Putting the Heat on WRDA

Putting the Heat on WRDA

Putting the Heat on WRDA. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.

A great deal of U.S. farm exports are shipped via inland waterways so funding for flood protection, port improvements and upgrades to the nation’s aging locks and dams infrastructure are more critical than ever.

WALMSLEY: The Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA, is an important bill that funds transportation infrastructure along with a whole multitude of other issues dealing with water infrastructure in the country.

Farm Bureau transportation specialist Andrew Walmsley says that while the Senate passed its version of the bill in May with strong bipartisan support, the wait is on for the House to pass its version.

WALMSLEY: We are encouraging farmers and ranchers out there to encourage their House members, to support a WRDA bill that is extremely important for the infrastructure, the flow of commerce in this country. We really need to get the House to move forward to pass one so we have the ability to move forward in making investments that are critical to keeping America competitive.

Walmsley says our competitive edge is at risk because some of the locks and dams were built back in the days of the Model T and the threat of failures looms large. That would have an impact on the entire country.

WALMSLEY: Waterways are efficient and environmentally friendly. One 16-barge tow is the equivalent of 216 railcars with six locomotives pulling those or a little over 1,000 trucks. So you’re taking a lot congestion not only off our railways but our roadways. You’re saving fuel. Our commutes are bad enough as it is. I don’t know that we want an extra 1,000 trucks on the road just because we can’t get a barge down the river.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network. 

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