The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Institute for Water Resources has released a working draft report examining options for future modernization for U.S. port and inland waterways.
The Conference Report on the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 (H.R. 2055), instructed the IWR to report to Congress on how it should address the need for additional port and inland waterway modernization to accommodate post-Panamax vessels.
Because of the broad stakeholder interest in these options, IWR is committed to conducting its investigation and communicating the findings in a transparent and accessible manner.
About the Working Draft Report
Congress asked that the report consider: costs associated with deepening and widening deep-draft harbors; the ability of the waterways and ports to enhance the nation’s export initiatives benefitting the agricultural and manufacturing sectors; the current and projected population trends that distinguish regional ports and ports that are immediately adjacent to population centers; the availability of inland intermodal access; and environmental impacts resulting from the modernization of inland waterways and deep-draft ports.
This early draft of the report has components that are still in progress.
It includes a draft executive summary to show stakeholders the direction the report authors are taking based on research to date. It incorporates information from activities and outreach efforts that were already underway, and begins to incorporate feedback from discussions held through listening sessions and other venues over the last few weeks.
The draft report considers the perspectives of shippers, carriers, ports, environmental interests, state and Federal agencies, and other interested parties as well as taking a national view.
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Dredging Today Staff, April 5, 2012; Image: usace