Congressional Hearing to Focus on Inland Waterways Transportation System

A Congressional hearing on Wednesday will focus on the importance of the nation’s system of inland waterways, and the challenges in maintaining this aging but economically important transportation system.

The U.S. Inland Waterways Transportation System is the nation’s most cost-effective and energy efficient means for transporting commercial goods, especially major bulk commodities like grain, coal, and petroleum products.  This transportation system is also a key component of state and local economies and job creation efforts and is essential in maintaining economic competitiveness and national security.

Benefits of the system are numerous.  Barges moving on waterways are safer, more fuel efficient, and less polluting than other means of transportation.  One 15-barge tow on a river can carry as much cargo as 216 rail cars or 1,050 large trucks.  Thirty-eight states are directly served by the Inland Waterways Transportation System, constituting 630 million tons of cargo valued at more than $180 billion annually, at an average annual savings of $9.2 billion.

Many of the facilities on the system are 50 years old or more, and delays and congestion on the aging system can cause transportation cost increases.  Keeping these costs low benefits U.S. consumers and makes U.S. products more competitive on the world market. 

Witnesses will address the challenges in maintaining our economically important  inland waterways system.  More information about Wednesday’s hearing can be found here.

WHAT: Hearing of the U.S. House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH), Chairman: “The Economic Importance and Financial Challenges of Recapitalizing the Nation's Inland Waterways Transportation System”

WHEN: 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, September 21, 2011

WHERE: 2167 Rayburn House Office Building
                        Washington, DC 20515

A live webcast of this hearing will be available at http://transportation.house.gov

WITNESSES:

• The Honorable Jo Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army-Civil Works, United States Department of the Army
• Steve Little, Chairman, Inland Waterways Users Board
• Mike Toohey, President, Waterways Council, Incorporated
• Dr. Larry G. Bray, Center for Transportation Research, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
• Mr. Steve Ebke, Chairman, Production & Stewardship Action Team, National Corn Growers Association
• Stephen Ellis, Vice President, Taxpayers for Common Sense