On August 20, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will announce millions of dollars of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding to strengthen the economy, create jobs, and support safe and efficient marine commerce and trade, which contributes more than $742b and 13 million jobs to the economy annually. The awarded contracts will help the Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) map the seafloor, collect data in critical coastal areas, and update nautical charts of approximately 2,000 square nautical miles in the Chesapeake Bay and other areas along the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico.
The announcement will occur on August 20, 11:15 a.m. at the Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center, Virginia Room, 1 Waterside Drive, Norfolk, Va. 23510.