Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, this week, the Senate passed important legislation to Oregon's ports and waterways, the backbone of our regional economy. This legislation includes key provisions that I fought for to ensure the safe navigation of the Lower Columbia River's deep draft channel, which connects the Pacific Northwest and much of the country to the world.
According to the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, the channel supports more than 49 million metric tons of international trade cargo, accounting for over $31 billion in value and supporting at least 40,000 local jobs. The benefits of ensuring clear passage along the channel reach well beyond the region. The channel is the country's top wheat export gateway, the second largest U.S. soy export gateway, and the third largest grain export gateway in the world, as well as the top West Coast exporter for cars.
Since 1891, through authorizations in a patchwork of Federal laws and agreements, the Port of Portland--and later along with the Ports of Vancouver, Woodland, Kalama, and Longview, WA--has assisted in dredging and maintaining the channel. For the last 60 years, this work has been done by the Dredge Oregon, on behalf of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a dredge owned by the Port of Portland and used exclusively for Columbia River channel maintenance. While the dredge has performed extremely well on demand and often under difficult circumstances, the vessel is now nearly 60 years old and in desperate need of replacement.
I am pleased that section 1325 of this year's Water Resources Development Act will clearly authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to replace Dredge Oregon with a more modern vessel. This language makes it clear that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can reimburse the Port of Portland for financial costs incurred to replace Dredge Oregon, which exclusively works to fulfil the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers responsibilities in the Lower Columbia Channel.
This authorization is critical toward ensuring that the Lower Columbia River will continue to be dredged and maintained with the same reliability as it has been for decades. I once again thank my colleagues and staff for their hard work on this legislation.
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