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92_HJ0054
LRB9211165DHgc
1 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The State of Illinois borders or contains over
3 1,000 miles of the inland waterway system; and
4 WHEREAS, Many of Illinois' locks and dams are more than
5 60 years old and only 600 feet long, making them unable to
6 accommodate modern barge tows of 1,200 feet long, nearly
7 tripling locking times and causing lengthy delays and
8 ultimately increasing shipping costs; and
9 WHEREAS, The use of 1,200-foot locks has been proven
10 nationwide as the best method of improving efficiency,
11 reducing congestion, and modernizing the inland waterways;
12 and
13 WHEREAS, The construction of the lock and dam system has
14 spurred economic growth and a higher standard of living in
15 the Mississippi and Illinois river basin, and today supplies
16 more than 300,000,000 tons of the nation's cargo, supporting
17 more than 400,000 jobs, including 90,000 in manufacturing;
18 and
19 WHEREAS, More than 60% of American agricultural exports,
20 including, corn, wheat, and soybeans, are shipped down the
21 Mississippi and Illinois rivers on the way to foreign
22 markets; and
23 WHEREAS, Illinois farmers, producers, and consumers rely
24 on efficient transportation to remain competitive in a global
25 economy, and efficiencies in river transport offset higher
26 production costs, compared to those incurred by foreign
27 competitors; and
28 WHEREAS, The Upper Mississippi and Illinois lock and dam
29 system saves our nation more than $1,500,000,000 in higher
30 transportation costs each year, and failing to construct
31 1,200-foot locks will cause farmers to use more expensive
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1 alternative modes of transportation, including trucks and
2 trains; and
3 WHEREAS, According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
4 congestion along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers is
5 costing Illinois and other producers and consumers in the
6 basin $98,000,000 per year in higher transportation costs;
7 and
8 WHEREAS, River transportation is the most environmentally
9 friendly form of transporting goods and commodities, creating
10 almost no noise pollution and emitting 35% to 60% fewer
11 pollutants than either trucks or trains, according to the
12 U.S. EPA; and
13 WHEREAS, Moving away from river transport would add
14 millions of trucks and rail cars to our nation's
15 infrastructure, adding air pollution, traffic congestion, and
16 greater wear and tear on highways; and
17 WHEREAS, Backwater lakes created by the lock and dam
18 system provide breeding grounds for migratory waterfowl and
19 fish; and
20 WHEREAS, The lakes and 500 miles of wildlife refuge also
21 support a $1,000,000,000-a-year recreational industry,
22 including hunting, fishing, and tourism jobs; and
23 WHEREAS, Upgrading the system of locks and dams on the
24 Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers will provide 3,000
25 construction and related jobs over a 15-20 year period; and
26 WHEREAS, In 1999 Illinois was the leading shipping state,
27 with more than 66,000,000 tons of Illinois products,
28 including grain, coal, chemicals, aggregates, and other
29 products, representing a value of more than $8,000,000,000;
30 and
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1 WHEREAS, 109,000,000 tons of commodities including grain,
2 coal, chemicals, aggregates, and other products were shipped
3 to, from, and within Illinois by barge, representing
4 $16,000,000,000 in value; and
5 WHEREAS, An additional 136,000,000 tons of commodities
6 pass Illinois' borders on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers,
7 representing a value of more than $43,000,000,000; and
8 WHEREAS, Shippers moving by barge in Illinois realized a
9 savings of approximately $1,000,000,000, compared to other
10 transportation modes; and
11 WHEREAS, Illinois docks shipped products by barge to 20
12 states and received products from 18 states; and
13 WHEREAS, Barges moving to and from Lake Michigan use the
14 O'Brien Lock, with the Chicago Lock passing over 36,000
15 recreation vessels and over 410,000 passengers on over 13,000
16 commercial passenger vessels; and
17 WHEREAS, There are approximately 364 manufacturing
18 facilities, terminals, and docks on the waterways of
19 Illinois, representing thousands of jobs in the State;
20 therefore be it
21 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
22 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
23 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we recognize the importance of
24 inland waterway transportation to Illinois agriculture and to
25 industry in the State, the region, and the nation, and that
26 we urge Congress to authorize funding to construct l,200-foot
27 locks on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois River System; and
28 be it further
29 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this Resolution be
30 delivered to the President Pro Tempore and the Secretary of
31 the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Clerk of the
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1 United States House of Representatives, the Chair of the
2 Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
3 the Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and
4 Infrastructure, and to the Illinois congressional delegation.