Soy Transportation Council pleased with WRDA Columbia River provisions

The Soy Transportation Council on Thursday praised the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for unanimously approving their versions of the Water Resources Development Act this week.

In an email to reporters, Mike Steenhoek, STC executive director, said, “A particular issue of importance to soybean farmers that was included — albeit with different legislative language — in both the House and Senate versions is an effort to maintain the Columbia River shipping channel — the segment of the river from Portland to the Pacific Ocean — at its current depth of 43 ft.”

Steenhoek noted, “The Pacific Northwest is the second leading export region (after the Mississippi Gulf region) for U.S. soybeans. A considerable volume of those PNW exports departs from a collection of terminals located along the Columbia River. To maintain the shipping channel at 43 feet over the next 20 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Columbia River ports are finalizing a Dredged Material Management Plan. A part of the DMMP involves the utilization of confined aquatic structures for in-water disposal of dredged material given the scarcity of disposal sites adjacent to the river. However, these structures will involve a significant cost, which unless addressed by Congress, will severely limit the port authorities along the Columbia River shipping channel being able to maintain the river at 43 feet.”

Steenhoek also said, “Both the House and Senate versions also include language related to more effective project delivery for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects. Making meaningful progress in this area is a significant priority for stakeholders, including soybean farmers. A number of current lock and dam construction projects are experiencing cost overruns in excess of 200%. This is unacceptable. Our nation will never have the funding available to maintain our inventory of locks and dams as long as these cost overruns are commonplace. Having robust levels of investment in these projects are essential, but it is even more critical to practice better stewardship of existing taxpayer dollars.”