2005 Year in Review

Illinois Senators Co-Sponsor Bill To Fund New Locks And Dams

Illinois soybean farmers are pleased that Illinois Senator Richard Durbin recently signed on as a co-sponsor in support of funding for new locks and dams construction. The construction funding is part of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) also co-sponsored by Illinois Senator Barack Obama.

"One of the few remaining advantages we have over our international competitors is an efficient inland waterway transportation system. More than 75 percent of U.S. soybean exports move to world ports via the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers," says Earl H. Williams, Jr., Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) President and farmer from Cherry Valley, Illinois. "Barge transportation is not only the most economical means of transportation, it is also the most environmentally friendly way to move U.S. soybeans to our markets."

The current lock and dam system was constructed nearly 60 years ago and designed for 600-foot barges. Today, most barge tows are 1,200-feet long, which require the tow to be split and sent through one section at a time. As a result, delays increase transportation costs and pressure commodity prices and international sales.

The WRDA legislation would provide $2.475 billion for construction of seven, new 1,200-foot navigation locks to address the problem, along with small-scale navigation improvements and ecosystem restoration on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. The legislation allocates funds for construction at Locks 20, 21, 22, 24 and 25 on the Upper Mississippi and at LaGrange and Peoria Locks on the Illinois River.

"These locks and dams must be modernized now to make it easier for Illinois corn and soybean farmers to export their crops," noted Senator Obama about the bill. "This bill represents a critical investment in our state's future that will launch a new era in Illinois agriculture by helping farmers move goods down the rivers to the Port of New Orleans, restoring the environment along the rivers and creating 6,000 jobs over 15 years."

In comparison, Argentina has invested more than $650 million in transportation systems in recent years, while Brazil is reconstructing its water transport network to reduce the cost of shipping soybeans by at least 75 percent. During the last three years, the two countries have cumulatively captured half of the total growth in world soybean sales.

The full Senate could consider the WRDA bill sometime this month.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
May 6, 2005