Tag: Mississippi River

Mississippi mud creates problems A coalition of businesses that rely on Mississippi River commerce warns that current budget policies on Mississippi River dredging threaten to undo efforts to make America more competitive in international trade.On the same day that the Presidents State of The Union Address announced renewed efforts to increase trade in the global marketplace, restrictions went into effect on ships entering and leaving the Mississippi River. These restrictions on the busiest port system in the country directly harm the competitiveness of American businesses in some 30 states. On January 25, 2011, the Associated Branch Pilots, representing state-licensed pilots who handle ships entering and leaving the mouth of the river, began limiting the draft of ships to no more than 44 feet of draft, down from the 45-foot channel depth authorized by Congress. These restrictions were necessary because scarce funds in the Army Corps of Engineers budget for maintaining the river have resulted in inadequate dredging of the river. The Big River Coalition, an organization of more than 50 companies and associations, has been sounding the alarm that budget cuts on Mississippi River dredging would result in restrictions on ship traffic and now those warnings have come to pass. ...