ILTA’s president Kathryn Clay has welcomed news of the US port investment bill
The president of the International Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA), Kathryn Clay, has welcomed the passage of the US Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) through the US Congress.
The Act was passed by the House of Representatives on December 8, 2020, and by the Senate on December 22, 2020, as part of a broad federal spending and coronavirus relief bill, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
The Act will see investment in US ports, harbours and inland waters, including $2 billion in additional funds for harbour maintenance from the Harbour Maintenance Trust (port dredging) authority. In combination with the CARES Act, the WRDA will provide $3.5–4 million for port spending annually.
Clay said WRDA provides for more equitable allocation of funding for harbour maintenance, addresses the ongoing needs of the nation’s largest energy-transfer and commercial strategic seaports and invests additional federal resources in the construction of inland waterway projects, which are often connected to terminals.
She added: “During this period of increased partisanship in Washington, we were particularly pleased to see lawmakers work together to fund the maintenance, construction and improvement of our nation’s harbours, inland waterways and ports. Water infrastructure is critical to facilitate the trade we will require to help our economy recover and position the nation for long-term growth.”
For more information visit www.ilta.org
4th January 2021
