Corps commits an additional $55 million for dredging after a ship was grounded near the mouth of the river Tuesday
WASHINGTON -- The Army Corps of Engineers is deploying a dredging vehicle and committing an additional $55 million for dredging the lower Mississippi after a ship was grounded near the mouth of the Mississippi on Tuesday.
In June 2011, a dredging operation was under way in Southwest Pass at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The $55 million infusion -- from supplemental funding approved by Congress -- gives the Corps a $127.6 million budget for dredging the lower Mississippi River this fiscal year, said Rachel Rodi, a spokesperson for its New Orleans district.
Business groups that rely on maritime commerce, like the Big River Coalition -- which released a report last week contending that financial cost of dredging the river on a regular basis is greatly outweighed by the harmful impact to the U.S. economy if dredging is not done -- had urged for an additional money to supplement the Corps' original $72.6 million budget.
The announcement drew rare praise from members of the Louisiana congressional delegation who had asked the corps to quickly respond to the ship grounding.
The dredging vessel is the Wheeler and it was deployed to the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River.
"I've been pushing the Corps to not wait any longer and deploy the Wheeler and start the dredging," said Sen. David Vitter, R-La. "We saw a ship grounded near the mouth of the Mississippi just yesterday and that underscored how urgent this matter is. Countless jobs in our commerce and waterways transportation economy depend on the river remaining as at a proper depth, and we needed quick action."
Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, agreed.
"Our river systems are vital to our economy and I'm glad that the Corps is finally adjusting its priorities by dedicating $55 million more to dredge the river, which is critical to ensuring the free flow of commerce and to ensure safety along the river," Scalise said.