SENATE RELEASES FY21 ENERGY & WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS BILL WCI ELECTS BOARD, OFFICERS AND AUDIT COMMITTEE MEMBERS
November 10, 2020
SENATE RELEASES FY21 ENERGY & WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS BILL
WCI ELECTS BOARD, OFFICERS AND AUDIT COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee released all 12 of its appropriations bills, including the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies that includes funding for the Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works mission. While WCI is still reviewing the just-released bill, here are some highlights:
Overall proposed FY21 funding for the Corps is $7.72 billion, $72 million above the FY20 enacted level and $1.76 billion above the budget request. The House-passed funding level was $7.63 billion.
Like the House bill, the Senate bill also provides for seven new study starts and seven new construction project starts, of which two are for navigation.
The Corps’ Investigations account funding is $151 million, an increase of $48.51 million above the President’s budget request.
Funding for the Construction account is $ $2.66 billion, an increase of $487.81 million above the President’s budget request.
The IWTF funding level is $110 million, $20 million higher than the House bill. The cost-share for Chickamauga Lock was adjusted to 85% General Revenue Funding and 15% from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF).
Funding for Operations and Maintenance (O&M) is $ 3.78 billion (the House-passed funding level was $3.84 billion), or an increase of $1.78 billion above the President’s budget request.
$395 million was allocated for Mississippi River and Tributaries, an increase of $185 million above the president’s budget request.
The bill also meets WRRDA 2014 spending targets for appropriations from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.
On the FY21 Administration request to spend $0 from the IWTF and to levy an additional user fee on commercial operators, the E&WD bill states, “The Committee is disappointed and perplexed by the budget request’s proposal to not spend any of the estimated deposits for fiscal year 2021 into the IWTF. The Inland Waterways system is essential for national security and for sustaining our global economic competitiveness as it serves as an integral component of the Nation’s intermodal transportation system. Waterways provide an efficient mode of freight transportation compared to alternative forms of transportation because barge transport allows for the movement of more cargo per shipment. Barges on the inland system transport many commodities including coal, petroleum, grain, and other farm products.
The importance of modernizing inland waterway infrastructure is so important to these commercial users that they advocated for an increase to the fees they pay into the IWTF in 2014. Congress instituted this increase and took additional actions that have allowed for two priority projects, the Olmsted Lock and Dam in Kentucky and the Lower Monongahela in Pennsylvania, to be funded to completion in fiscal year 2020. The success of this approach and the strategic importance of the inland waterway system is why the Committee does not understand why the administration would propose to delay progress by zeroing out funding for ongoing construction projects. The budget request disregards the existing Capital Investment Strategy and the advice and recommendations of industry experts and professional engineers. Therefore, the Committee recommends appropriations that make full use of all estimated revenues from the IWTF for ongoing construction projects.”
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At the WCI Board of Directors Meeting today, Matt Ricketts (Crounse Corporation) was elected as WCI Chairman of the Board, succeeding Peter Stephaich (Campbell Transportation Company).
Also, today, WCI membership elected the following slate of Board members for terms ending November 2023:
Ohio Valley Region
Peter Stephaich, Campbell Transportation Company
Mississippi Region Category
Lee Nelson, Upper River Services.
Southern Region
Austin Golding, Golding Barge
East/West Coast Region
Tim Parker, Parker Towing Company
Todd Sandifer, Marathon Petroleum Company
Carrier’s Category
Jeff Webb, Cargo Carriers
Waterways Services Category
Brian Mueller, The Heartland Companies
Associations/Government Category
Brandy Christian, Port of New Orleans
At Large Category
Jeff Keifer, American Electric Power
Today, the WCI membership also elected the following Board members for terms ending November 2021:
Shipper’s Category
Todd Link, Valero Energy
At Large Category
Jessica Stephan, Bunge Corporation
The WCI membership also elected today the following Board member for a term ending November 2022:
At Large Category
Tim Moss, Enterprise Marine Services
The WCI Board of Directors also approved the following 2021 Executive Committee, Officers, and Audit Committee members today:
Executive Committee
Matt Ricketts, Chairman
Peter Stephaich, Immediate Past Chairman
Tracy Zea, President and CEO
Cherrie Felder, First Vice Chairman and Treasurer
Jeff Webb, Vice Chairman
Caryl Pfeiffer, Vice Chairman
Rodney Weinzierl, Vice Chairman
Matt Woodruff, Vice Chairman
Dan Mecklenborg, General Counsel
Marty Hettel, Secretary
Damon Judd, At Large
Merritt Lane, At Large
Scott Leininger, At Large
Lee Nelson, At Large
Tim Parker, At Large
Scott Ramshaw, At Large
Officers
Matt Ricketts, Chairman
Peter Stephaich, Immediate Past Chairman
Tracy Zea, President and CEO
Cherrie Felder, First Vice Chairman and Treasurer
Jeff Webb, Vice Chairman
Caryl Pfeiffer, Vice Chairman
Rodney Weinzierl, Vice Chairman
Matt Woodruff, Vice Chairman
Dan Mecklenborg, General Counsel
Marty Hettel, Secretary
Debra Calhoun, Senior Vice President
Paul Rohde, Vice President
Audit Committee
Lee Nelson
Caryl Pfeiffer
Chris Blanchard
John Wepfer
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