways.
  In both cases, the answer is, ``Of course we should modernize and 
improve.''
  We have a system which is in environmental and economic decline. Jobs 
and markets and the availability of habitat for fish and wildlife are 
at stake.

[[Page S6003]]

  We cannot be for increased trade, commercial growth, and job creation 
without supporting the basic transportation infrastructure necessary to 
move goods from buyers to sellers. New efficiency helps give our 
producers an edge that can make or break opportunities in the 
international marketplace.
  Seventy years ago, some argued that a transportation system on the 
Mississippi River was not justified. Congress decided that its role was 
not to try to predict the future but to shape the future and decided to 
invest in a system despite the naysayers. Over 80 million tons per year 
later, it is clear that the decision was wise.
  Now, that system that was designed for paddlewheel boats and to last 
50 years is nearly 70 years old and we must make decisions that will 
shape the next 50-70 years. As we look ahead, we must promote growth 
policies that help Americans who produce and employ.
  We must work for policies that promote economic growth, job creation, 
and environmental sustainability. We know that trade and economic 
growth can be fostered or it can be discouraged by policies and other 
realities which include the quality of our transportation 
infrastructure.
  So in 20 and 30 and 40 and 50 years, where will the growth in 
transportation occur to accommodate the growth in demand for commercial 
shipping? The Department of Transportation suggests that congestion on 
our roads and rails will double in the next quarter century. The fact 
of the matter is that the great untapped capacity is on our water.
  This is good news because water transportation is efficient, it is 
safe, it conserves fuel, and it protects the air and the environment. 
One medium-sized barge tow can carry the freight of 870 trucks. That 
fact alone speaks volumes to the benefits of water. If we can, would we 
rather have 870 diesel engines on the roads of downtown St. Louis, or 
two diesel engines on the water watching the traffic buildup and smog 
glide by?

  The veteran Chief Economist at USDA testified that transportation 
efficiency and the ability of farmers to win markets at higher prices 
are ``fundamentally related.'' He predicts that corn exports over the 
next 10 years will rise 45 percent, 70 percent of which will travel 
down the Mississippi.
  Over the past 35 years, waterborne commerce on the Upper Mississippi 
River has more than tripled. The system currently carries 60 percent of 
our Nation's corn exports and 45 percent of our Nation's soybean 
exports and it does so at two-thirds the cost of rail--when rail is 
available.
  Over the previous 11 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have 
spent $70 million doing a six year study. During that period, there 
have been 35 meetings of the Governors Liaison Committee, 28 meetings 
on the Economic Coordinating Committee, among the States along the 
Upper Mississippi and Illinois waterways, and there have been 44 
meetings of the Navigation and Environmental Coordination Committee. 
Additionally, there have been 130 briefings for special interest 
groups, 24 newsletters. There have been six sets of public meetings in 
46 locations with over 4,000 people in attendance. To say the least, 
this has been a very long, very transparent, and very representative 
process.
  However, while we have been studying, our competitors have been 
building. Given the extraordinary delay so far, and given the reality 
that large scale construction takes not weeks or months, but decades, 
further delay is no longer an option.
  This is why I am leased to be joined by a bipartisan group of 
Senators who agree that we must improve the efficiency and the 
environmental sustainability of our great resources. Today, we 
introduce legislation to adopt the initial recommendations of the Corps 
of Engineers and their public and private partners to increase the lock 
capacity on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers and the begin an 
ambitious program of ecosystem restoration.
  This plan gets the Corps back in the business of building the future, 
rather than just haggling about predicting the future. More will need 
to be done later on ecosystem and lock expansions further upstream, but 
this begins the improvement schedule underway.
  In this legislation, we authorize $1.46 billion for ecosystem 
restoration--two times the federal share of lock capacity expansion 
which we authorize on locks 20-25 on the Mississippi River and Peoria 
and LaGrange on the Illinois. The new 1,200 foot locks on the 
Mississippi River will provide equal capacity in the bottleneck region 
below the 1,200 foot lock 19 at Keokuk above locks 26 and 27 near St. 
Louis. Half the cost of the new locks will be paid for by private users 
who pay into the Inland Waterways Trust fund. Additional funds will be 
provided for mitigation and small scale and nonstructural measures to 
improve efficiency.
  As we look ahead, the locks at 14-18 will have to be addressed as 
will further investments to ecosystem restoration efforts.
  This effort is supported by a broad-based group of the States, farm 
groups, shippers, labor, and those who pay taxes into the Trust Fund 
for improvements.
  I thank my colleagues for their work together on this bipartisan 
effort.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2470

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

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) in section 1103(a)(2) of the Water Resources 
     Development Act of 1986 (100 Stat. 4225), Congress recognized 
     the Upper Mississippi River System as ``a nationally 
     significant ecosystem and a nationally significant commercial 
     navigation system'' and declared that the system ``shall be 
     administered and regulated in recognition of its several 
     purposes'';
       (2) inaction on construction of new locks will lead to 
     economic decline, and inaction on implementation of an 
     enhanced ecosystem restoration program will lead to further 
     environmental decline;
       (3) the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway carry 
     approximately 60 percent of the corn exports of the United 
     States and 45 percent of the soybean exports of the United 
     States, providing a significant positive balance of trade 
     benefit for the Nation;
       (4) the movement of more than 100,000,000 tons of product 
     supports 400,000 full- and part-time jobs in the United 
     States, generating over $4,000,000,000 in income and 
     $12,000,000,000 to $15,000,000,000 in economic activity;
       (5) Midwestern utilities use coal, the second largest 
     category of cargo shipped on the Upper Mississippi River 
     System, to produce cost-efficient energy;
       (6) keeping the cost of transportation lower through 
     competition between transportation modes is the United States 
     farmer's competitive advantage in capturing future global 
     growth in agricultural exports;
       (7) United States farm and trade policies work to open 
     world markets and promote United States exports, and water 
     resource policy has provided a low-cost transportation 
     alternative to other modes;
       (8) the Department of Agriculture projects that corn 
     exports will grow 44 percent over the next decade, with a \1/
     3\ increase in growth exported through the Gulf of Mexico;
       (9) those transportation savings--
       (A) provide higher income to farmers and rural communities; 
     and
       (B) generate Federal and State taxes to support community 
     activities, quality of life, and national benefits;
       (10) the construction of new 1,200-foot locks and lock 
     extensions will provide more than 48,000,000 man-hours of 
     employment over 10 to 15 years;
       (11) foreign competitors have worked over the last 10 years 
     to improve foreign transportation infrastructure to compete 
     more effectively with United States production;
       (12) the inland waterway transportation system moves 16 
     percent of the freight in the United States for 2 percent of 
     the cost, including more than 100,000,000 tons on the Upper 
     Mississippi River System;
       (13) the Department of Transportation projects that freight 
     congestion on the roads and rails in the United States will 
     double in the next 25 years and that water transportation 
     will need to play an increasing role in moving freight;
       (14) the movement of 100,000,000 tons on the river system 
     in 4,400 15-barge tows out of harms way would require an 
     equivalent of 4,000,000 trucks or 1,000,000 rail cars moving 
     directly through our communities;
       (15) econometric models are useful analytic tools to 
     provide valuable information, but are unable to account for 
     every market trend, development, and public policy impact;
       (16) the current capacity of the Upper Mississippi River 
     System is--
       (A) declining by 10 percent annually because of unplanned 
     closures of a 70-year old infrastructure; and
       (B) reducing the potential for sustained growth;

[[Page S6004]]

       (17) the current 600-foot lock system was designed for 
     steamboats, at a time when 4,000,000 tons moved on the 
     Mississippi River and a total of 2,000,000,000 bushels of 
     corn were produced nationally, compared to today, when 
     100,000,000 to 120,000,000 tons are shipped and the national 
     production of corn exceeds 10,000,000,000 bushels;
       (18) the 600-foot locks at Locks and Dam Nos. 20, 21, 22, 
     24, and 25 on the Upper Mississippi River and LaGrange and 
     Peoria on the Illinois Waterway are operating at 80 percent 
     utilization and are unable to provide for or process 
     effectively the volatile growth of traditional export grain 
     markets;
       (19) based on the current construction schedule of new 
     locks and dams on the inland system, lock modernization will 
     need to take place over 30 years, starting immediately, as an 
     imperative to avoid lost export grain sales and diminished 
     national competitiveness;
       (20) the Corps of Engineers has been studying the needs for 
     national investments on the Upper Mississippi River System 
     for the last 15 years and has based initial recommendations 
     on the best available information and science;
       (21) the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers ecosystem 
     consists of hundreds of thousands of acres of bottomland 
     forests, islands, backwaters, side channels, and wetlands;
       (22) the river ecosystem is home to 270 species of birds, 
     57 species of mammals, 45 species of amphibians and reptiles, 
     113 species of fish, and nearly 50 species of mussels;
       (23) more than 40 percent of migratory waterfowl and 
     shorebirds in North America depend on the river for food, 
     shelter, and habitat during migration;
       (24) the annual operation of the Upper Mississippi River 
     Basin needs to take into consideration opportunities for 
     ecosystem restoration;
       (25) development since the 1930's has altered and reduced 
     the biological diversity of the large flood plain river 
     systems of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers;
       (26) Congress recognizes the need for significant Federal 
     investment in the restoration of the Upper Mississippi and 
     Illinois River ecosystems;
       (27) the Upper Mississippi River System provides important 
     economic benefits from recreational and tourist uses, 
     resulting in the basin's receiving more visitors annually 
     than most National Parks, with the ecosystems and wildlife 
     being the main attractions; and
       (28) the Upper Mississippi River System--
       (A) includes 284,688 acres of National Wildlife Refuge land 
     that is managed as habitat for migratory birds, fish, 
     threatened and endangered species, and a diverse assortment 
     of other species and related habitats; and
       (B) provides many recreational opportunities.

     SEC. 2. ENHANCED NAVIGATION CAPACITY IMPROVEMENTS AND 
                   ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PLAN FOR THE UPPER 
                   MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND ILLINOIS WATERWAY SYSTEM.

       (a) Definitions.-- In this section:
       (1) Plan.--The term ``Plan'' means the preferred integrated 
     plan contained in the document entitled ``Integrated 
     Feasibility Report and Programmatic Environmental Impact 
     Statement for the UMR-IWW System Navigation Feasibility 
     System'' and dated April 29, 2004.
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Army.
       (3) Upper mississippi river and illinois waterway system.--
     The term ``Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway 
     System'' means the projects for navigation and ecosystem 
     restoration authorized by Congress for--
       (A) the segment of the Mississippi River from the 
     confluence with the Ohio River, River Mile 0.0, to Upper St. 
     Anthony Falls Lock in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, River 
     Mile 854.0; and
       (B) the Illinois Waterway from its confluence with the 
     Mississippi River at Grafton, Illinois, River Mile 0.0, to 
     T.J. O'Brien Lock in Chicago, Illinois, River Mile 327.0.
       (b) Authorization of Construction of Navigation 
     Improvements.--
       (1) Small scale and nonstructural measures.--At a cost of 
     $24,000,000 in funds from the general fund of the Treasury, 
     to be matched in an equal amount from the Inland Waterways 
     Trust Fund (which is paid by private users), the Secretary 
     shall--
       (A) construct mooring facilities at Locks 12, 14, 18, 20, 
     22, 24, and LaGrange Lock;
       (B) provide switchboats at Locks 20 through 25 over 5 years 
     for project operation; and
       (C) conduct development and testing of an appointment 
     scheduling system.
       (2) New locks.--At a cost of $730,000,000 in funds from the 
     general fund of the Treasury, with an equal matching amount 
     provided from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (which is paid 
     by the private users), the Secretary shall construct new 
     1,200-foot locks at Locks 20, 21, 22, 24, and 25 on the Upper 
     Mississippi River and at LaGrange Lock and Peoria Lock on the 
     Illinois Waterway.
       (3) Mitigation.--At a cost of $100,000,000 in funds from 
     the general fund of the Treasury, with an equal matching 
     amount provided from the Inland Waterway Trust Fund (which is 
     paid by private users), the Secretary shall conduct 
     mitigation for new locks and small scale and nonstructural 
     measures authorized under paragraphs (1) and (2).
       (c) Ecosystem Restoration Authorization.--
       (1) Operation.--To ensure the environmental sustainability 
     of the existing Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway 
     System, the Secretary shall, consistent with requirements to 
     avoid any adverse effects on navigation, modify the operation 
     of the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway System 
     to address the cumulative environmental impacts of operation 
     of the system and improve the ecological integrity of the 
     Upper Mississippi River and Illinois River.
       (2) Ecosystem restoration projects.--
       (A) In general.--The Secretary shall, consistent with 
     requirements to avoid any adverse effects on navigation, 
     carry out ecosystem restoration projects to attain and 
     maintain the sustainability of the ecosystem of the Upper 
     Mississippi River and Illinois River in accordance with the 
     general framework outlined in the Plan.
       (B) Projects included.--Ecosystem restoration projects may 
     include--
       (i) island building;
       (ii) construction of fish passages;
       (iii) floodplain restoration;
       (iv) water level management (including water drawdown);
       (v) backwater restoration;
       (vi) side channel restoration;
       (vii) wing dam and dike restoration and modification;
       (viii) island and shoreline protection;
       (ix) topographical diversity;
       (x) dam point control;
       (xi) use of dredged material for environmental purposes;
       (xii) tributary confluence restoration;
       (xiii) spillway modification to benefit the environment;
       (xiv) land easement authority; and
       (xv) land acquisition.
       (C) Cost sharing.--
       (i) In general.--Except as provided in clause (ii), the 
     Federal share of the cost of carrying out an ecosystem 
     restoration project under this paragraph shall be 65 percent.
       (ii) Exception for certain restoration projects.--In the 
     case of a project under this paragraph for ecosystem 
     restoration, the Federal share of the cost of carrying out 
     the project shall be 100 percent if the project--

       (I) is located below the ordinary high water mark or in a 
     connected backwater;
       (II) modifies the operation or structures for navigation; 
     or
       (III) is located on federally owned land.

       (iii) Nongovernmental organizations.--Nongovernmental 
     organizations shall be eligible to contribute the non-Federal 
     cost-sharing requirements applicable to projects under this 
     paragraph.
       (D) Land acquisition.--The Secretary may acquire land or an 
     interest in land for an ecosystem restoration project from a 
     willing owner through conveyance of--
       (i) fee title to the land; or
       (ii) a flood plain conservation easement.
       (3) Specific projects authorization.--
       (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the ecosystem 
     restoration projects described in paragraph (2) shall be 
     carried out at a total construction cost of $1,460,000,000.
       (B) Limitation on available funds.--Of the amounts made 
     available under subparagraph (A), not more than $35,000,000 
     for each fiscal year shall be available for land acquisition 
     under paragraph (2)(D).
       (4) Implementation reports.--
       (A) In general.--Not later than June 30, 2005, and every 4 
     years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee 
     on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
     of Representatives an implementation report that--
       (i) includes baselines, benchmarks, goals, and priorities 
     for ecosystem restoration projects; and
       (ii) measures the progress in meeting the goals.
       (B) Advisory panel.--
       (i) In general.--The Secretary shall appoint and convene an 
     advisory panel to provide independent guidance in the 
     development of each implementation report under subparagraph 
     (A).
       (ii) Panelists.--Panelists shall include--

       (I) 1 representative of each of the State resource agencies 
     (or a designee of the Governor of the State) from each of the 
     States of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin;
       (II) 1 representative of the Department of Agriculture;
       (III) 1 representative of the Department of Transportation;
       (IV) 1 representative of the United States Geological 
     Survey;
       (V) 1 representative of the United States Fish and Wildlife 
     Service;
       (VI) 1 representative of the Environmental Protection 
     Agency;
       (VII) 1 representative of affected landowners;
       (VIII) 2 representatives of conservation and environmental 
     advocacy groups; and
       (IX) 2 representatives of agriculture and industry advocacy 
     groups.

       (iii) Co-chairpersons.--The Secretary and the Secretary of 
     the Interior shall serve as co-chairpersons of the advisory 
     panel.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--Except as otherwise 
     provided in this section--
       (1) there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as 
     are necessary to carry out this section for fiscal years 2006 
     through 2020; and
       (2) after fiscal year 2020--

[[Page S6005]]

       (A) funds that have been made available under this section, 
     but have not been expended, may be expended; and
       (B) funds that have been authorized to be appropriated 
     under this section, but have not been made available, may be 
     made available.

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I rise to discuss a bipartisan measure on 
which I have worked closely with my colleague from Missouri, Senator 
Bond. The purpose of this bill is to expand the transportation 
infrastructure and improve the ecosystem of the upper Mississippi 
River.
  I have been deeply involved with Mississippi navigation issues 
because of their enormous importance to farmers in Iowa. Efficient 
river transportation is critical to keeping Iowa commodity costs 
competitive with foreign and domestic alternatives. When shipping on 
the river is constrained, costs rise. That, in turn, leads to price 
increases for moving bulk farm commodities by alternative means, mainly 
rail. These price differentials seem relatively small compared to the 
total price, but they make a huge difference in farm income.
  Clearly, river traffic on the Mississippi is incredibly important to 
producers in my State. As a result of traffic congestion on the 
Mississippi, producers in the upper Midwest face longer shipping times, 
higher costs, and lost revenue. In the short run, enhanced traffic 
management can improve the situation. And it is important to have 
helper boats to push long barges through crowded locks. This bill 
addresses these two matters. But we need a longer-term solution, too. 
It is incredibly important that we modernize a number of the locks on 
the upper Mississippi--and we need to get started as soon as possible.
  Existing law requires exhaustive analysis of river-use levels looking 
decades into the future. The studies required for such predictions are, 
by their very nature, highly speculative at best. There is no shortage 
of critics of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its methods. But we 
can all agree that, to remain competitive, America needs to keep the 
arteries and veins of America's river transportation system in smooth 
running order. Last year, I visited Brazil and saw first-hand their 
remarkable efforts to modernize and improve their river transportation 
system. We need to keep up with countries like Brazil, if we are going 
to remain competitive. We simply cannot wait any longer to authorize 
construction of 1,200-foot locks so barge tows can move through the 
upper Mississippi and Illinois without being split.
  However, this is not an easy issue. Over the years, I have heard time 
and time again from constituents and national leaders who are concerned 
about the environment, as I am. People correctly insist that we 
maintain a balance between navigation, flood control, and environmental 
protection. Habitat for many species, and the Mississippi river 
ecosystem as a whole, has deteriorated since the construction of the 
original lock system in the 1930's.
  The Mississippi River is home to a wide variety of fish and birds, as 
well as other wildlife. All of this wildlife, and the abundant plant 
life, too, are important to the character and life of the Mississippi 
River. Approximately 40 percent of North America's waterfowl and 
shorebirds use the Mississippi Flyway. Parts of the Upper Mississippi 
River serve could well be the most important area for migrating diving 
ducks in the United States. The Mississippi River also serves as 
habitat for breeding and wintering birds, including the bald eagle.

  We are all aware of the problems that have plagued the Corps' past 
work on the Mississippi River. But the Corps has pledged to 
dramatically step up its emphasis on environmental protection. We need 
to work with the Corps to ensure that all updates and renovations of 
locks and dams are done with keen concern for the environment and for 
the fish and wildlife that depend on the Mississippi River habitat. At 
the same time, we need to give the Corps the authorization and funding 
it needs to accomplish real ecosystem restoration, and not just make up 
for the lost habitat of specific identified species. The legislation we 
are proposing accomplishes this.
  We understand that this bill is going to be a challenge in these 
difficult budget times. But to not act would be penny wise and pound 
foolish. We need to be thinking of the long-term economic health of our 
agricultural producers and shippers, hand in hand with the long-term 
health of the diverse ecosystems in the river. I believe the 
legislation we are proposing strikes a careful balance. I look forward 
to working closely with my colleagues to achieve those goals.
  Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, I rise today to as a cosponsor of 
legislation to modernize our aging waterways infrastructure on the 
Upper Mississippi River and the Illinois River.
  I am glad to join my colleague from Missouri, Senator Bond as well as 
Senators Harkin and Grassley in introducing a bill to upgrade and 
modernize the failing infrastructure on the Upper Mississippi and 
Illinois Rivers.
  This $2.9 billion authorization will also bring great benefits to the 
fish habitat along the river through construction of fish passages, 
floodplain restoration and side channel restoration. I commend Senators 
Bond and Harkin for working to find some balance in this important 
issue. I have always said, navigation and habitat restoration do not 
have to be mutually exclusive.
  The locks and dams that are in place today are vital to our national 
economy. These national waterways serve as our competitive advantage to 
our overseas competitors, and this a clean and efficient way to move 
goods and commodities for export. The Upper Mississippi River and 
Illinois Waterway carry approximately 60 percent of the country's corn 
exports and 45 percent of our soybean exports, providing a significant 
positive balance of trade benefit for the Nation. Over half of the 
Soybeans produced in Missiouri head down the Mississippi River to the 
Gulf where they are shipped to markets overseas.
  To me, this issue is a question of common sense. Water transportation 
is safe, clean and efficient. One medium barge tow can carry the same 
freight as 870 tractor trailer trucks. This relieves highway 
congestion, reduces shipping costs, and reduces fuels consumption and 
air emissions. Despite this, we'll still have opponents to this bill 
saying that it isn't good for the environment.
  This bill is a win-win. It will take steps to reduce some of the 
burdens on our transportation systems, as well as providing more 
opportunities for our agricultural producers to export their products.
  These locks are old and outdated. The current 600-foot lock system 
was designed for streamboats, at a time when 4 million tons moved on 
the Mississippi River and a total of 2 billion bushels of corn were 
produced nationally, compared to today, when 100 million to 120 million 
tons are shipped and the national production of corn exceeds 10 million 
bushels. We need to bring these locks into the 21st Century.
  If we don't fix this aging infrastructure now, it will only become 
more costly. If I get a hole in the roof of my house, my wife and I may 
discuss how to fix it, but we know we will make the repair. If you 
don't make the repairs and upgrades, the problem only gets worse. That 
is what we have done to the locks and dams on the Mississippi River. I 
don't want this to be a situation where the roof actually falls in--we 
must modernize the system.
  I commend my colleague from Missouri and his leadership on this 
issue. This is a good bill and I am happy to join him as a cosponsor. I 
look forward to continuing to work with him on this important issue.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am pleased to be an original cosponsor 
of bipartisan legislation to authorize the modernization of the lock 
and dam infrastructure and enhanced environmental restoration on the 
Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.
  Modernizing the inland waterway transportation system remains a high 
priority for the Upper Mississippi River basin and for agricultural, 
commercial, and labor interests that rely on the river to transport 
their products. In addition to strong grassroots support for this 
endeavor, the State legislatures have passed resolutions endorsing lock 
and dam modernization, ecosystem restoration, and Congressional action.
  Agriculture and related industries in Iowa and the other States on 
the Upper Mississippi remain competitive in world markets, despite 
higher production costs, because of the efficiencies inherent in river 
transport. More than 60 percent of all grain exports move from the 
Upper Mississippi, making

[[Page S6006]]

this competitive advantage vital to their ability to operate their 
business. Over 400,000 full and part-time jobs in our basin are 
connected to the river. Without modernization, Midwest producers will 
not be able to compete in anticipated world grain export growth.
  Furthermore, a recent study estimates the loss of 30,000 jobs 
nationwide, $562 million annually in lost farm income and $185 million 
annually in lost State and local tax receipts if the lock and dam 
system is not upgraded. Providing U.S. agricultural producers every 
opportunity to export their products to world markets is essential for 
their financial well-being and future viability.
  While it is important to consider economic benefits, we must also 
protect the ecosystem of the river. A cooperative solution can meet the 
needs of farmers and waterway users while at the same time improve the 
environment and stem the decline of the Rivers' ecosystems through 
enhanced authorities. Restoring the ecosystem is not mutually exclusive 
to lock modernization.
  After 12 years and $70 million of study, we firmly believe that the 
time has come to take action. I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation providing initial authorization to begin the modernization 
process and enhance the authorities to address broader ecosystem 
restoration. Without immediate action, the health of both the 
agriculture economy and river ecosystem will continue to decline.
  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, the Mississippi River is a national 
treasure and this legislation authorizes programs that will help 
restore water quality and rehabilitate wildlife and wildlife habitat on 
the river.
  The annual operation of the Upper Mississippi River Basin needs to 
take into consideration opportunities for ecosystem restoration. The 
Upper Mississippi River ecosystem consists of hundreds of thousands of 
acres of bottomland forests, islands, backwaters, side channels and 
wetlands. The Upper Mississippi River system includes 284,688 acres of 
National Wildlife Refuge land that is managed as habitat for migratory 
birds, fish, threatened and endangered species and a diverse assortment 
of other species and related habitats.
  I am very pleased that this bill gives ecosystem restoration the 
attention that it deserves.
  The Department of Transportation projects that water transportation 
will play an increasing role in moving freight due to congestion on 
roads and railways. More efficient use of river transportation will 
help the environment reducing traffic congestion and emissions on our 
Nation's highways. For example, a 15 barge tow can carry as much as 870 
semi-tractor trailer trucks. Fuel efficiency for barge transportation 
is 2.5 times that of rail transport and nearly 10 times that of truck 
transport.
  Improving navigation efficiency on the upper Mississippi and Illinois 
Rivers has been a high priority issue for Midwest farmers for years. 
Our agricultural competitive position in accessing world markets is 
greatly impacted by the efficiency of our transportation system. 
Farmers depend on the lock system to move grain efficiently to market. 
They also depend on the locks for the movement of crop production 
inputs up the Mississippi River.
  Our entire region benefits as commercial barge traffic moves not only 
agricultural products, but also aggregate, cement, salt, and other 
important items efficiently, safely and in an environmentally sound 
manner.
  The Upper Mississippi River Ecosystem Restoration and navigation bill 
also represents a landmark opportunity to address environmental and 
economic ramifications of the entire lock and dam system, rather than 
the previous piecemeal approaches. The Corps of Engineers has responded 
to critics who called for a comprehensive evaluation, coupling an 
assessment of the economic need for navigation improvements and the 
ecosystem restoration components necessary to protect our region in the 
process. As outlined in this legislation, the $1.46 billion ecosystem 
restoration package includes the construction of fish passages, 
floodplain restoration on thousands of acres and side channel 
restoration, along with other measures.
  This is indeed a new approach to improving our economy, by providing 
construction jobs and boosting our farm economy, and protecting our 
environment, by increasing the efficiency of barge traffic while 
initiating important water quality measures.
  I am proud to be a coauthor of this important legislation.
  Mr. FITZGERALD. Mr. President, I rise today with Senator Bond in 
support of a bill to put into place recommendations by the Army Corps 
of Engineers for navigation capacity improvements and ecosystem 
restoration for the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers Waterway 
System.
  Modernizing the inland waterway transportation system is a high 
priority for the Upper Mississippi River basin and for agricultural, 
commercial, and labor interests that rely on the river to transport 
their products. Without modernization, Midwest producers will not be 
able to fully participate in growing world markets.
  On April 29, 2004, the Army Corps of Engineers released its proposal 
to upgrade the locks and to provide for ecosystem restoration on these 
two waterways. I have consistently fought for funding to revitalize 
these locks to help Illinois producers more easily transport their 
products to market. I have joined Senator Bond as a cosponsor to this 
bill because our country's agriculture and business interests have 
waited far too long for these improvements.
  The Mississippi River plays a vital role in our economy. The 
Mississippi and Illinois Rivers are two of the major routes by which 
Illinois agricultural commodities are distributed to the world. In 
fact, roughly 70 percent of U.S. agricultural products are transported 
through the Mississippi River system. More than 60 million tons of 
commodities are transported on the Illinois River alone, including more 
than half of Illinois' annual corn crop.
  By controlling the water's flow, locks and dams help facilitate the 
transportation of commodities along rivers. The outdated and 
deteriorating 600-foot locks on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers 
create unnecessary delays because the locks are too small to 
accommodate modern size barge tows. This causes transportation costs to 
rise and results in lost market share for Illinois agriculture 
producers.
  Along with modernizing this river system's locks, we must not allow 
the deterioration of its ecosystem. A cooperative solution can meet the 
needs of waterway users and, at the same time, improve the environment 
and stem the decline of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers' 
ecosystems. This legislation strikes a good balance by upgrading the 
lock system while protecting the ecosystem of these rivers.
  I commend Senator Bond for introducing this important legislation and 
am pleased to join him in cosponsoring this bill. Illinois farmers and 
other producers have waited far too long for these improvements. This 
bill brings the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers Waterway System 
into the 21st century.
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