AAPA to Ask House to Consider Dredging Needs

Emphasizing the rapid rate at which ocean-going ships have increased in size and the extent to which the nation’ s federal navigation channels are ill-equipped to handle them, American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) U.S. Delegation Chairman Warren McCrimmon on Friday will go before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development to ask for help. In his testimony, Mr. McCrimmon—whose job as seaport director for Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority in Ohio makes him highly qualified to speak on the subject—will ask members to consider the future funding needs of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works program to ensure that the nation’s deep-draft shipping channels and harbors can accommodate the requirements of today’s larger vessels. “It’s crucial that the Corps has the resources it needs, not only to maintain federal navigation channels at their required depths and widths, but to plan for the future needs of these waterways as ships continue to get bigger and need deeper water in which to operate,” stated Mr. McCrimmon. “The Administration’s current 5-year plan for the Corps doesn’t recognize any dredging needs of ports beyond what is already under construction. This lack of foresight will result in American businesses having to pay more for transporting the goods they buy and sell, which means job losses when exports are less competitive overseas, and which increases the price of the goods we consume when it costs more to import them.”