James H. I. WeakleyPresident, Lake Carriers' Association

Vice President, Great Lakes Maritime Task ForceMember, Restore America’s Maritime Promise

H.R. 104: “Realizing America’s Maritime Promise

Act”Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

July 8, 2011 Rayburn – Room 2167

H.R. 104 Restores TrustHarbor Maintenance Act:

– Requires Administration to propose HMTF expenditures based on HMTF revenue

– Modeled on AIR - 21– Should not “score”– Should not violate budget rules– Should increase ACOE’s “top line”– Insulated from inflation– Increases HMTF spending – less than 3% of

Energy & Water Appropriations

1Vessel

47Barges

700Railroad Cars

2,80025-Ton Trucks

70,000Net Tons

LAND-BASED MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

DON'T STACK UP TO SHIPS !

HPPer Ton

.2 - .3Vessel

1Railroad Cars

12 - 20Trucks

VESSEL HP/TON EQUIVALENT The engine of a lawnmower could move a truck.

Tons Per Inch Immersion

1 INCH’S IMPACTThe 55 U.S.-Flag Lake Carriers’ enrolled vessels leave behind a combined 8,000 tons of cargo per trip for each inch of lost depth:

8000 Tons is enough…Iron Ore to produce steel for 6,000 Automobiles

Coal to provide 3 Hours of Electricity for Detroit Area

Limestone to build 24 Homes

Each1,000 foot-long vessel leaves 400,000 tons per year on the dock for each inch of lost depth.

Our national economy cannot afford the inefficiency?

THIS MAP IS A SAMPLING. VIRTUALLY EVERY LAKES PORT NEEDS SIGNIFICANT DREDGING.

Lost Inches, Lost EfficienciesINADEQUATE DREDGING SYSTEM-WIDE

6

12

9

0

4,000

8,000

12,000

16,000

20,000

24,000

28,000

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Cum

ulat

ive Bac

klog

(1,

000

cu y

ds)

-G

reen

Lin

e

Cub

ic Y

ards

Dre

dged

(x10

00)

-Blu

e Li

ne

Annual Great Lakes Dedging 1986-2009 Average Annual Need Dredging Backlog Groundings

Backlog Growth Under Constrained Dredging Funding 2012-2017

10

Groundings in Navigation Channel

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20100

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund

% Expended% Not Expended

Fiscal Year

Perc

ent o

f Rev

enue

19921993

19941995

19961997

19981999

20002001

20022003

20042005

20062007

20082009

2010$0

$1,000

$2,000

$3,000

$4,000

$5,000

$6,000

Balance Expenditures

HMTF Expenditures and Balance FY 1992 – FY 2010

(millions $) TRUST GAP

H.R. 104 Restores TrustHarbor Maintenance Act:

– Requires Administration to propose HMTF expenditures based on HMTF revenue

– Modeled on AIR - 21– Should not “score”– Should not violate budget rules– Should increase ACOE’s “top line”– Insulated from inflation– Increases HMTF spending – less than 3% of

Energy & Water Appropriations