June 21, 1976 4. The Secretary of the Army should ensure that the present facilities of Locks and Dam 26 are properly maintained until such time as Congress approves any changes. 5. Congress should assess the impact of any future changes in the present Mississippi and Illinois waterway systems on the financial strength and quality of service of the railroads. In addition, I endorse the policy of the National Industrial Traffic League that was reaffirmed at the League's 1975 Annual Meeting: "Users of waterways and waterway facilities, created, improved, pay a reasonable user charge, determined by appropriate Legislation that will result in appropriation of federal funds to expand the capabilities of the Mississippi and Illinois waterways, including Locks and Dam 26, should be accompanied by additional legislation that will make mandatory user charges appropriate to the benefits that will be enjoyed by waterway users. Very truly yours, UNITED STATES GYPSUM COMPANY Harry D. hohesht Harry D. Gabrecht Director, Transportation 88-866-77-64 20 April 1977 BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATER RESOURCES OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS Statement of Ramsay D. Potts On Behalf Of (S.712, S. 790, S.923 and Amendment No. 44 to S.712) Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, my name is Ramsay Potts. I am Counsel for The National Committee On Locks And Dam 26. A large number of diverse groups and organizations joined together two years ago to form The National Committee because of the perceived critical need to replace the present Locks and Dam 26 facility at Alton, Illinois with a new dam and locks of larger capacity. Replacement of the present facility is vital and necessary because the structure is deteriorating and exposing the economy of the entire Mississippi River Basin to disastrous consequences that would result from failure or lengthy temporary closure. Additionally, the capacity of the present facility must be increased to handle projected traffic without increasingly long and unacceptable delays that are already raising costs to users of the waterways and to consumers. The National Committee has concluded that an adequate sized replacement must include at least one 1200-foot lock and one 600-foot lock, and we so recommend to this Committee. The second lock is needed to provide a back-up to the main chamber, to expedite transit of recreational craft and light boats without interfering with, or delaying, the transit of loaded barges, and to raise the capacity of Locks and Dam 26 to the capacity of its sister lock downstream, Locks and Dam 27, which already has one 1200-foot lock and one 600-foot lock. But the overriding reason for authorizing the second lock now is that the 86 million tons annual capacity of the one 1200foot lock is expected to be reached in the late 1980s and the second lock will be needed by then to handle projected traffic. The National Committee on Locks and Dam 26 is an aggregation of groups, organizations and companies representing: - - - - - every major farm organization in the United States; a number of labor unions that are vitally concerned a large number of cooperatives and companies engaged a wide range of electric utilities and other energy suppliers; companies in the water transportation industry; scores of companies and associations that are dependent upon water transportation; and - local governmental entities and chambers of commerce. These member organizations, numbering 52, represent ver 6.5 million people whose economic livelihood and welleing are dependent in significant degree upon the capacity f Locks and Dam 26 to handle the grain, the coal, the ertilizers, the petroleum, and other bulk commodities that just transit Locks and Dam 26 to reach their destination. list of the members of The National Committee on Locks and Dam 26 is attached as Exhibit I. We believe that the views of The National Committee leserve to be accorded special weight because, in at least wo respects, The National Committee is unique among the ›rganizations favoring replacement of Locks and Dam 26 or Opposed to it: (1) (2) Many of the members of The National Committee use Locks and Dam 26, or depend upon its proper functioning, in their daily lives and, therefore, are intimately familiar with, and sensitive to, the capacity of the facility and the costs of delays experienced when traffic congestion exists at the Locks. Most of the member business groups and organizations extensively use railroad transportation and, therefore, favor a strong, healthy and responsive |