Ag Policy Blog

Waterway Projects on the Agenda in D.C.

Chris Clayton
By  Chris Clayton , DTN Ag Policy Editor
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Inland waterways will get some attention around Washington, D.C., over the next couple of days as the Waterways Council holds its annual meeting, putting heavy emphasis on the Water Resources Development Act of 2013.

Fixing and upgrading the locks and dams along the Mississippi River and other major grain-moving waterways have been top priorities for major agricultural groups. This year could be pivotal for moving ahead on some of these projects.

The timing of the Waterways Council meeting works well as the Senate also is moving ahead with its version of the legislation --- in committee at least.

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Senate Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and committee ranking member, Sen. David Vitter, R-La., released the bill and announced the pair will hold a joint press conference on Tuesday to discuss the details. The committee plans to markup the legislation Wednesday.

According to the senators, the bill contains changes to accelerate projects and ensure the Corps of Engineers moves faster in areas such as feasibility studies and environmental reviews. That includes working on inland waterway projects.

The bill also contains a project financing pilot program for loan guarantees for major projects as well.

The full language of the Senate bill can be found at http://dld.bz/…

The bill summary can be found at http://dld.bz/…

I can be found on Twitter @ChrisClaytonDTN.

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