Farm Bureau Says New Waterway Bill Addresses Critical Needs
Production
The American Farm Bureau Federation says a recently introduced waterway bill would address the critical needs of the inland waterways system, create American jobs, foster growth in U.S. exports and continue to encourage the economic benefits the nation’s waterways generate. The measure is the Waterways are Vital for the Economy, Energy, Efficiency and Environment Act of 2013 – or WAVE 4. Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman says construction, dredging and repairs to our locks and dams will help ensure the reliability of the most affordable, energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable mode of transporting agricultural products. Farm Bureau notes forty-one states – including all states east of the Mississippi River and 16 state capitols – are served by commercially navigable waterways. In addition – more than 60-percent of America’s grain exports and many other important commodities such as fuel, coal and agricultural inputs also move through the U.S. inland waterway system.
