摘要: |
"Its a beautiful day in the neighborhood!" That was how Marty Hettel, vice president of governmental affairs at American Commercial Barge Line and a longtime veteran of the Inland Waterways Users Board and many other inland waterway committees and roles, greeted the January19 release of the Corps of Engineers' work plan for the $22.8 billion total in supplemental funding it received in two recently enacted appropriations bills: the recently signed bipartisan Infrastructure Jobs and Investment Act and the 2022 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. After decades of under-funding of inland waterway projects, the bills go some way toward restoring funding levels to levels that will speed up major projects and save money in the long run by more efficient investment. Ports, river cities and industries that depend on water transport all welcomed the funding. |